Terminal Services

“MSTSC /console” Where did you go?

I just noticed this in the last few days, I guess its because of the fact that I waited so long to update to SP1, but it seems that with Vista Service Pack 1, Windows XP SP3, and Server 2008 the /console switch is no longer available…

Running mstsc /? will give you the following screen

As you can see the “/console” switch is gone, and I am running Vista Ultimate SP1. The only way to connect to the console now and ONLY on systems NOT running Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP SP3 or Windows Server 2008 or later installed is to use the “/admin” switch.

Anyways, check this out for more info.

Terminal Services Printing Workaround

Would you like to print to that HP Printer that just wont connect through RDP?

Let me lay out the scenario for you.

You have an USB HP Printer of any type.

No matter what you have done you cannot get it to map.

Well here is a little work-around that I put together a while ago.

Take Printer #1 share it; give it any name you would like.

Add a new printer, I usually use Laserjet 1100, assign it to LPT1.

Open up a command prompt.

Type net use LPT1: \\pcname\printer_share_name /persistent:yes

Once you connect to an RDP or citrix session you will see the Laserjet 1100 as a selectable TS Printer.

Print to it, and the print job gets forwarded to the shared printer and will print.

All HP Printers can be mapped this way(the print engines haven’t changes much since the early 90’s), I have even used it once to be able to print to a Kyocera Printer using HP Drivers…

I usually put a batch file on the users desktop for them to delete and remap to the printer in case the connection gets broken.

Anyways this is to be used as a last ditch effort… USB Printers are NOT recommended for Terminal Services or Citrix, nor are any on the compatibility list.

Here is a good link to a lot of useful information… http://www.ccaheaven.com/citrixPrinting….. This page also has some nice information in it on Windows Server 2008 TS Easy Print.