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MSTSC /console is now MSTSC /admin

  • Article

Just rebuilt my Vista machine with an RC1 version of Vista SP1 and got caught by this one.

In both Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008, the Remote Desktop Program has been updated to version 6.1 (6.0.6001) and one of the changes is that the functionality previously associated with the /console switch is now called the /admin switch.   Wasted a few hours chasing this one down.  We use a lot of remote desktop connectivity with virtualization so more than a handful of people are going to get caught.

If you use "mstsc /v:servername /console" in a script file then the /console will be ignored (with no warning) and you will be connected to a normal session that is not the server console.  If you specify the /console switch in the RDC GUI connection dialog then it will tell you "an unknown parameter was specified in the computer name field".  

All is good if you use /admin instead of /console.   It would have been great if the developers had seen fit to at least detect the /console switch and issue a message along the lines of "/console no longer supported, use /admin instead" but I guess that's why blogs exist.

Anyway, there is a detailed discussion on the rationale behind the change here:

https://blogs.msdn.com/ts/archive/2007/12/17/changes-to-remote-administration-in-windows-server-2008.aspx

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    ... the /console will be ignored (with no warning) and you will be connected to a normal session ... typically Microsoft ... Thank you ;-) Usually I used mstsc /v:ipaddress /console to connect to my developer PC (via VPN). Since I use Fista I tried the following: mstsc /v:ipaddress /admin The result was strange ... the Fista PC went to stand-by and after wake up I had to reboot the machine ... I have to use mstsc /admin without /v switch ... BTW: Fista --> Vista

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    PingBack from http://geeklectures.info/2008/01/10/mstsc-console-is-now-mstsc-admin-2/

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    PingBack from http://geeklectures.info/2008/01/10/mstsc-console-is-now-mstsc-admin/

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    (ok, that's pseudo code above and is never intended to run - just illustrate concept :) ) If you're a

  • Anonymous
    December 07, 2011
    You calarifed my doubts. Thanks a lot

  • Anonymous
    November 28, 2012
    TS allows users have 2 connections + 1 console connection.  Yesterday, I use /Admin to connect.  I could not get the third connection.   :-(

  • Anonymous
    February 27, 2013
    I was wondering why aint i getting a console with mstsc -console

  • Anonymous
    August 17, 2014
    The comment has been removed

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  • Anonymous
    November 04, 2014
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    November 04, 2014
    DOOOOOOOM!

  • Anonymous
    July 13, 2015
    I like your way of presentation and hard work to put this article.

    Thanks & regards
    Geeks on repair

  • Anonymous
    January 07, 2016
    CD C:

    set /p srv= Enter Server IP Address :


    echo ---------------------------------

    echo Logging in successful... >> "D:ResultLogResultLog.log"

    echo ---------------------------------


    mstsc /v %srv% /admin -console >> "D:ResultLogResultLog.log"