Sometimes it happens to me that the local taskbar of my Windows 10 laptop is in front and you don’t have access to the remote toolbar during a full-screen RDP session. This is quite annoying. In the picture below you see the local toolbar of my Windows 10 laptop is in front during a full-screen RDP session.
Accessing the remote taskbar from the server is only possible when you don’t run RDP in full-screen mode. The fix for this is to reboot the local Windows 10 device or kill the “explorer.exe” process. You can do this manually using the Windows task manager or automated using the command line. The syntax is as follows:
C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c "C:\Windows\System32\taskkill.exe /F /IM explorer.exe & start explorer"
I open RDP to another machine - virtual / remote, focus it [it is full screen over all monitors], the host Taskbar on middle monitor goes behind the RDP session - ok.
When I do ALT-TAB to focus app from host system, the main TaskBar goes on top - ok.
And finaly, when i ALT-TAB or click into RDP, the main taskbar stays on top hiding the remote raskbar. I have to go out from fullscreen rdp and back, the main taskbar goes behind the RDP. I expect the same behavior using ALT-TAB or click to RDP client.
When DisplayFusion is turned of, the taskbar acts normally.
I tried the same scenario on Windows 10 - with or without Anniversary update and also there is the same problem.
I am using RDP for most of time i work with PC, can you please fix this ?
thanks Kubiix
Is it the Windows taskbar that's staying on top of the RDP session?
kubiix
6 discussion posts
Yes, it is the standard Windows Taskbar doing this. But it happens, only when DF Taskbars are running on other monitors. I believe, that DF somehow affects Windows Taskbar, which is staying in front of RDP fullscreen session, until I minimize/restore RDP and maximize it back, then it disappears.
Ok, thanks! I'd like to test this out here. Could you attach a copy of your troubleshooting info?
- Open the Settings > Troubleshooting tab
- Click the "Copy to Clipboard" button
- Paste the text into a text file [please don't paste the text directly into your reply, the formatting gets garbled and makes it difficult to parse]
- Reply with the file attached
kubiix
6 discussion posts
Hi, file is attached
Let me know if you need more info from me
• Attachment [protected]: DF Info.txt [80,566 bytes]
Thanks! I don't see anything amiss in the troubleshooting info, and I can't seem to reproduce this issue here. Is there any way you could send me a video of the issue?
kubiix
6 discussion posts
I made a short video and uploaded it to YouTube - better play at 0,5x speed
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=93UWgb6b11M
Also you can notice one more thing, in first part, when is DF running, when RDP is minimized the icon of RDP is not in taskbar of the primary monitor - the one recorded, but is is in taskbar on laptop LCD. This does not happen when DF not running and using Win taskbar on all moniotors with only icons of programs on that monitor. When RDP is minimized icon goes to main monitor taskbar, when restored not full screen, id goes to taskbar on monitor, where bigger part of RDP is.
Nov 12, 2016 [modified Nov 12, 2016] •
Thanks! Could you send a debug log? Here are the steps:
- On the Troubleshooting tab, change the Logging drop-down to "L2: Log Detailed"
- Reproduce the issue and note the time so we'll know where to check in the log file
- Send us the DisplayFusion.log and DebugInfo.html files [can be found by clicking the Open Log button on the Troubleshooting tab]
- Disable debug logging after sending the log
kubiix
6 discussion posts
Hi, here is the log file, the time when I have focus on application from main OS and click into RDP window and the taskbar from main OS stays in front of the one from RDP is exactly 9:11:00
• Attachment [protected]: DisplayFusion.7z [44,592 bytes]
Thanks! We were finally able to reproduce this here as well. We'll be sure to post an update as soon as we're able to get this all fixed up
Hi Keith,
I just ran into this problem as well [using the version released on 12/23/16]. My workaround for now is to just quit DF while my RDP session is active. Any progress on fixing this? In case it is helpful, debug info is attached. The log file spans about 4 minutes. I started my RDP session about 15 seconds into the session.
