How to Press and Send Ctrl-Alt-Del in Remote Desktop Connection Window
Remote Desktop Connection client allows user to remotely connect and administer another Windows computer that is running Microsoft Terminal Services. As with most remote control system or even virtualization process, which effectively and virtually run two or more system on a single physical machine, user will have problem to trigger Control-Alt-Delete (Ctrl+Alt+Del) keyboard shortcut key combination.
Ctrl-Alt-Del keyboard shortcut has been commonly used since IBM PC with DOS era to perform soft reboot, and used in modern Windows system to activate Winlogon process (log on to Windows NT), open Task Manager or Windows Security dialog box that allows user to log off, lock computer, shutdown PC, run Task Manager, switch user and other functions.
However, whenever trying to trigger Ctrl-Alt-Del function on remote system connected via Remote Desktop Connection, the keyboard shortcut combination pressed will bring up the Ctrl+Alt-Del function on the local machine instead of the machine remotely logged on via RDC.
This behavior is by design though, as Ctrl-Alt-Del key combination is too important for any PC (to run especially when computer encounters halt error or hang). As such, Ctrl-Alt-Del keyboard shortcut is always reserved for local host computer.
In order to send Ctrl-Alt-Del keystrokes to remote computer connected via Remote Desktop client, just press the following workaround keyboard shortcuts specially used in Remote Desktop environment:
Ctrl+Alt+End
Check out more keyboard shortcuts that can be used as an alternative in Remote Desktop to standard Windows desktop shortcuts.
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Entries (RSS)
October 29th, 2009 17:05
What if I use remote desktop to connect another remote desktop, like:
A -> B -> C
How can I send ctrl+alt+end to C ?
October 1st, 2009 16:58
CTRL-ALT-ESC does nothing in my RDC env. CTRL-ALT-END brings up a dialog with no buttons (not redrawing properly), Task manager just tells you what processes are running. Control Panel>user Accounts wants me to be an Admin.
How do I change my password?
June 24th, 2009 00:37
anan,
You’re wrong.
On two accounts.
CTRL – ALT – DEL gets a system management screen, NOT the task manager.
Ang for the second wrong:
Surely it’s simpler to use CTRL – SHIFT – ESC to get the Task Manager?
Sigh. PLY.
April 16th, 2009 13:11
Ctrl + Alt + End
March 2nd, 2009 20:44
anan :
Nothing is DONE
CTRL ALT DEL allows to Change Password also before you select to go to Task Manager
Think again
February 4th, 2009 23:12
anan, one thing that can happen is explorer doesn’t launch, there is no taskbar. You need to issue this keystroke and manually run explorer.exe. Sad but true, it happens sometimes(for no good reason?)
Thanks Mickeysoft!
January 2nd, 2009 11:38
Right click taskbar
taskmanager
Done.
November 19th, 2008 02:40
[...] incorrect, erroneous or unexpected behavior with keyboard shortcuts and accelerators. For example, Ctrl-Alt-Del keystroke combination is often used to invoke Windows Security dialog where users can run Task Manager, change password, [...]