Question

How to make WinXpPro into RDP Dumb Terminal

Asked by: pyotrek

Hello,
I have switched my users to use terminal services on Windows Terminal Server 2003.
Currently users are connecting to the server from Wondows XP Pro workstations using RDP client software.
The workstations still have apps and all kind of unnecessary stuff loaded on them.
As we are not using workstations other than to connect to terminal server I would like to develop a standard build that eliminates users need to logon locally to the workstation etc - bassically Dumb Terminal out of the Windows XP Pro machines.

Do you guys know of any resources that would make it easier for me.

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Asked On
2005-10-05 at 09:48:57ID21584830
Tags

dumb

,

terminal

,

xp

Topics

Operating Systems Miscellaneous

,

Linux Distributions

,

Remote Desktop/Terminal Services

Participating Experts
3
Points
125
Comments
7

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Answers

 

by: gurutcPosted on 2005-10-05 at 11:15:35ID: 15024277

You can actually use PXES or other RDP thin client bootable linux distributions, available at www.sourceforge.net.  Go there and search for rdp client.  You can then boot from the cdrom or flash and yank the hard drives out.  Or you can build a custom knoppix cd to do the same, or you can make a custom ultimate boot cd for windows, from www.ubcd4win.com, that only runs the rdp client which you can script.  This can also be installed to the hard drive.

Travis

 

by: dankennedyPosted on 2005-10-05 at 12:14:10ID: 15024749

Trying to make Windows into a dumb terminal might be a little hard.  Usually you can do much until you have a user logged in so you'd have to setup auto login (Control Panel -> Users).  You can't do this if the computer is a member of a domain, but you can with local accounts. After that you could probably script the connection to the server using RDP command line switches...

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/library/ServerHelp/f47ce263-f72e-469d-bf14-6605b7f4cce5.mspx

But... like gurutc said, you're probably better off going with something like a bootable linux CD. This site has some information on one option...

 

by: dankennedyPosted on 2005-10-05 at 12:14:53ID: 15024755

Oops, forgot the link, here's the link to that site...

http://www.techbytes.ca/techbyte.php?id=42

 

by: ns_germanyPosted on 2005-10-05 at 12:25:19ID: 15024821

Hi pyotrek,

easiest way to use your XP WS could be AutoLogon feature (see http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/WinXP/Q_20804330.html how to do it).
Then you could create a new shortcut in the user's Start Menu/Programs/Startup folder, setting its properties to call 'mstsc /v:server' (where 'server' is your server's name).
When finshing work your users can close RDP connection and press local power button to shutdown.
This is to continue using existing workstations.

Then, if you should need new hardware, step by step, you could go for ThinClients, very small terminals having no harddisk at all just connecting to a preconfigured terminal server.
No local issues to worry about, easier to manage and much cheaper than a PC, too.
See http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/thinclients/t5710/specs.html as an example (but not the cheapest one).

 

by: gurutcPosted on 2006-01-30 at 04:21:13ID: 15822951

Cool - T

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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