This article discusses the Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) 6.1 client update that helps you use the new Terminal Services features. These features are introduced in Windows Vista and in Windows Server 2008 and are available from a computer that is running Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).

The RDC 6.1 client can be used to connect to legacy terminal servers or to remote desktops as before. However, the new features that are mentioned in this article are available only when the client connects to a remote computer is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.

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The RDC 6.1 client update contains the following features.

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Terminal Services Web Access

Terminal Services Web Access (TS Web Access) is a service in Terminal Services that lets you make Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services RemoteApp (TS RemoteApp) programs available to users from a Web browser. You can also use TS Web Access to make a link to the terminal server desktop available. Additionally, TS Web Access enables users to open a connection from a Web browser to the remote desktop of any server or of any client computer to which the users have the appropriate access.

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Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Signing

RDP signing lets users sign RDP files and connections that are opened from TS Web Access. This feature helps users make sure that they are not using malicious RDP files to connect to potentially hostile terminal servers. You can also use Group Policy settings to specify that a user can only open signed files. This feature lets administrators make sure that users only connect to known resources.

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Terminal Services EasyPrint

Terminal Services Easy Print (TS Easy Print) is the new printer redirection solution that was introduced in Windows Server 2008. TS Easy Print makes sure that client printers are always installed in remote sessions and that you do not have to install the printer drivers on the terminal server. Additionally, TS Easy Print addresses several other printer redirection issues that have been problematic in the past. Print queues are now scoped per session, all printer properties are available in the remote session, and terminal server administrators can use a policy setting to redirect only the default printer. Terminal Services Easy Print is now the default printer redirection mechanism in Terminal Services. Therefore, no configuration is required to use this feature.

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What is required to use TS Easy Print

To use Terminal Services Easy Print Windows, Server 2008 Server must be installed on the Terminal Services server. No additional drivers have to be installed, and no additional configuration has to occur. On the Terminal Services client, the user must be running Terminal Services client 6.1 and the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 Service Pack 1.

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Server authentication

In RDC 6.1, server authentication verifies that you are connecting to the correct remote computer or remote server. This security feature helps prevent you from connecting to a computer or to a server to which you did not intend to connect. This feature also prevents you from unintentionally exposing confidential information.

By default, server authentication is enabled for the connection. However, if you want to change server authentication settings, follow these steps:

1.	Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click Communication, and then click Remote Desktop Connection.
2.	Click Options, and then click the Advanced tab.

The following three authentication options are available:

•	Always connect, even if authentication fails If you enable this option, you can connect even if RDC 6.1 cannot verify the identity of the remote computer.
•	Warn me if authentication fails If you enable this option, RDC 6.1 tells you if it cannot verify the identity of the remote computer. This option gives you the choice of whether to continue with the connection.
•	Do not connect if authentication fails If you enable this option, you cannot connect if RDC 6.1 cannot verify the identity of the remote computer.

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Resource redirection

The RDC 6.1 client helps you redirect Plug and Play devices that support redirection.

To redirect a Plug and Play device, follow these steps:

1.	Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click Communication, and then click Remote Desktop Connection.
2.	Click Options, click the Local Resources tab, click More, and then select the Supported Plug and Play devices check box.

Note A Windows XP-based client computer that is running RDP 6.1 only supports Point of Service (POS) for .NET devices. A Windows XP-based client computer that is running RDP 6.1 does not support Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) devices such as digital cameras and media players.

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Terminal Server Gateway servers

A Terminal Server Gateway (TS Gateway) server is a kind of gateway that enables authorized users to connect to remote computers on a corporate network. These authorized users can connect from any computer by using an Internet connection. TS Gateway uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) together with the HTTPS protocol to help create a more secure encrypted connection.

Earlier versions of RDC cannot connect to remote computers across firewalls and across network address translators. This is because port 3389 is typically blocked to improve network security. Port 3389 is the port that is used for Remote Desktop connections. However, a TS Gateway server uses port 443. Port 443 transmits data through a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) tunnel.

A TS Gateway server has the following benefits:

•	It enables Remote Desktop connections to a corporate network from the Internet. In this case, it does not require a virtual private network (VPN) connection.
•	It enables connections to remote computers across firewalls.
•	It helps you share a network connection with other programs that are running on the computer. This enables you to use the Internet service provider (ISP) connection instead of the corporate network to send and to receive data over the remote connection.

To specify a TS Gateway server, follow these steps:

1.	Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click Communication, and then click Remote Desktop Connection.
2.	Click Options, click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings.
3.	Click Use these TS Gateway server settings, type the server name in the Server name box, and then select one of the following logon methods from the Logon methods list: • Allow me to select later This option lets you select a logon method when you connect. • Ask for password This option prompts you for a password when you connect. • Smart card This option prompts you to insert a smart card when you connect.
4.	Select or clear the Bypass TS Gateway server for local addresses check box. If you select this check box, you prevent the traffic that is moving to and from local network addresses from being routed through the TS Gateway server. This option makes the connection faster.

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Terminal Services RemoteApp

TS RemoteApp is a feature of Windows Server Terminal Services that lets client computers connect to a remote computer to use programs that are installed on the remote computer. For example, a workplace may have a remote computer to which employees can connect and run Microsoft Word. An administrator must publish the programs for end-users to access the programs. The experience for end-users is the same as when they run a program that is installed on the local computer.

TS RemoteApp makes system administration easier because there is only one copy of a program to upgrade and to maintain instead of many copies that are installed on individual computers.

