Sharing an RDP Local Console Session

Connect to the system and modify the computer properties (right-click on My Computer and choose Properties).

Under the Remote tab, enable Allow Remote Assistance.

Apply the settings and disconnect.

Have the user needing to share the local console do the following:

Click on Start > Help and Support.

Look for the heading called Support on the right side of the window and click on the Remote Assistance link under the heading.

Choose to Invite a user to share your session.

At the bottom of the support window, click on "Save invite as a file" rather than using Windows Messenger or email.

Choose not to set a connection password (unless you feel it is necessary).

Save the file to a folder where the person needing to shadow the active session can find it.

The file may now be clicked on (opened) and will initiate a connection to an active local console session.

The user at the local console will need to accept the incoming connection. The new session will now open an RDP session that is controlled by the desktop user through an interface that is similar to the Netmeeting interface of old.

Remember that if you are the user connecting to the local console and you are doing so through Remote Desktop Client and connecting to servers, you will need to connect using the "/console" command option which is added to the end of the target string. For Remote Desktop Client running on Windows 2000 Professional, you will need to be careful to set the quotation marks around the path and executable, but place the command option outside the quotes.