Windows XP – Brilliant Trick For Enabling Multiple Simultaneous Remote Desktop Connections
MCE (Media Center Edition) and Professional versions of Windows XP come with the Remote Desktop (RD) service using which you are able to remotely connect to your PC and access or control it from another distant PC or host.
But, Windows XP system does not support multiple RD sessions and allows only one simultaneous RDC (Remote Desktop Connection) from one particular user. If a Windows XP host is logged on by a local user and a remote user tries to establish a RDC to it, the local user get automatically disconnected and the console screen gets locked.
In contrast to Terminal Services feature in Windows Server 2003, Server 2008 and 2000, Remote Desktop in XP is meant for use by single user only, may it be a remote or local user.
However, it is possible that you enable multiple simultaneous RDC sessions service in XP MCE and XP Professional by either using a termserv.dll patch or a cracked termserv.dll version 5.1.2600.2055. Just follow the below mentioned steps.
- Download the below mentioned patched termsrv.dll file (within ZIP file) according to the Windows XP version that you are using.
For Windows XP RTM, SP2 & SP1, download termsrv.dll (version 5.1.2600.2055)
For Windows XP SP2, download termsrv.dll (version 5.1.2600.2180)
For Windows XP SP3, download termsrv.dll (version 5.1.2600.5512)
The patched termsrv.dll normally overwrites the below mentioned Hexadecimal code bits with the corresponding values
00022A6A: 16 90
00022A69: 7F 90
00022A17: 74 75
- Restart the PC. While it is booting, press F8 key and then choose the option “Safe Mode” to start your system in Safe Mode.
Restarting your system in safe mode is required incase you are presently running Remote Desktop or Terminal Services and you need to skip or bypass the System File Protection (SFP). Otherwise, you will get an error message prompting you for restoring the original termsrv.dll.
- Navigate to %windir%\System32 and create a backup copy of termsrv.dll. You may alternatively rename it.
- You need to either delete or rename the termserv.dll file in the folder %windir%\System32\dllcache.
- Now, copy the downloaded patched termsrv.dll into the folders %windir%\System32, %windir%\System32\dllcache and %windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 (if exist).
- Download ts_multiple_sessions.bat file (within ZIP file) and run it so as to merge the new registry values in the system registry.
Alternatively, you may also run the Registry Editor and add the below mentioned registry values manually.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Terminal Server\Licensing Core]
“EnableConcurrentSessions”=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
“EnableConcurrentSessions”=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
“AllowMultipleTSSessions”=dword:00000001
- Next, click on the “Start” button to display the Start Menu and select “Run”. Type in “gpedit.msc” and press “Enter” to open Group Policy Editor.
- Go to Computer Configuration, then “Administrative Templates” followed by “Windows Components” and “Terminal Services”.
- Enable the option that limits the number of concurrent connections and fix the value for number of connections as “3” (or more). This will allow more than one user to log on and use the PC simultaneously.
- Right click on “My Computer” and select “Properties”. In the “Remote” tab in “System Properties” Window, select the radio button corresponding to the option that allows users to connect to the PC remotely to make sure that “Remote Desktop” option is enabled.
- Go to Control Panel and select “User Accounts”. Click on the option that allows you to change the way in which users log on/off. Enable the option “Fast User Switching”.
- Finally, restart the PC normally.
Incase you get a “file in use” or “Access denied” error while trying to overwrite termserv.dll, you need to navigate to Control Panel -> Administrator Tools -> Services and turn off “Terminal Services”.
Also note that each remote user trying to establish a RDC must have an individual user account on the target PC and needs to confirm the same with authentic username and password.
Anytime in future, if you wish to revert back to the original termsrv.dll, you need to delete the patched termsrv.dll and simply rename the backup file to “termsrv.dll”. You need to do these changes in Safe mode if Terminal Services happens to be running.
If your Windows XP system is connected to local network domain, Windows will automatically set the value data of the registry key “AllowMultipleTSSessions” to “0”, each time your system restarts.
However, for multiple RDC sessions to be allowed in Active Directory (AD) Domain Environment, the value data of the registry key “AllowMultipleTSSessions” needs to be fixed to “1” on every startup. To make the necessary changes in the value, you need to rerun the batch file “ts_multiple_sessions.bat” each time the computer starts.
An easier option is to put “ts_multiple_sessions.bat” in the folder “C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup”. The batch file will now run automatically when the first user having administrative privileges logs in to the system.
As another workaround, you may define a sub key under the below mentioned registry branch:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
The batch file will automatically run on boot up. This method is quite beneficial at time when the PC is not logged on by any user but still has to allow multiple RDC sessions.
Also, if the user closes the RDC rather than logging off and later attempts to log on back, he/she might get a message regarding TCP/IP error event ID 4226. In order to get rid of this problem, you need to download and apply Event ID 4226 and TCP/IP connection limit patch for Windows XP and fix number of connections as 50 (at least).