Has anyone been able to get RDP multi-monitor working in a Windows 7 Professional environment?  It seems kind of ridiculous to only have this functionality on Windows 7 Enterprise and Ultimate editions, especially when they give you the option in Windows 7 Professional.   I'm not interested in /span. 

Hi,

I would like to share the following document with you.

In Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise editions, Remote Desktop Connection supports the use of multiple high-resolution displays in a remote session.

So the Windows 7 Professional do not support the Multi monitor.

For more information, you may refer to the following link.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Remote-Desktop-Connection-frequently-asked-questions

Thanks.

Thank you for basically saying the same thing as I did.  I know Windows Professional doesn't support multi-monitor, which is pretty idiotic, as I already stated.  Therefore, this was obviously NOT an answer. 

My question was if anyone was able to get it working, (either through a regedit or add-ons).  Or does Micro$oft have any plans on releasing an update that will allow this functionality?  Please, if you are just going to spit out "It's only available in Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise editions", then please don't waste anyone's time and move on.  Stating what is already known is not an answer.  I'd rather have the thread go without answers (typical of Micro$oft) than get filled with useless information.

On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 09:17:41 +0000, Juke Chou wrote:

So the Windows 7 Professional do not support the Multi monitor.

Sorry, but that is not correct.

On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 09:17:41 +0000, Juke Chou wrote:

So the Windows 7 Professional do not support the Multi monitor.

Sorry, but that is not correct.

In Windows 7 Professional, when launching Remote Desktop, there is a checkbox to use "all my monitors", which means Windows 7 Professional DOES support multi-monitor.  What is stupid "by design" is the fact that the remote computer has to be Enterprise or Ultimate.  That's called a "c*cktease".  If running Windows 7 Professional and connecting to Enterprise or Ultimate (or Server 2008 R2), the multi-monitor function works.

But, again, this question was not about whether it will or not work by design.  We've already established that the designers at Micro$oft made a pretty dumb choice by not adding this functionality to the most popular of the Windows 7 platforms.  The question, again, is if anyone found a way to get it to work, via the registry or an add-on?  Juke, you're not going to get me to click "Mark as Answer" by continuing to NOT answer the actual question.

Hi,

Base on my understanding, it can not be achieved via anyother way if the remote computer is Windows 7 Professional.

You may refer to the following link.

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7network/thread/c629d317-88c2-48ba-973a-da04a8c9d579 

And the link below for your information.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/rds/archive/2009/07/01/using-multiple-monitors-in-remote-desktop-session.aspx 

Hi,

Please understand that it can not be achieved via the other way in my last reply.

If you feel any inconvenience or have any suggestions, please contact the feedback.

Thanks.

Again, Juke, no answer means no marking as answer.  I'm sure there's a registry entry that will get this going.  You want a suggestion?  When looking at the multi-monitor ability in Windows 7, the notification that it only works in Enterprise or Ultimate is virtually buried.  This means that many people looking to do this were also led down the same path as I.  We have 8 machines, and if you think that we would even consider upgrading them for this one minor feature is idiotic.  If anything, it only shows that Micro$oft, once again, has worked against their consumers through hidden deception.

More and more, I lean towards Apple as Micro$soft continues to provide zero support and considering how many times you failed to even recognize the question that was originally asked, that only further shows the incompetence of this company.  I'll live without multi-monitor support rather than give Micro$oft another dime.  But I will also hope that someone who knows how to read and understand the question will someday stumble on this post and provide a way to get this working in Professional. 

Juke, for the record, this is why you have not provided an answer.  Look at the question again.  Look at your answer.  You are basically saying the only way to get this to work in Professional is to not use Professional.   Kind of redundant, don't ya think?  If you have nothing further to contribute to the actual question, then please don't bother replying.

Hi,

OK, I already delivered your feedback to our feedback team.

Wow Juke,

You didn't answer, yet YOU marked this as an answer?  Seeing I was the one who posted the question, I should be the one who marks if MY question was answered. And you did NOT answer the question posed in this forum.  This further shows just how incapable you are at your job.  Please, Juke, DO NOT MARK YOUR REPLY AS AN ANSWER AS IT DID NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION!!!!!!!

