# Trying to mimic Windows Terminal Server 2003 remote desktop web connection in 2008



## dzimmerman (Feb 21, 2013)

I apologize in advance for my lack of knowledge about Terminal Server ...

I currently have a Windows 2003 Terminal Services server in production. This server is accessed by hundreds of staff all across the country. Depending on their location, each user has a slightly different URL to access their appropriate application. For example:
User in location 1 uses: http://terminalserver/app1
User in location 2 uses: http://terminalserver/app2, etc..
When a user visits one of these URLs they are presented with a standard Windows 2003 login prompt. Once they successfully enter their credentials they are automatically taken to the DOS application.

App1, App2, etc. are further defined on the server with their own unique default.htm file. Within each default.htm file there is an entry that specify the correct batch file (yes, this is an old DOS app) to run for that particular user. The syntax of this entry is:
MsRdpClient.SecuredSettings.StartProgram = "e:\folder name\program.bat"

We are attempting to replace this server with a newly built Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 server, running Remote Desktop Services. I attempted to copy the application folders (app1, app2, etc.) from c:\inetpub\wwwroot on the 2003 server to c:\inetpub\wwwroot on the 2008 server. I also created entries for each of the DOS batch files in the RemoteApp Manager.

Using this configuration I am able to launch the appropriate application on the 2008 server by specifying it in the URL: https://terminalserver/app1. However, once I am in the DOS application none of my printers are redirected, therefore I cannot print. If I log directly into the 2008 server using Remote Desktop Connection my printer redirection is just fine. I checked the default.htm file (that I copied over from the 2003 server) to ensure that printer redirection was enabled, and it appears as though it is by this entry:

MsRdpClient.AdvancedSettings3.RedirectPrinters = TRUE

My questions/comments are:
1) Can I re-use the default.htm file (and other files) from my 2003 server on 2008? If not, is there a file that I can use as an example that is compatible with 2008?
2) Are there any other entries in the default.htm file that I need to modify (that would prevent printers from redirecting)?
3) I don't want to use RDWeb as this method introduces too many steps for a user to launch the application (our users are very computer iliterate, and introducing this level of change would be detrimental).
Any assistance, input, or comments are welcome. I am a complete novice when it comes to Terminal Server so any feedback would be appreciated.


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