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Monitor spanning

Remote Desktop Connection supports high-resolution displays that can be spanned across multiple monitors. However, the total resolution on all monitors must be under 4096 x 2048 pixels. The monitors must have the same resolution. Additionally, the monitors must be aligned side-by-side.

To have the desktop of the remote computer span multiple monitors, type Mstsc /span at a command prompt.

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Visual improvements

Remote Desktop Connection now supports both 32-bit color and font smoothing.

To enable 32-bit color, follow these steps:

1.	Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click Communication, and then click Remote Desktop Connection.
2.	Click Options, click the Display tab, and then click Highest Quality (32 bit) in the Colors list.

To enable font smoothing, follow these steps:

1.	Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click Communication, and then click Remote Desktop Connection.
2.	Click Options, click the Experience tab, and then select the Font smoothing check box.

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Known issues

•	If you have the Multilingual User Interface Pack (MUI) for RDC 6.0 installed that is described in the Microsoft Knowledge Base article, KB 925877, you have to install the RDC 6.1 MUI for RDC to work with MUI. On a computer that is running the English version of Windows XP SP2 with the Windows XP SP2 MUI, you can select a non-English language version for the user interface (UI). However, text may appear in English in the UI instead of in the language version that you selected, or the UI may not appear at all. To correct this issue on Windows XP SP2 when RDC 6.0 is installed, download and install the RDC 6.1 MUI client update that is described in KB 952230. For more information about the RDC 6.1 MUI client update, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 952230 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/952230/) Description of the MUI for the Remote Desktop Connection 6.1 client update for Windows XP Service Pack 2
•	Connections from the Remote Desktop Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in on computers that have RDC 6.1 installed do not connect to the console session or admin session of the server. Workaround To work around this problem, use the Remote Desktop Connection 6.1 application with the /admin flag to connect to the console session of Windows Server 2003 computers or to the admin session of Windows Server 2008 computers. For more information about the deprecation of /admin in RDC 6.1, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 947723 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947723/) Changes to remote administration in Windows Server 2008
•	System Restore fails to restore the Mstsc client to RDC 6.0 if you have updated from RDC 6.0 to RDC 6.1. Workround for RDC 6.0 To work around this problem, follow these steps: 1. Use System Restore to set a system restore point before RDC 6.0. 2. Use the Add or Remove Programs item in Control Panel to uninstall RDC 6.0 (KB925876). 3. Reinstall RDC 6.0 (KB925876). For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 925876 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925876/) Remote Desktop Connection (Terminal Services Client 6.0) Workaround for RDC 6.0 MUI To workaround this problem, follow these steps: 1. Use System Restore to set a system restore point before RDC 6.0 and RDC 6.0 MUI. 2. Use the Add or Remove Programs item in Control Panel to uninstall RDC 6.0 (KB925876) and RDC 6.0 MUI (KB925877). 3. Reinstall RDC 6.0 (KB925876). 4. Reinstall RDC 6.0 MUI (KB925877). For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 925877 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925877/) Description of the Remote Desktop Connection 6.0 MUI

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Download information

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:
Download the Update for Windows XP (KB952155) package now. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=6E1EC93D-BDBD-4983-92F7-479E088570AD)
Release Date: June 24, 2008

For more information about how to download Microsoft support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

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Update information

Prerequisites

To apply this update, you must have Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed on the computer.

Restart requirement

You do not have to restart the computer after you apply this update.

Hotfix replacement information

This update does not replace any other previously released hotfixes.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

Windows XP with SP2, x86-based versions

File name	File version	File size	Date	Time	Platform	SP requirement
Aaclient.dll	6.0.6001.18000	136,192	05-May-2008	19:58	x86	SP2
Aaclient.mui	6.0.6001.18000	4,096	05-May-2008	08:37	Not Applicable	SP2
Lhmstsc.chm	Not Applicable	101,723	01-Jul-2007	22:25	Not Applicable	SP2
Lhmstsc.exe	6.0.6001.18000	677,888	05-May-2008	08:37	x86	SP2
Lhmstsc.mui	6.0.6001.18000	49,152	05-May-2008	08:37	Not Applicable	SP2
Lhmstscx.dll	6.0.6001.18000	2,061,824	05-May-2008	19:58	x86	SP2
Lhmstscx.mui	6.0.6001.18000	86,016	05-May-2008	08:37	Not Applicable	SP2
Rhttpaa.dll	6.0.6001.18000	290,304	05-May-2008	19:58	x86	SP2
Tscinst.vbs	Not Applicable	18,917	05-May-2008	08:37	Not Applicable	SP2
Tscuinst.vbs	Not Applicable	13,801	05-May-2008	08:37	Not Applicable	SP2
Tsgqec.dll	6.0.6001.18000	53,248	05-May-2008	19:58	x86	SP2
W2k3rd.mst	Not Applicable	4,096	01-Jul-2007	22:25	Not Applicable	SP2
W2k3s1rd.mst	Not Applicable	4,096	01-Jul-2007	22:25	Not Applicable	SP2
Wxprd.mst	Not Applicable	4,096	01-Jul-2007	22:25	Not Applicable	SP2
Wxpsp1rd.mst	Not Applicable	4,096	01-Jul-2007	22:25	Not Applicable	SP2
Wxpsp2rd.mst	Not Applicable	4,096	01-Jul-2007	22:25	Not Applicable	SP2
Lhrdesk.chm	Not Applicable	31,785	01-Jul-2007	22:25	Not Applicable	SP2

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For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

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