On your local Windows 10 PC: In the search box on the taskbar, type Remote Desktop Connection, and then select Remote Desktop Connection. In Remote Desktop Connection, type the name of the PC you want to connect to (from Step 1), and then select Connect. On your Windows, Android, or iOS device: Open the Remote Desktop app (available for free.
-->Microsoft Windows 10 has a remote desktop feature that can increase your productivity. Image: Photoboyko, Getty Images/iStockphoto With the growing acceptance and popularity of the gig economy. Use Remote Desktop Connection or universal Remote Desktop client instead of RDMan in Windows 10.; 2 minutes to read; D; v; s; In this article. Virtualization and remote desktops are an important part of your infrastructure and work.
- Remote Desktop Connection Manager 2.7.1406.0 on 32-bit and 64-bit PCs. This download is licensed as freeware for the Windows (32-bit and 64-bit) operating system on a laptop or desktop PC from remote desktop software without restrictions. Remote Desktop Connection Manager 2.7.1406.0 is available to all software users as a free download for Windows.
- It was dumb of them to completely remove the download link, considering the only way in which it was vulnerable was if you run a malicious RDCMan file from someone else.
This article describes Remote Connection Manager (RCM) and the changes to RCM in Microsoft Windows Server 2016.
Original product version: Windows Server 2016
Original KB number: 3200967
Changes to RCM
In Windows Server 2012 R2 and earlier versions, when a user logs on to a terminal server, the RCM contacts the domain controller (DC) to query the configurations that are specific to Remote Desktop on the user object in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). This information is displayed in the Remote Desktop Services Profile tab of the users object properties in the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC snap-in.
Starting in Windows Server 2016, RCM no longer queries the user object in AD DS. If you require RCM to query AD DS because you are using the Remote Desktop Services attributes, you must manually enable RCM. For more information about this by-design behavior in Windows Server 2016, see RCM behavior in Windows Server.
Additionally, consider the following scenario:
- You install Windows Server 2016 with the Remote Desktop Session Host role.
- You configure a local user account to start an application during logon. You do so by using the Local Users and Groups tool in Computer Management.
In this scenario, you expect the user to be presented with the application in the Remote Desktop Session only. However, by default in Remote Desktop Session Host (RDSH) in Windows Server, a full Remote Desktop Session is presented, and the application setup process in the profile doesn't start.
To revert to the earlier (pre-Windows Server 2016) behavior, here's what to do:
If the server has the RD Session Host Role installed, apply the following registry keys to enable the RCM legacy model. It triggers an Active Directory query to check for RDP profile settings:
- Path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTTerminal ServicesandHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlTerminal ServerWinStations - Name: fQueryUserConfigFromDC
- Type: Reg_DWORD
- Value: 1 (Decimal)
Then, restart the Remote Desktop Service. If the server doesn't have the Remote Desktop Service role installed, you must set up an extra registry key:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlTerminal Server
More information
When a user logs on to an RDSH server, the attributes on the Remote Desktop Services Profile tab of the users object properties in AD DS aren't applied to the user. The user's attributes aren't enforced, and everything is working as designed. So, no warning is generated, and no event is logged.
For example, if you use the RDS attributes to specify a Remote Desktop roaming profile, users won't load that profile. They will use a local profile instead. In this situation, there are no error message or logged events. You can only know whether the user profile isn't the RDS roaming profile in one of the following ways:
- You notice that the desktop environment isn't the expected layout.
- You view the profile types in the system Control Panel applet.
Remote Desktop Services Profile tab in Active Directory Users and Computers:
User profiles in Control Panel > System > Advanced SystemSettings > User Profiles:
The attributes that you can set in the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC snap-in are as follows:
- Profile Path
- Home Folder
- Deny Logon to the RDSH server
Enable RCM in Windows Server
Important
Follow the steps in this section carefully. Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Before you modify it, back up the registry for restoration in case problems occur.
Use either of the following registry values to enable the behavior of RCM in Windows Servers 2012 R2 and earlier versions:
Registry key 1:
- Path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTTerminal Services - Name: fQueryUserConfigFromDC
- Type: Reg_DWORD
- Value: 1 (Decimal)
- Path:
Registry key 2:
- Path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlTerminal ServerWinStations - Name: fQueryUserConfigFromDC
- Type: Reg_DWORD
- Value: 1 (Decimal)
- Path:
Note
The default value for is RDP-tcp. However, this value can be renamed.
RCM behavior in Windows Server
At each user logon, RCM does the following things:
- Query the Terminal Services registry key for the fQueryUserConfigFromDC value.
- If the value is found and set to 1, contact the DC to get the user configuration information.
- If the value is set to 0 or not present, query the
Winstationskey for the fQueryUserConfigFromDC value.
In March, Microsoft announced that it was discontinuing Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) due to a major security flaw (CVE-2020-0765). Here is the bulletin:
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in the Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) application when it improperly parses XML input containing a reference to an external entity. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could read arbitrary files via an XML external entity (XXE) declaration. To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker could create an RDG file containing specially crafted XML content and convince an authenticated user to open the file.
Here's what ZDNet said about Microsoft's response to the problem: 'Instead of fixing the bug, Microsoft decided to retire RDCMan, seeing no reason to revive an app that received its last update almost six years ago.'
Limited Functionality
Even before this major vulnerability was discovered, many users found RDCMan frustrating and limited. For example, it lacked many of the time-saving integrations available in other (and better) alternatives. Plus, RDCMan only worked in Windows deployments. And overall, RDCMan — even by Microsoft's admission — was always a very basic tool and never designed to handle sophisticated functions like utilizing 2FA, managing privileged accounts, securing sensitive data, generating strong passwords, creating audit logs, and so on.
Step 1: Stop Using RDCMan
If you're a current RDCMan user, then the advice is clear: stop using it. Yes, you and your team may have been using it for years. But now that this bug has been made public, you can be certain that bad actors are mobilizing and will be specifically targeting this vulnerability. Considering the costs of a data breach (and how furious your boss would be), it's not worth the risk.
Step 2: Give Remote Desktop Manager a Try!
If you're looking for a free alternative to RDCMan, then Remote Desktop Manager (RDM) Free could be exactly what you need. RDM Free is designed for individual IT pros, while RDM Enterprise is designed for IT teams (co-located and remote) who need to share remote connections and privileged passwords. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the two solutions. Also, be assured that RDM Free is not nagware, donationware, or trialware. It's a legitimate, standalone solution for IT pros that is constantly being updated.
Interested in trying RDM, but you don't want to lose your data? Good news! You can import your sessions from an existing application or an existing file format. You can follow this online help right here.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Manager For Windows 10 Crack
RDM Enterprise
Switching from RDCMan to Remote Desktop Manager (RDM) Enterprise is a significant upgrade in every area. Here is a helpful chart to help you compare the differences.
For a complete list of features in RDM, please head over here.
Try RDM
We invite you to try RDM Enterprise free for 30 days, and to explore all of its features and functions. Then when your trial period is over, you can either purchase an affordable license (multiple options are available based on your needs), or you can switch over to RDM Free and use it for as long as you wish without paying anything.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager
Other Alternatives
If RDM (Free or Enterprise) isn't the alternative to RDCMan that you're looking for, then we suggest you head to AlternativeTo, where you'll find profiles and reviews of various remote connection tools.
