Archive for August, 2012

Getting the New Windows 8 Remote Desktop client on your Windows 7 system

If you are in a windowed remote desktop session you can access the remote commands by selecting the remote desktop icon and then choosing remote commands.

If you are running remote desktop full screen click the down arrow on the connection bar to display the remote commands.

If you can’t wait for Microsoft to publish a version of the new Remote Desktop client for windows 7, then all is not lost. There is a way for Admins still running windows 7 desktops to get the new version on their systems. You have to copy four files from a Windows 8 x64 or Server 2012 system to your windows 7 x64 system.  If using windows 7 x86 then copy the files from a windows 8 x86 system

• mstsc.exe  (in c:windowssystem32)
• mstscax.dll  (in c:windowssystem32)
• mstsc.exe.mui  (in c:windowssystem32en-US)
• mstscax.dll.mui  (in c:windowssystem32en-US)

Instead of overwriting the existing files on your windows 7 system (in case you ever want to revert back to the old version) create a new folder called Remote Desktop 8 anywhere on your system.  I put my folder on my desktop. Now copy mstsc.exe and mstscax.dll to that folder. Inside that folder create another folder called en-US and put the other two files into that. If you’re running a version that is not English then you will need to put the two mui files in the folder that corresponds to your language version.

Running mstsc.exe will now launch the new RDP client with the new remote commands on your Windows 7 system.

Or if you prefer you can download my installers that will automate the process for you.  Available for Windows 7 or Server 2008  in x86 and x64 versions.  English Only

The official Microsoft version has now been released. Check here for links and info or instead of downloading each file from the above link and running them individually get my MS Windows 8 RDP all-in-one combo updater package that automates the process into one installer.