Windows Desktop Sharing
Purpose
Windows Desktop Sharing is used by software developers to create applications that use multiple-party screen-sharing technology. Key scenarios include remote assistance, real-time collaboration and conferencing, and video communication. With Remote Desktop Services, a session is always created when a user connects remotely through Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). With Windows Desktop Sharing, a local desktop can be transmitted over an RDP connection without creating an additional session.
Note
This section is for software developers. If you want to share desktops on Windows, you can run one of the following applications:
- For Windows 8 and Windows 7, Lync.
- For Windows Vista, Windows Meeting Space.
Developer audience
Windows Desktop Sharing is designed for use by developers of applications that incorporate screen sharing functionality.
Run-time requirements
Windows Desktop Sharing is available starting with Windows Vista. For information about run-time requirements for a particular programming element, see the Requirements section of the reference page for that element.
In this section
-
General information about Windows Desktop Sharing.
-
Detailed descriptions of Windows Desktop Sharing enumerations and interfaces.