Tag Archives: ts

Windows Server 2012 – RDP Server – How to get the ‘Start / Metro Screen’

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KB ID 0000767

Problem

When you RDP to a server running Windows Server 2012, in Remote Desktop Services (Terminal Server) mode. How do you get the start menu up? If you press the Windows Key or Ctrl+Esc, you get the menu on YOUR Machine?

Solution

Firstly, I know it’s not called the ‘Metro Interface’ any more, but that’s what everyone calls it!

1. Drag your mouse pointer off the bottom left hand side of the screen (1) and a thumbnail of the start menu will appear (2).

2. Move the mouse pointer back to the thumbnail (3) this takes a little practice, then click the start menu thumbnail (4).

To shutdown or log off (disconnect) use the same method as you would for Windows 8 (using the charms bar).

UPDATE 04/11/13 (Credit to Thomas Dread)

1. Windows Key +R > mstsc {Enter}.
2. Show Options.
3. Local Resources TAB.
4. Keyboard > Apply Windows Key combinations “On the Remote Computer” drop down menu.

5. Back to General TAB.
6. Save or Save AS.

How Do I Shut Down Windows 8?

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Remote Desktop Services – RemoteApp Error ‘The remote computer could not be found. Please contact your helpdesk about this error’

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KB ID 0000768

Problem

While attempting to launch a web app from a Windows Server 2012 Remote Desktop Services (Terminal) server. Clients were greeted with the following;

RemoteApp Disconnected The remote computer could not be found. Please contact your helpdesk about this error.

Solution

1. On the Server, Start > RD Gateway Manager > Locate your server > right click > properties > Server farm > Type in the FQDN of the server* (Your remote clients must be able to resolve this name!) > Add > Make sure it gets listed as ‘OK’ > Apply > OK.

*Note: This assumes you have one RDS server, if you have many then obviously enter the FQDN of the one fulfilling the RD Gateway role.

2. Start > Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager > Expand the server > Sites > Default Web Site > RDWeb > Pages > Application Settings.

3. Open DefaultTSGateway > Set its value to the FQDN of the RD Gateway server (as above) > OK.

4. Finally restart IIS with an iisreset command.

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RDS Server – Remove the Shutdown Command

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KB ID 0000499 

Problem

I’m surprised that when you make a server a Terminal Services Server / Remote Desktop Services Server, that this does not get applied from an administrative template anyway, but it does not.

Why would you want to do this? Well users are used to hitting Start > Shutdown, when they are finished working, which is fine, unless they are in a terminal session with 500 other users and they’ve just issued a shutdown command to the server!

Solution

The simplest way to do this is run gpedit.msc on the server itself and remove shutdown through local group policy, but a far more elegant solution is create a domain group policy for the TS Server(s).

1. On a domain controller,  launch the “Group Policy Management Console”. Create a policy, and link it to the OU that contains the Terminal Servers, you want to enforce the policy on, (Or edit an existing policy linked toy them).

2. Now remove the shutdown is a USER policy, and this is a COMPUTER policy we are writing, so it wont work unless we turn on “Loopback processing”. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Group Policy > User Group Policy loopback processing. (Note: On 2016 It will be called, ‘Configure user Group Policy loopback processing mode’.)

3. In most cases you will already have user policies applied to your users, if so you will want to “Merge” this with them rather than replace them > Apply > OK.

4. Now to remove the Shutdown command. Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar > Remove and prevent access to the Shut Down, Restart, Sleep, and Hibernate Commands.

5. Enable > Apply > OK.

6. Then either reboot the TS Server(s), wait a couple of hours or run “gpupdate /force” on them.

 

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Server 2008 – TS (Remote Desktop Services) Licensing

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KB ID 0000523 Dtd 23/03/12

Problem

A couple of months back I put in a 2008 Terminal Services Server, or Remote Desktop Services as it’s now called. I installed the Licensing server and successfully added in the licences the client had purchased, but a while later he rang to say he was having licensing issues.

At first I thought it might have “dropped” it’s licences so I checked Remote Desktop Licensing Manager, and they were still there:

Note: The Windows 2000 Server Built in TS Per Device unlimited licences are a throwback from earlier versions of windows that had a CAL on the client. (Primarily Windows 2000, but some XP clients purchased in a particular time range slipped under the bar as well).

Solution

As it turns out there’s one more step to carry out on Server 2008.

1. Launch the “Remote Desktop Services Host Configuration” console, and check the licensing section, it should give the licensing mode as “Per User” or “Per Device“. In my case it said “Not Specified”. It should also say a licensing server has been specified. (If it does not double click the incorrect entry).

2. Change the licensing mode and/or add a licensing server as required.

Per User or Per Device?

Per Device: CALs for the device get stored in the registry of the machine/device that access’s the TS/RDS server. When issued it expires after a number of days (a random number between 52 and 89 days) at this point it’s freed up to be issued again.

Per User: In this mode the CAL is issued to the user, if one user logs onto multiple devices you only use 1 licence.

Note: As a rule of thumb if you have more devices than users, choose per user. If you have more users than devices then choose per device.

Adding TS or RDS ‘Select’ Licences

You will need your select agreement number, and the amount of CALs you have purchased.

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