Remote applicationon on Windows Server 2012

Question

We are using Windows Server 2012 Terminal Services to remotely run applications. The published applications are started with RD Web Access. The RD Web Page opens ok, on all client machines but the problem starts when trying to actually run the published app. On some machines it runs just fine and seamlessly, but on the others, it instead brings up the standard small Remote Desktop connection windows (the one with a text box to enter ip/name of the remote computer) as if we tried to start regular remote desktop session. The issue was tested using the same logon credentials and it does not seem to depend on client system. Has anyone had such issue? I will be really gretefull for any suggestions on how to fix it.

Answer 1

The RD Web Page contains an ActiveX which lets you start a remote connection over RDP, just like the remote desktop connection client. That's why you feel the connection is "seamless".

However, activeX objects are supported only on Internet explorer. Other browsers do not support them. The RD Web Page has a fallback on such case : it makes the user download a .RDP file, which can be used to launch the standard RD Connection Client with a given list of arguments (the contents of the file).

In your case, my first guess is that some machines use the activeX, and some others don't (even if you use IE, the activeX may be forbidden to run). If that is the case, you should get the activeX working on those machines.

In case you don't know how to do that :

• start IE
• load the RD Web Page
• click the settings button
• go to "Manage add-ons..."
• Under "Microsoft Corporation", locate "MsRdpClientShell Class" and "Microsoft RDP Client Control"
• Activate them
• Reload the RD Web Page