So I am using my laptop as a client and my PC as a host. When I try to press "alt-tab" it changes windows on my client laptop but not on PC host. What I want to know is how do I "alt-tab" on PC host but not on client laptop.
I'm not sure if there was a recent update or what, but my alt-tab function on W10 used to tab me from my remote desktop back to my local machine, and I liked it that way. Googling just gives me regedit suggestions to do the reverse.
I don't need alt tab in my remote desktop - is there a way to switch it back so I can tab to my local machine easily?
Thanks
- Article
- 09/10/2021
- 2 minutes to read
The following is a list of the Remote Desktop Services shortcut keys.
A note regarding missing keys: Many compact keyboards do not contain some keys. For example, many laptops do not have a dedicated BREAK key. However, they usually have keyboard shortcuts that replace dedicated keys. These key replacements are specified by the manufacturer of the keyboard, so you may need to look up key replacements in the documentation provided by your keyboard or laptop manufacturer.
There are two different sets of shortcut key combinations you can use on a remote desktop connection: the default Windows shortcut keys, or the shortcut keys originally designed for the remote desktop. You can set which shortcut keys you use on the local and remote machine through the Remote Desktop Connection client [ie, the dialog that appears when you click on the Remote Desktop Connection icon]. From there, click Show Options [if you cannot see the options], and then click the Local Resources tab. In the Apply Windows key combinations drop-down, you have three options:
| On this computer | The default key combinations will work on your local machine only. You must use the alternate combinations on the remote desktop. |
| On the remote computer | The default key combinations will work only on the remote desktop. You must use the alternate combinations on the local machine. Note that once you close down the Remote Desktop Connection, your local machine will once again use the default windows shortcuts. |
| Only when using the full screen | The default key combinations will work on whichever machine has the full desktop; functionally, this means that the default key combinations work for the local machine, unless you have the Remote Desktop Connection window in full-screen mode. |
For more user information about Remote Desktop connection, See How to use Remote Desktop.
| CTRL+ALT+HOME |
Activates the connection bar. |
CTRL+ALT+BREAK or one of these shortcuts:
|
Switches the client between full-screen mode and window mode. If these shortcuts don't work, or the keys aren't available, you can try the following alternative:
|
| CTRL+ALT+END |
Brings up the Windows Security dialog box for the Remote Desktop Session Host [RD Session Host] [provides the same functionality as pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL on the local computer]. |
The following table describes the standard Windows shortcut keys and their equivalent Remote Desktop shortcuts that are different. [For example, Ctrl+Z is generally the 'Undo' shortcut on both standard Windows and Remote Desktop.]
| ALT+TAB |
ALT+PAGE UP |
Switches between programs from left to right. |
| ALT+SHIFT+TAB |
ALT+PAGE DOWN |
Switches between programs from right to left. |
| ALT+INSERT |
Cycles through the programs in the order they were started. |
|
| Windows key or CTRL+ESC | ALT+HOME |
Displays the Start menu. |
| ALT+SPACE BAR |
ALT+DELETE |
Displays the system menu. |
| ALT+PRINT SCREEN |
CTRL+ALT+MINUS SIGN [-] |
Places a snapshot of the active window, within the client, on the clipboard. |
| PRINT SCREEN |
CTRL+ALT+PLUS SIGN [+] |
Places a snapshot of the entire client windows area on the clipboard . |
Remote Desktop Services
Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Home
Nothing should go wrong, but since this grabs Left Mouse Button and Enter, probably save all your work first.
I was pretty awful at AutoHotKey when I wrote this. This utility is one of the things that got me learning AHK, although hough I never took it very far.
This version of the script functions much better. It's also adapted from my script to allow a VirtualBox Virtual Machine to do the same thing
While RDC is open and focused, it uses ALT+Tab to trigger ALT+Page Down which is built into Terminal Services to activate the server's 'Task Switcher'.
Windows 10 Home, and Windows 2012 Server
I wanted functionality to do both, so I wrote an AutoHotKey script for my local machine.
I gave my local computer full access to Windows Key Commands even while RDC is maximized
And then wrote an AutoHotKey script [I am not well-versed in it] that captured WIN+TAB [#Tab], while RDC is open and then uses that and the ALT+Page Down built into Terminal Services to activate the server's ALT+Tab. Once it's open, you can navigate with arrow keys and enter/click to select.
If you can improve upon this, please do, and share.
#persistent #Tab::WinTabbing[] return WinTabbing[] { WinGetTitle, Title, A ; Get Title StringRight, TitleEnd, Title, 25 ; RDC is 25 letters long If [TitleEnd = "Remote Desktop Connection"] ; Check that an RDC is active. This will probably have ; issues with the inital "connect to dialog of RDC { Send, {Alt down}{PgDn} ; Press and hold alt, and press pgdn Hotkey, Enter, Entering, On ; Map Enter, Click, and their alt-counterparts to Entering[] Hotkey, !Enter, Entering, On Hotkey, LButton, Entering, On Hotkey, !LButton, Entering, On return } } ; There is no return statement at the end of this function, because we want ; Control Tab to work when focused in any other window. ; I tried to map Tab/Alt Tab [because alt is still pressed] to Right arrow ; and Control Tab/Control Alt Tab to left arrow. I was unable to get it to work. ; I left the functions in comments if anyone want to try ; Righting[] ; Send, Right ; return ; } ; Lefting[] { ; Send, Right ; return ; } Entering[] { Send, {Alt}{Enter} ; Releases Alt, and makes the selection Hotkey, Enter, Entering, Off ; See WinTabbing[] Hotkey, !Enter, Entering, Off Hotkey, LButton, Entering, Off Hotkey, !LButton, Entering, Off return }