The Remote Desktop Client Connection Software that comes with Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012 features a new menu called the Remote Commands menu. This menu allows you to send special commands, such as a start menu, accessing the Windows 8 / Windows Server 2012 Charms, switching apps, snapping apps and application specific app commands.
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.