RDP: Using host's keyboard and mouse?

This may sound crazy... but is there any way to use the host's keyboard and mouse when using RDP?

I mean there is a headless Windows machine in my room. I often use Remote Desktop on one of my idle tablets to view the screen. As you know, typing and controlling the mouse pointer on a tablet suck. I cannot open an RDP from two different computers to one RDP server (as far as I know). So, if I connect from my desktop (which has a real keyboard) to the server using RDP, the connection on the tablet closes.

I know it just works that way if I use VNC, but VNC is slow compared to RDP, but if there is no way to do this with RDP, I might seriously consider using VNC instead of RDP.

PS: Just buy a monitor is not the answer I am looking for. I prefer tablet because I can see it in any position or place.

Damn Vegetables

Posted 2013-09-01T11:10:53.550

Reputation: 1 914

Answers

Its a bit of a hack (and I haven't tried it out myself), but you might be able to use a keyboard/mouse sharing software like mouse without borders or synergy to use the mouse and keyboard from the host on the guest, then control the host over RDP

Tricky thing here is, you haven't mentioned what your tablet is, and neither of these would work on a android or ios tablet. There's specific products for this in the respective application markets however. If its windows or linux, its trivial and these will work

Journeyman Geek

Posted 2013-09-01T11:10:53.550

Reputation: 119 122

I have Galaxy Tab 1 and 3 10.1 (Android) and an iPad 3. In fact, at first I thought if there were an application that remotely sends keystrokes and mouse movements to the remote PC (the RDP server). I will have a look at the programs. – Damn Vegetables – 2013-09-01T15:37:06.110

There is a difference between RDP and VNC. RDP connects to a server using a terminal server session which isn't displayed on the local console and all local i/o devices are connected only to local console. VNC just mirrors the local console so you can use the local resources to use the computer.

Zalmy

Posted 2013-09-01T11:10:53.550

Reputation: 821

Yes, I broadly know the fact (not the details, ,though). That is why I am considering using VNC if this is not possible with RDP. Come to think of it, I might use VNC and RDP at the same time. – Damn Vegetables – 2013-09-01T15:35:07.950

One way would be to connect to the console session instead of an independent Remote Desktop session. To do that you need to use a command line parameter. For Windows XP this is mstsc /console, for Windows 7 they changed it to mstsc /admin. This means you share/use the same session as somebody sitting at the computer.

Not sure how to do the equivalent when the client is not mstsc (Miscrosoft Terminal Server Client) on Windows.

Brian

Posted 2013-09-01T11:10:53.550

Reputation: 8 439

Thanks. However, I think it would not work on tablets... – Damn Vegetables – 2013-09-01T15:34:02.133

I use TeamViewer. It's free for private use and allows me to use both my remote keyboard and mouse along with the host's kb/m. PS I'm not at all trolling for their company; I just appreciate the good and free software.

Chris Sprague

Posted 2013-09-01T11:10:53.550

Reputation: 101