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How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop

I’m a big fan of Microsoft’s Remote Desktop - it’s built right into Windows and allows me to quickly and easily administer a remote box from the comfort of my own work station. I use it at my house to administer the headless servers on my home network, the Subtext build server, and the co-located VelocIT servers.

Gotta' love that magic!

Virtual PC and Ctrl + Alt + DelToday a co-worker asked me how to send the infamous Control + Alt + Delete keystroke combination to a machine he was working on via RDP. This is a pretty common keystroke to use when trying administer windows... it does have uses other than just killing the box. :)

With Virtual PC there is menu item to send the keystrokes on to the virtual box. Go to the Action menu and select the Ctrl + Alt + Del option. Magical!

And with Remote Desktop?

The only keyboard you’ll ever need Well it’s not quite as obvious. Actually it’s not an obvious solution at all... hell it might not even be documented!

For the record, since I already knew the answer I decided to be lazy and didn’t bother to search the tubes of the intarweb for any official documentation.

Ok... so here it is. To send the Ctrl + Alt + Del keystroke combination via RDP you actually need to use a totally different keystroke combination:

Ctrl + Alt + End

Wow, was that totally non-intuitive, or what? Oh well, at least it works.

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What others are saying.

# re: How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop
Gravatar Rob Conery
Aug 29, 2007
Dude is that a ROACH in the bottom picture!!! Isn't this a family blog!
# re: How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop
Gravatar Eber Irigoyen
Aug 30, 2007
other shortcuts for RDP...
# re: How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop
Gravatar Steven Harman
Aug 30, 2007
@Rob: A family site... here? Typically my content is so geeky most of my family completely ignores what goes on here. And that is why I started my other blog. :)

@Eber: Thanks for the link full of tips!
# re: How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop
Gravatar Rich
Dec 15, 2007
Thank you!!! That instruction was a life saver!
# re: How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop
Gravatar Art
Feb 29, 2008
You can also right click on the taskbar and select "Task Manager" from the context menu.
# re: How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop
Gravatar Seth
May 11, 2008
You would think Microsoft would make it that easy! Thanks a million I now restarted my frozen PC remotely!!
You Da man!!
# re: How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop
Gravatar MOFO
Jun 05, 2008
Might want to add that it is the left ctrl+Alt
# re: How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop
Gravatar Gilberto Martins
Jun 17, 2008
Thanks man, my remote PC was locked up, I could restart it with your tip.

Very nice!
# re: How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop
Gravatar Julia
Jun 23, 2008
Thank you so much! This is HUGE.
# re: How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop
Gravatar Su Yuping
Jun 25, 2008
Thanks!
# re: How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop
Gravatar Builder Bob
Jul 09, 2008
Thanx a lot, i was gonna take the rest of the day off because the computer i was remoted into from home was frozen, but nooo you had to have the solution... lol i'm sure my work thanks you sincerely, me on the other hand would rather be out on my jet ski complaining about the shabby equipment we have to work with.. lol
# re: How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop
Gravatar JessicaH in St. Paul
Jul 09, 2008
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You rock : )
# re: How-To: CTRL + ALT + DEL in Remote Desktop
Gravatar cancerman
Jul 10, 2008
ctr+alt+del = ctr+alt+end in remote desktop? Thanks for finding it because it's definately NOT obvious!
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