• Proposed as answer by Obsoletedude Friday, February 25, 2011 4:41 PM
• Unproposed as answer by Juke ChouMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Saturday, February 26, 2011 6:08 AM

Hi,

Your feedback is already delivered to the Feedback Team.

We will consider this and maybe there will be an update in the near future, meantime I already anwsered your question "My question was if anyone was able to get it working, (either through a regedit or add-ons). " so that this thread can be m

I see no answer since a long time? Any update at this point? I'm also willing to connect to Win7 prof with multimon support, which is just not working with this windows version. All server machines are of course Windows Servers versions and there is no problem with Multimon connection, but all our workstations are win7 prof, and lots of workers are working remotely from home connecting to it - of course without multimon support!

This is really baad restriction from MS side - especially that MS has changed FAQ at some point (because it was written that win7 prof supports this function - which was a LIE)

What shoul I do now? Update all workstations to Ultimate:D?

?

Wow. Microsoft is incredibly useless.

The only way I've been able to use multiple monitors for Win7Pro was with LogMeIn.com Free. I know it's not via RDP, but it's free. My guess is that it still doesn't answer your question because a lot of firewalls filter LMI and using RDP would MAKE A TON OF SENSE, something Juke here doesn't seem to comprehend.

• Edited by micocoin Thursday, May 10, 2012 2:47 PM

I am also having the same issue. I got to a FAQ that windows 7 generally allows multi monitor for rdp.

I updgraded the client from xp to win7 pro just for the function.

if anybody has a registry entry to activate this that would be good. or maybe microsoft can release an update to allow pro to work with multimon.

I visited http://mymfe.microsoft.com/Windows%20%207/Feedback.aspx?formID=195 (Windows 7 Feedback Form) and sent the following petition to Microsoft. If enough people say this, they might listen

---

Please enable multi-monitor support for RDP hosts in Windows 7 editions other than Ultimate and Enterprise. I have Windows 7 Pro on my desktop machine at work, and I cannot get it upgraded to Enterprise or Ultimate. IT says the company only paid for Pro (Volume licensing) and that they don't even have a license key for Ultimate or Enterprise. I cannot pay out of my own pocket either: Windows 7 Pro Volume Edition does not have the anytime upgrade option. I bought a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, but when I ran setup, I got a message that Windows 7 Pro Volume Edition cannot get upgraded to Ultimate. The Enterprise edition is not sold via retail channels, so I cannot try that one. I can completely wipe out my machine at work and install Windows 7 Ultimate, but IT will ride in and slap me on the wrists when they figure out what I have done. They will also take my machine and re-image it back to what it was. 

• Proposed as answer by madheaduk1 Friday, July 12, 2013 3:07 PM
• Unproposed as answer by madheaduk1 Friday, July 12, 2013 3:07 PM
• Proposed as answer by madheaduk1 Friday, July 12, 2013 3:07 PM

Same issue here, just wasted an hour trying to get this to work until I found that this will only work with an ult or ent host.

Our company is on the brink of switching to linux, can't wait.

• Proposed as answer by madheaduk1 Friday, July 12, 2013 3:08 PM

I agree with the OP, lack of support for RDP multi-monitor is utterly rediculous!

Windows 7 Professional is supposed to be an operating system for use by business professionals.  The vast majority of businesses who care anything at all about employee efficiency have upgraded their employees to dual monitors.  Most of the power users who spend much time working from home also have multiple monitors at their house.

We have no use for 90% of the features granted by windows 7 enterprise on our desktops, so spending 50% more per license to have RDP multi-mon support is not logical.

This is every bit as rediculous as Outlook in Office 2010 Standard not supporting online archives and Microsoft not giving companies an upgrade path to Pro Plus for their licensing.

I sincerely hope Microsoft pulls their head out of their rear-end with feature licensing in upcoming releases.

• Proposed as answer by madheaduk1 Friday, July 12, 2013 3:09 PM

Unfortunately , still not any hope for RDP to work with more than 1 monitors at this moment with Win7 Pro

And It is really not good idea to upgrade and pay for the upgrade just because of this option to come online.