• Attachment [protected]: DisplayFusion.zip [75,835 bytes]
We haven't had much luck with it yet, sorry. Thanks for the log though! We will definitely post an update if we need more info, or hopefully, just when we get it fixed up
Evan Greene
1 discussion post
I have had this issue for a long time. The start menu on the non-default display is pushed to the background behind all open windows when remote desktop is opened on the primary window.
Also, I noticed when you click the start menu on the non-primary very quickly it pushes the start menu over to the primary display.
I've disabled triggers to ensure no faulty configuration as well.
• Attachment [protected]: start menu 3.avi [1,920,512 bytes]
• Attachment [protected]: start menu goes to background when returning from rdp.avi [4,110,848 bytes]
kubiix
6 discussion posts
Now I am working mainly from Win 10 so I switched DP taskbar off - the only reason was clock on all taskbars and this feature is now in Win 10. I have noticed also problem, when remote desktop is only on primary monitor and I click on the start menu on non primary monitor, the taskbar on primary monitor goes on top, hiding the one in RD. In Win 10 I noticed also another issue, when using DP Alt-Tab window, there are many icons of Windows Explorer with black preview and switching on them leads nowhere. For example 4 of 10 icons in the Alt-Tab window are these fake running apps.
@kubiix: Could you attach a debug log for the Alt+Tab issue? I can't seem to reproduce that here.
- On the Troubleshooting tab, change the Logging drop-down to "L2: Log Detailed"
- Reproduce the issue and note the time so we'll know where to check in the log file
- Send us the DisplayFusion.log and DebugInfo.html files [can be found by clicking the Open Log button on the Troubleshooting tab]
- Disable debug logging after sending the log
maroy1986
2 discussion posts
I also have this issue for a few months now and never related it to DisplayFusion until now.
Same as the other, if I'm closing it or even just disabling multi-monitor taskbar, everything goes back to normal and just work. As soon as I re-enable DF, the issue is back.
Something must be wrong with the focus management...
Heman22
1 discussion post
I'm having a similar issue.
I have a Windows 10 desktop with 3 monitors. My main monitor is in the middle. I turned off the additional taskbars in windows. I have display fusion providing a taskbar on the other monitors. I use Microsoft's Remote Desktop software to remote into other computers. My computer is the client in this RDP scenario.
When I remote into another computer I have the display configuration slider all the way set to "Full Screen" and the "Use all my monitors for the remote session" box unchecked, I have no problems with the client's taskbar showing over my RDP session. It works correctly on any of my 3 monitors.
However, if I decide I want my RDP session to be full screened across all 3 monitors, I have issues with only the main Microsoft taskbar showing over my RDP session. In the RDP display settings I have the "Use all my monitors for the remote session" box checked for the session to span across all 3 monitors.
I found that if I disable Display fusion and try the full screen RDP session across all monitors, the Microsoft taskbar disappears like it should.
Is this a known issue?
Sorry if what I wrote is hard to follow.
@Heman22: It is a known issue. We have figured out what's causing it and have it on our list to fix up, so we'll be sure to post an update when we get it sorted out
Thanks!
Oh! Forgot to mention the workaround. On the Settings > Compatibility tab, create a rule like the attached screenshot and that should solve it for now.
How do I get the taskbar on my Remote Desktop?
Show local taskbar without minimizing Remote Desktop: You can try pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Home keys simultaneously. This should bring up the local taskbar without minimizing or restoring down the Remote Desktop session.
How do I show the top bar in Remote Desktop?
Go to Display tab and find “Display the connection bar when I use the full screen” check box. Step 3. If you want to hide the connection bar when you use Remote Desktop Connection, uncheck it. And if you want to show this connection bar, you can check this checkbox.
Is it possible to relocate the Windows desktop taskbar to the top of the screen?
Move the Taskbar Right-click an empty space on the taskbar, and then click to uncheck Lock the taskbar. The taskbar must be unlocked in order to move it. Click and drag the taskbar to the top, bottom, or side of your screen.
How do I show the taskbar in a full screen RDP session?
This makes the taskbar not hidden in Remote Desktop sessions. To solve that, you need to restart Windows Explorer. -> Right-click on the taskbar and select the Task Manager option. -> In Task Manager , go to the Processes tab , find and select the Windows Explorer process , and then click the Restart button.