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Remote Desktop using C#.NET

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11 Nov 2009CPOL2 min read 1.2M   88.5K   283   171
This article is about showing how to create a .NET application to perform remote desktop operation using Microsoft Terminal Services Client ActiveX control.
Image 1

Introduction

Remote Desktop Services is one of Microsoft Windows components to access a remote computer through the network. Only the user interface of the application is presented at the client. Any input is redirected over to the remote computer over the network.

At work, we use Remote Desktop a great deal. It allows us to login to a remote server to perform health checks, deploy applications, troubleshoot problems, etc. We also use remote desktop often when we do WFH (work from home).

Why do you want to write a .NET application to do this when you have the MS Terminal Services client available from OS? Well, consider if you want to work on 3 different application servers at the same time and want to toggle between these 3 servers quite often. With the MSTSC, we will be running 3 different clients for the 3 servers and it is difficult to manage the working environment. In .NET, you can develop an application with tab control to load remote desktop sessions in different tabs in one window.

Background

We will be using AxMSTSCLib an ActiveX component in our program to connect to the remote computer. It’s not that hard to build a remote desktop application in .NET. Microsoft has a “Microsoft RDP client control” ActiveX control that we will be using in our application.

This is How We Do It

We will start by creating a Windows application in the Visual Studio IDE.

Add a reference to “Microsoft Terminal Services Control Type Library” from the COM tab. This will add MSTSCLib.dll to the project.

Sample Image - maximum width is 600 pixels

To add MSTSC to the toolbox, right click the toolbox and select “Choose Items…”. Now add “Microsoft Terminal Services control from the COM tab.

Sample Image - maximum width is 600 pixels

Drag the newly added control from toolbox to the form.

Add 3 textbox and 2 button controls to the form:

Sample Image - maximum width is 600 pixels

Connect Button - Click Event

Here is how we write the Connect button click event.

C#
rdp.Server = txtServer.Text;
rdp.UserName = txtUserName.Text;
IMsTscNonScriptable secured = (IMsTscNonScriptable)rdp.GetOcx();
secured.ClearTextPassword = txtPassword.Text;
rdp.Connect();

Now assign the properties (Server, UserName) of RDP control with the textbox values.

Here’s how easy it is to login to remote machine. However there is one catch, there is no direct method in RDP control through which you can pass the username and password to login to the remote desktop.

Due to security reasons, you have to implement an interface (IMsTscNonScriptable) to cast it separately.

C#
IMsTscNonScriptable secured = IMsTscNonScriptable)rdp.GetOcx();
secured.ClearTextPassword = txtPassword.Text; 

Disconnect Button – Click Event

To disconnect from the remote desktop session, we just need to call the Disconnect() method.

Before disconnecting, we want to ensure that the connection is still available. We don't want to disconnect if it is already disconnected (very clever, huh).

C#
if (rdp.Connected.ToString() == "1")
 rdp.Disconnect();

That’s all folks!

History

  • 5th November, 2009: Initial version

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)


Written By
Web Developer
India India
Thiagu is living in Bangalore, India. He has started coding when he was 12 years old. His native is Madurai, a historic city in south India. He loves to code in C#. He frequents code project when he is not coding. Thiagu loves reading Dan Brown and Michael Crichton novels. He is very much interested in Artificial Intelligence (AI). To view his blog - http://csharpnet.blogspot.com

Comments and Discussions

 
AnswerRe: Microsoft Terminal services Control type librery Pin
Garth J Lancaster1-May-15 13:49
professionalGarth J Lancaster1-May-15 13:49 
GeneralRe: Microsoft Terminal services Control type librery Pin
Feroz.1k1-May-15 14:08
Feroz.1k1-May-15 14:08 
GeneralRe: Microsoft Terminal services Control type librery Pin
Garth J Lancaster3-May-15 11:48
professionalGarth J Lancaster3-May-15 11:48 
QuestionServer Name can be a remote IP? Pin
almend19-Feb-15 11:54
professionalalmend19-Feb-15 11:54 
AnswerRe: Server Name can be a remote IP? Pin
Feroz.1k1-May-15 13:36
Feroz.1k1-May-15 13:36 
GeneralRe: Server Name can be a remote IP? Pin
almend1-May-15 18:47
professionalalmend1-May-15 18:47 
Questionthe code doesn work Pin
Member 1133148628-Dec-14 21:31
Member 1133148628-Dec-14 21:31 
AnswerRe: the code doesn work Pin
Garth J Lancaster28-Dec-14 21:42
professionalGarth J Lancaster28-Dec-14 21:42 
GeneralRe: the code doesn work Pin
Member 1133148629-Dec-14 21:42
Member 1133148629-Dec-14 21:42 
GeneralRe: the code doesn work Pin
Garth J Lancaster29-Dec-14 23:17
professionalGarth J Lancaster29-Dec-14 23:17 
AnswerRe: the code doesn work Pin
Feroz.1k1-May-15 13:38
Feroz.1k1-May-15 13:38 
AnswerRe: the code doesn work Pin
Member 409349728-Sep-15 0:51
Member 409349728-Sep-15 0:51 
QuestionImpressoras Locais Pin
Member 806117212-Nov-14 3:32
Member 806117212-Nov-14 3:32 
QuestionNot able to connect to win server2008 r2 from local win 7 Pin
DEBloper21-Oct-14 3:22
DEBloper21-Oct-14 3:22 
QuestionDynamically adding tabs Pin
stephenpe12311-Sep-14 19:55
stephenpe12311-Sep-14 19:55 
QuestionNO Desktop View Pin
Purushottam_6-Sep-14 3:17
Purushottam_6-Sep-14 3:17 
AnswerRe: NO Desktop View Pin
Feroz.1k1-May-15 13:40
Feroz.1k1-May-15 13:40 
QuestionAudio Recorder Remote Pin
MatBot8829-Aug-14 0:51
MatBot8829-Aug-14 0:51 
QuestionIsolated environment running in a sandbox type Pin
jungyeol park17-Aug-14 16:11
jungyeol park17-Aug-14 16:11 
QuestionConfiguration Protocol RDP - MSTC with medium trust Pin
YagoBruno7-Aug-14 2:18
YagoBruno7-Aug-14 2:18 
BugUnable to get the window handle for the 'AxMsTscAxNotSafeForScripting' control problem Pin
Member 1086155111-Jun-14 23:42
Member 1086155111-Jun-14 23:42 
Questionconnection Pin
antonio_l19-May-14 23:15
antonio_l19-May-14 23:15 
Questioninvoke RDP client from a web application (ASP.NET) Pin
Ramkumar Vasudevan8-Apr-14 23:21
Ramkumar Vasudevan8-Apr-14 23:21 
QuestionRDP Successful Login Check Pin
Justin Nichsolson11-Mar-14 19:39
Justin Nichsolson11-Mar-14 19:39 
QuestionRemote desktop only with shell? Pin
chathu03j26-Feb-14 19:28
chathu03j26-Feb-14 19:28 

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