Microsoft should here our complains and turn this option to available for all of us. But it looks like, they don't care at this moment.

I do like using windows but some of the decisions they have, is really making me upset.

I'm not appreciated Microsoft.

Yup...lets keep this alive.

Win7 PRO.....and the frigging RDP Dual monitor is not supported, only is a SPAN mode??. PROFESSIONAL Version.....but thats not good enough, now needing Ultimate or Enterprise. 

SPAN is useless...and I'd like to see how many MS employees are using spanned desktop.

I have NO Faith is the company anymore. Every release is worst than the last. 

Windows 8 is just another tell tale sign of things to come from this company. Junk, junk, and more junk, as I will Never run Win8 in my Enterprise. Oh sorry MS, I don't have an Enterprise, I only have a Professional.

Windows 7 professional needs a solution to this issue.

Until multimonitor support is re-enabled as per the original FAQ which we all used to determine our product purchase.

In other words

Bump

Bumping this,

I'm stunned that this feature isn't available.

• Proposed as answer by RespectTech Thursday, May 01, 2014 1:28 PM
• Unproposed as answer by RespectTech Thursday, May 01, 2014 1:28 PM

top

same here...

Just wasted an hour of my life working out that this doesn't work, on a so called "Professional" operating system, that's a joke.

I find myself wondering how many working hours have been wasted, globally, by people trying to get this to work, because there's intuitively no reason for it not to : it would actually simplify the code to delete the check for Enterprise or Ultimate edition.

People know this ; MS actually had to make an extra effort to break it for "lower" editions to serve their need for SKU differentiation. It just generates ill-will, it's not like it's an extra feature that's missing (that I could understand paying up for), it's an included feature, that you made the effort to break on purpose.

I guess we're still in the bad old days of IBM performing "upgrades" on your mainframe by sending an engineer to snip a wire link that doubles the clock speed.

Spent 5 hours on this. Found some very helpful sites explaining all about installing updates and enabling RDP 8.0 all to no avail as eventually I found  the spanking dual monitor windows 8.0 pro beast I have bought for home may well support dual monitor RDP client but my Work RDP host machine is Windows Pro oa.

Shame about the time wasting. Perhaps a little note under the"Use all my monitors" checkbox stating "the host needs to be enterprise or ultimate" might save us all a little frustration.

I am also very disappointed that I am not able to use multiple monitors with my Windows 7 Professional.

Where can we find something that works without having to upgrade?

Monique - Cape Town South Africa

I am really disappointed with this limitation of Win7 profession.

Wasted Money and Time for this feature.

For anyone with the patience to stumble upon this thread and read this... you might have a couple of options

All of the files to upgrade to ultimate are already sitting on the drive, the windows anytime upgrade simply turns the junk on in the registry or what have you.  

Most OEMs have preActivated keys, so if you have a dell for example.. the internet is your new best friend.. go find the ultimate key for the OEM plug it into anytime upgrade and you are done.

If you happen to have an MSDN subscription you may also have a key to ultimate available to you.  

Neither option is legal, but for the 1% of the time I use remote desktop anyway i'm not loosing any sleep giving MS the ol finger on this one

This decision by MS is so typical of Ballmer's Microsoft that it should be in textbooks about CS history...

Meanwhile, Satella's "We want you to love Windows" is only meant to be valid for versions >= 10 it seems.

Same here, I have wasted hours on this.

Thought it had something to do with trying to connect from Win8.1 Client.  There is almost no information stating that Win7 Prof is exempt from all RDP versions support multi-monitor.  As All generally means all.

Apart from using something like Logmein or Teamviewer, has a solution been found?

I don't have any monitors attached to the Host PC so Teamviewer will only show you 1 monitor.

I use 2XClient basic which is free and does allow multiple monitors through RDP sessions.

http://www.2x.com/rdp-client/downloadlinks/

When using full screen and Span across multiple monitors you get a scroll bar at the bottom to move between monitors.

• Edited by vnavna01 Monday, March 23, 2015 8:01 PM

So I have windows 7 pro and have tried every hack etc. only one that even gets close is Teamviewer and the fonts are gross....

Any solutions yet???

Tom