Resource → Remote Desktop (RDP)

For Windows resources reachable over RDP, the Connect button in the location tree opens a live remote desktop right in the browser. The session is streamed through a worker in the resource’s location, so there is no direct network path from your workstation to the machine.

Unlike the text shells, this is a graphical session: you see and drive the actual Windows desktop. When recording policy enables capture, MisterShell retains a visual replay; graphical sessions do not produce text transcripts.

Each connection opens its own pin. Only one graphical connection (RDP, VNC, or Web) is allowed per user/resource. Resume it from its connection pin, or disconnect it before opening another graphical connection.

Graphical-only resources open on Notes; snapshot-based Summary, Facts, and Compliance are unavailable.

What you can do

• Open an interactive Windows desktop and use it with your keyboard and mouse.
• Copy and paste text between your machine and the remote desktop.
• Share the live desktop with teammates or external guests, and hand control of the mouse and keyboard to a participant.
• Disconnect cleanly when you are done.

Common tasks

Start a session

1. Click the Connect terminal icon beside the resource in the location tree.
2. A status label tracks progress — Starting session…, then Connecting to desktop…; the canvas shows Connecting to live screen… until the first image arrives.
3. The desktop appears in the canvas once connected. The view scales to fit the panel while keeping the desktop’s aspect ratio, up to MisterShell’s 1920×1080 graphical-session limit.

If Authentication required appears, enter credentials or choose a compatible personal/team credential with Use vault, then click Connect. Saved credentials for templates are used automatically. See providing credentials when connecting.

Work in the desktop

Click into the canvas and use the keyboard and mouse as you normally would, including right-click. When the resource permits clipboard exchange, Paste and/or Copy appear in the session toolbar next to Disconnect. Paste sends your local clipboard text to the remote desktop. Copy retrieves remote clipboard text and writes it to your local clipboard; if the browser requires a fresh permission gesture, click Copy once more when prompted. Clipboard exchange is explicit, text-only, limited to 256 KiB, and is never added to the recording. External guests may paste when enabled but cannot copy remote text out.

Share the desktop and hand off control

Use Invite in the session toolbar to share the live desktop with internal teammates or external guests — exactly like a shared shell session. Everyone you invite sees the same live screen.

Unlike a text shell, a graphical session has a single controller: one person drives the mouse and keyboard at a time, you by default. From the Invite menu you can hand control to any accepted participant (give-control) and reclaim it at any time. A ”… has control” indicator shows who is driving; everyone else watches read-only until control is handed to them. Handing control off releases any keys the previous controller was holding, so nothing sticks.

See Sharing a session & external guests for the full sharing walkthrough — inviting internal users, one-time guest links, and in-session chat.

End a session

Click Disconnect. The remote desktop closes and the canvas goes dark. Click Connect to start fresh.

Connection settings

Require NLA defaults to enabled. Disable it explicitly for a TLS-only target; MisterShell still prefers NLA when the target supports it.

For Windows and Generic RDP resources, choose Keyboard Layout by name in the connection settings. Type into the selector to find a layout such as Swiss French or Swiss German. Default (US) selects US English. The selected layout applies when you open a new RDP connection.

The desktop size remains fixed for a connection. A server may renegotiate its capabilities at the same size; if it requests a different size, reconnect using the resource’s desired dimensions.

Conditions and blockers

• You do not have permission to open RDP sessions — you lack the app.resources.execute permission.
• Connection error — a red banner reports the reason (for example, the target is unreachable, NLA is required but unavailable, or the credential is rejected). Confirm the resource’s credential and that a worker in its location is online.

Reviewing an RDP session afterwards

Completed, recorded RDP sessions appear in Review → Sessions with a visual, video-like Replay of the desktop.

Administrators can also watch an RDP session live and read-only while it is in progress — see Live session observe.

Permissions

• Open an interactive session: app.resources.execute.
• Share a session and hand off control: app.session.execute.
• Replay or review a recorded session: app.session.read.