Administrator tools

Administrator tools

Connection management tools

• visionapp Remote Desktop (vRD) - Freeware multi-tab remote connections tool
• iShadow Desktop - by Teknica. Universal rdp, ica and vnc client
• Remote Desktop Manager - by Devolutions. Free utility to collect and organize your remote connections
• Remote Desktop - by Frameworkx. Freeware Windows Vista's sidebar gadget to collect and organize your remote connections
• Remote Desktops snap-in from the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 Administration Tools Pack

(Remote) Administration and management tools

Windows Server 2008

• Terminal Services Command Reference
• 947723 - Changes to remote administration in Windows Server 2008
• 941314 - Description of Windows Server 2008 Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista Service Pack 1
• Installing RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools) components unattended - by Kurt Roggen
• RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools): what's included and what's NOT!! - by Kurt Roggen
• RSAT and ADUC: Getting the Terminal Services Tabs to Appear in AD Users and Computers
• WS2008: Terminal Server Management and Administration - an overview of available tools and methods
• WS2008: RDC Enhancements and Administrative Sessions
• Managing Terminal Services attributes with PowerShell - by Dmitry Sotnikov
• Remotely managing your Server Core using RDP - by Sander Berkouwer
• Introducing Terminal Services Server Drain Mode
• 947729 - Error message when you try to use the Active Directory Service Interfaces extension for Terminal Services to read the properties for a user on a Windows Server 2008-based computer: "The directory property cannot be found in the cache"

Windows Server 2003 / W2K

• Terminal Services Tools and Settings
• 306624 - HOW TO: Install Terminal Services in Remote Administration Mode in Windows 2000
• 814590 - How to enable and to configure Remote Desktop for Administration in Windows Server 2003
• Remote Administration of Windows Servers Using Remote Desktop for Administration White Paper - 2003
• 256588 - Using Terminal Services for remote administration of Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 domain controllers in Directory Service Restore mode
• 243202 - Windows 2000 Terminal Services Session Management Tools
• 302801 - The Use of Tscon.exe Can Leave a Previously-Locked Console Unlocked
• 277689 - You May Not Be Able to Switch Back and Use the Terminal Services Manager
• 281307 - Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Are Not Advertised as Terminal Services Servers
• 255591 - Internal Error 2755 Installing Windows 2000 Resource Kit on a Terminal Server
• 839941 - You cannot enter a password that has more than 14 characters when you try to connect to a session from Task Manager or from Terminal Services Manager in Windows Server 2003
• CTX108104 - Error: Could not Contact any Web Interface Configuration Servers ..or the (Create Site) option is not available - ASC on PS4
• The realities of the new admin interface in Citrix Presentation Server 4.5 - by Brian Madden

Remote Control, Shadowing, Remote Assistance

• 232792 - HOW TO: Use the Terminal Services Remote Control Feature - W2K
• 320191 - HOW TO: Use the SHADOW Command to Remotely Monitor an Active Session of Another User in Windows 2000 Terminal Services
• 278845 - How to Connect to and Shadow the Console Session with Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services
• 292190 - How to Shadow a Terminal Server Session Without Prompt for Approval
• 233365 - Err Msg: Session ID [Session Number] Remote Control Failed
• 281156 - Cannot Remotely Control a Disconnected Session
• 281909 - Terminal Services: You Receive No Warning When Shadowed Session Ends
• 301527 - How to configure a computer to receive Remote Assistance offers in Windows Server 2003 and in Windows XP

Utilities

If you have a very specific need, then chances are that there is a very specific tool for it! Here is the 10+-most-wanted list of Terminal Server utilities.

• RemoteApp Filter - a freeware extension to Windows 2008 TS Web Access to filter out applications based on user's group membership
• Citrix Published Applications Utility (PAU) - change properties of multiple published applications
• Process Monitor - FileMon and Regmon combined, for W2K SP4 anf higher, from SysInternals
• DumpSec, DumpReg & DumpEvt - dump NTFS permissions, registry information and EventLogs. From SystemTools.Com
• RegTimeStamp - set the time stamp of shadow keys, by Donald Fens
• RegToADM - create custom ADM from exported REG file, by Yizhar Hurwitz
• TSRemoteExec - freeware utility to execute any command on the local client from within a remote session, by Thomas Tran
• Bandwidth Analysis Tool - for monitoring ICA and RDP traffic patterns, from WBISoft.com
• ThreadMaster - application based CPU Quota management tool. Freeware utility, by Soren M. Pedersen
• Performance Guard - application monitoring tool, from PremiTech
• TSDropCopy - Server to client file transfer utility. Requires latest RDP client
• Virtual IP - session-based IP addresses, from Provision Networks
• GETTSCIP - a freeware command-line tool to obtain the current session's client IP address, by Ctrl-Alt-Del IT Consultancy
• ReconnAct! - utility which runs a script when client IP or name changes or on session disconnect or reconnect
• SetLocale - Set the input-locale and keyboard-layout. By Spectro Display
• TimeMachine - Set the timezone on a per-user basis. By Solution-Soft
• RecordTS - record everything your users are doing on your Terminal Servers, by Cláudio Rodrigues
• ObserveIT - Window Session auditing and recording of all Terminal Server sessions
• AppScape Lockdown Utility - turn off the X button