Windows 11 RDP Fullscreen: Local Taskbar Pop-up Pointer Moved to Bottom

Upgrading to Windows 11 and Using RDP in Full Screen Mode with Local Taskbar Pop-up

With the release of Windows 11, many users are looking to upgrade their operating systems and take advantage of the new features and improvements. One such feature is the ability to use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) in full screen mode while still being able to access the local taskbar. This can be especially useful for those who need to access resources on both their local and remote machines simultaneously.

Enabling RDP in Windows 11

To use RDP in Windows 11, you will first need to enable the feature. This can be done by following these steps:

1. Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key + I.
2. Click on System, then Remote Desktop.
3. Toggle the switch under "Remote Desktop" to On.

Once RDP is enabled, you can connect to a remote machine by using the "rdp" command in the Run dialog box (Windows key + R) and entering the IP address or hostname of the remote machine.

Using RDP in Full Screen Mode

To use RDP in full screen mode, simply click on the maximize button in the title bar of the RDP window or press the F11 key. This will expand the RDP window to fill the entire screen.

However, by default, the local taskbar will not be visible when using RDP in full screen mode. To make it appear, you will need to move the mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen.

Enabling the Local Taskbar Pop-up

To enable the local taskbar pop-up while using RDP in full screen mode, you will need to use the following steps:

1. Connect to the remote machine using RDP.
2. Click on the Start button and type "gpedit.msc" in the search box, then press Enter.
3. In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to "User Configuration" > "Administrative Templates" > "Windows Components" > "Remote Desktop Services" > "Remote Desktop Session Host" > "Remote Session Environment".
4. Find the policy called "Use Windows key combination in full screen mode" and double-click on it.
5. Select the "Enabled" option and check the box for "Allow the use of the Windows key and related key combinations with the remote desktop window active".
6. Click "OK" to save the changes.

Once this policy is enabled, you can use the Windows key + B keyboard shortcut to make the local taskbar appear while using RDP in full screen mode. This will allow you to access resources on both your local and remote machines simultaneously.

With the release of Windows 11, users can now use RDP in full screen mode while still being able to access the local taskbar. This can be done by enabling the "Use Windows key combination in full screen mode" policy in the Group Policy Editor and using the Windows key + B keyboard shortcut to make the local taskbar appear. This feature can be especially useful for those who need to access resources on both their local and remote machines simultaneously.

References

• Microsoft. (2021). Remote Desktop Services. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/
• Microsoft. (2021). Remote Desktop Connection. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/remote-desktop-connection-f1948c95-97f9-9bf0-79f5-4wd5d8d58485