Windows: Useful RDP Options
Introduction
In this article, we’ll show you useful options for your Remote Desktop connection (RDP connection) on various operating systems.
Prerequisites
- Windows Server
- Remote Desktop-compatible application (Remote Desktop, Windows app, Remmina, etc.)
Windows
If you want to connect to your Windows server from a device running the Windows operating system, first press the Windows key on your keyboard, then type mstsc or, alternatively, Remote Desktop Connection, and run the suggested application:
You will then see the following window:
Useful Options for Windows Remote Desktop Connection (RDP)
General Options
On the General tab, you can save the current remote desktop connection as a file to a location of your choice.
Here, you can already configure the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Computer | IP address (e.g., 5.1.XXX.XXX) or name (e.g., XXXXX.creolineserver.com) of the target server. |
| Username | Enter the username you want to use for the Remote Desktop connection here. Note: The user must exist on the target server or in the domain used for authentication in order to log in with that user. |
| Allow saving of login information | Select the corresponding button to allow the user to permanently save the entered login credentials in the corresponding file. |
| Save | Save the current connection settings to a file at the current path. |
| Save As… | Save the current connection settings to a file and specify the exact location yourself. |
Display
On the Display tab, you can customize the current display options for a remote desktop connection.
You can configure the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Display Configuration | Set the scaling of the RDP connection window. We recommend using the preconfigured default settings here. |
| Use all monitors for remote session **** | Use this option if you have multiple monitors and want to use them during an RDP connection. |
| Colors | Use this to adjust the display quality used for the Remote Desktop connection. If you have a slow or unstable connection, you can, for example, reduce the overall display quality to establish an RDP connection with as little lag as possible. |
Local Resources
On the Local Resources tab, you can select specific devices connected to your computer (e.g., printers, USB drives, etc.)
You can configure the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Remote Audio | Specify which device should play or record audio. |
| Use all monitors for remote session ** | Configure how your keyboard settings should be applied. |
| Local Devices and Resources | Select which devices should be made available via the Remote Desktop connection. Here, for example, you can specify whether printers that you can use on your local device can also be used via the server you are connecting to. The More button also gives you the option to, for example, connect a local drive to the server and use it to exchange data. |
Performance
If necessary, you can adjust the performance settings of the RDP connection to, for example, ensure a high-performance connection in the event of poor connection quality or insufficient source resources.
You can configure the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Performance | Select which quality settings should be used for the connection. |
| Persistent Bitmap Caching | Enable or disable the cache used for image transmission during a Remote Desktop connection. |
| Reconnect if disconnected. | Select this option to ensure that if the connection is interrupted or disconnected, the system will automatically attempt to reestablish it. |
Advanced
Use the Advanced button to customize options for alternative authentication methods and similar settings to suit your needs.
You can configure the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Server Authentication | Settings for warning messages regarding server-specific, certificate-based authentication. |
| Connect from anywhere **** | This option allows you to specify whether, for example, only a specific Remote Desktop Gateway should be accepted for user authentication and establishing connections. |
| User Authentication | Enable this option if you want to use your own / independent domain for user authentication (e.g., Microsoft Azure or Entra ID). |
macOS
If you want to connect to your Windows server from your device running macOS, launch the Windows app. If you haven’t installed it yet, you can easily install it from the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/de/app/windows-app/id1295203466?mt=12
Create a new connection for the Windows server you want to connect to.
General Settings
First, configure the general settings that are required for the RDP connection to your Windows server.
These include, among others, the following settings:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| PC name | Enter the IP address or FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) of the server you want to connect to via RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol). |
| Credentials | Specify login credentials for a specific connection. These must be defined in advance in the Windows app settings. |
| Friendly Name | Define a custom name under which the connection will be saved and displayed in the Windows app. |
| Group | Select a group to organize and sort your predefined RDP connections. This helps improve clarity when you have multiple predefined connections. |
| Gateway | Specify a specific Remote Desktop Gateway through which you will connect to the target server. |
| Reconnect if the connection is dropped | Enable this option to automatically reestablish the connection in the event of an unexpected disconnection. |
| Connect to an admin session | Use this option to force a session with elevated privileges. |
| Swap mouse buttons | Selecting this option swaps the functions of the two mouse buttons (RMB <-> LMB). |
Display
Configure the desired display settings to be used for the RDP connection to your Windows server.
These include, among others, the following settings:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Resolution | Specify a custom screen resolution to be used for the RDP connection. |
| Use all Monitors | Use this option to include all screens on your local computer in the RDP session. |
| Start session in full screen | When you use this option, the display window for your RDP session is automatically adjusted to the size of your monitor and displayed in full-screen mode. |
| Fit sessions to window | This option automatically adjusts the window size. |
| Color quality | Specify the range of colors available for the display. Reducing this setting can improve connection performance but will negatively affect the visual quality of the display. |
| Optimize for Retina Displays | When this option is enabled, the display is automatically optimized for Apple devices with Retina displays. |
| Update the session resolution on resize | Enable this option to dynamically adjust the resolution whenever the user changes the size of the display window. |
Devices & Audio
Configure the desired audio settings as well as settings for other devices that are to be used, for example, by your Windows server via RDP (e.g., printers).
This includes, among others, the following settings:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Printers | Specify whether printers on your local device should be made available on the Windows server via RDP. |
| Smart cards | Use this option to enable the use of local smart cards on the Windows server via RDP. |
| Clipboard mode | Select the appropriate setting for your clipboard so that you can, for example, transfer text or files to the server or from the server to another device via the RDP connection. |
| Play sound | Select the device on which audio should be played. |
Folders
With the Remote Desktop Protocol, you can make a specific folder available as a network drive on the Windows server to simplify data exchange.
Enable the Redirect folders option and then use the + icon to specify the folder you want to make available on the server.
You can then restrict access to read-only (Read-only) to prevent unauthorized write access.