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Is there good tool that can do same thing as windows 'mstsc' and also has some features, like save different session info, so don't need to remember difference IP/ID/pwd. Thanks.

EDIT: Since I can't directly RDP to remote hosts, instead, I have to RDP to a terminal server and RDP from their to my destination. Is there client that can relay my connection from local and pass through the terminal to the real destination?

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  • I would say your edit significantly changed this question to the point where all of the answers are not correct. Don't know if what you want is even possible.
    – MattB
    May 26, 2010 at 16:59

8 Answers 8

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I use RD Tabs. http://www.avianwaves.com/tech/tools/rdtabs/

small light weight and just works.

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  • like this the most!
    – Stan
    Jun 8, 2010 at 18:08
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I'm a fan of the Terminals program - does a lot more than RDP as well if you need that.

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Check out mRemote, not sure I could function without it.

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  • +1 a must have tool for me.
    – AdamW
    May 25, 2010 at 22:27
  • mRemote is convenient for me when I use a Windows desktop since I manage multiple servers and devices using RDP and ssh and it was nice to have everything in one place. I've also used royalTS and a plain, old duct-tape custom mmc with all my RDP connections saved.
    – damorg
    May 26, 2010 at 0:39
  • Curious, how has mRemote been since the merge with visionapp? I stopped using it in favor of Terminals at around that time and never circled back around to it.
    – MattB
    May 26, 2010 at 2:09
  • @MattB: some incremental updates, still free, still the same as it ever was really. I've had no issues.
    – Chris_K
    May 26, 2010 at 2:33
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You can use the mstsc tool to save settings such as IP and password information to saved files.

click the Options button. From the General tab, click the Save As button. Type in a file name and choose the location where you want to save the file. Next time you want to initiate a connection using those settings, double click the file you just saved.

(From http://www.lockergnome.com/windows/2005/12/07/save-your-remote-desktop-connection-settings/)

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  • Just be aware that the admin can configure policies so that you will be prompted for a password regardless of whether you have one saved.
    – John Gardeniers
    May 25, 2010 at 3:00
  • I use this too. But wanna look for more convenient tool. thanks anyway.
    – Stan
    May 25, 2010 at 21:18
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You're looking for the "Remote Desktops" mmc snap in. It will provide a navigation pane of different remote system connections where you can put the different IP, ID, etc for each. On XP, the snap-in is part of the adminpak.msi from Windows Server 2003. For Windows 7 check out this helpful post

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  • One negative I found with the remote desktops snap-in was that it became easy to leave sessions logged in and forget about them. Then the only way to go back and see if you had a session open was to click on each server in turn, which then opened a session. DOH.
    – Chris Thorpe
    May 25, 2010 at 11:05
  • I will definitely be checking this out. Thanks for the heads up.
    – phuzion
    May 25, 2010 at 13:09
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Relay is possible. Having a reverse proxy forwarding RDP connections to internal endpoints. One external address, many internal "extensions".

the Microsoft supports that in the internal format of rdp files, example: full address:s:myAzureAccount.cloudapp.net username:s:canoas LoadBalanceInfo:s:Cookie: mstshash=WebDeployHost2.Web#WebDeployHost2.Web_IN_0

Microsoft uses it since Small Business Server and now also in the Azure service. The above example is from one of my connections into one of the balanced machines in the farm. Apparently they use this "LoadBalanceInfo:s:Cookie" to set the internal routing. Documented here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsazure/gg433063.aspx and here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff393684(WS.10).aspx

Does anyone know how to setup a Relay Server? TMG or Windows 2008 R2 RD Services? Is there a "name" for this architecture?

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To add to this growing list:

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  • @Non: Why do you say that RoyalTS is crippleware? I've been using it for awhile and haven't had any issues. Am I missing something?
    – joeqwerty
    May 25, 2010 at 23:00
  • @JoeQwerty According to the Royal TS website: "Royal TS 1.6.0 and later is Shareware which means you can download, share, install and use Royal TS for free with only one limitation: you can only manage up to 10 connections per document." Maybe you have an older version?
    – Wesley
    May 26, 2010 at 19:36
  • Oh, that's what you meant by "crippleware". I purchased a license for version 1.6 so I'm managing around 50 servers with it.
    – joeqwerty
    May 26, 2010 at 20:47
  • I will second VisionApp.
    – bentek
    Dec 4, 2014 at 18:16
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Do not forget about Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection Manager especially because it can successfully bypass admin's restrictions regarding interactive passwords supply and connect you (directly, no relaying, at least in v2.2) to the defined groups of servers. Handy very much.

RDCMan2.7

Update (can't comment): seems like RDCMan is cancelled after a volnerability issue: https://www.borncity.com/blog/2020/03/13/aus-fr-remote-desktop-connection-manager-rdcman/

Microsoft discontinues RDCMan app following security bug

– App was used for RDP access – Microsoft tells users to use MSTSC or RDWin – RDCMan is vulnerable to CVE-2020-0765 (opening malicious RDG files lets attackers retrieve files from your system)

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  • Actually version 2.7 supports load balancing which according to document linked by @canoas can be utilized for relaying. Summarizing, you get native RDP manager that fulfils all your needs. :-) preview
    – Remik
    Dec 4, 2014 at 18:23

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