Customize an RDP file for a Specific RDWeb user

Do you have some rdweb users who would like to rdp to their desktop from the rdweb portal, but are uncomfortable with the method used in the rdweb portal? It's kind of a long process to login to rdweb, mouse over to 'remote desktop' then plug in the desktop information, etc. What if the user had an rdp file that looked and acted like an app in the remoteapps list? That would be great you say? Then let's do it.

*There might be an easier way than this and if there is please let me know about it*

First, launch remote desktop connection.
Input the user specific information in the fields.

Second, save it as an rdp file.

Third, (only do this if your user's desktop has dual-monitors) open the rdp file in notepad to add some information.
If you user's desktop has dual monitors and the system is Windows 7 ultimate or enterprise then add the following to the end of the rdp file that is opened in notepad: use multimon:i:1

If the users' desktop has dual monitors and running pre-Windows 7 ultimate or enterprise (e.g., windows 7 pro or Windows Vista) then add the following to the end of the rdp file: span monitors:i:1

What is the difference between span and multimon?

From MSDN blog

"Span mode, introduced in Vista, allows the remote desktop to span across all monitors on the client as long as the monitors are arranged to form a rectangle. The remote session created when using span mode is still a single-monitor session. With multimon support, each monitor on the client machine is viewed as a distinct monitor in the remote session. Due to this fundamental difference, span mode has some restrictions that true multimon does not:
1. The primary monitor must be leftmost.
2. The set of monitors must form a rectangle (i.e. identical vertical resolution, and lined up in exact straight line).
3. The total of the resolutions must be below 4096x2048 (ex. 1600x1200+1600x1200 = 3200x1200)."

Multimon "...for Remote Desktop Services allows users to open a Remote Desktop connection expanded across all the monitors on the client computer regardless of the client monitor configuration. With this feature, the user can fully utilize all the monitors connected to the client computer for the Remote Desktop connection thereby providing extra desktop space and an almost seamless experience with the client desktop that is much improved over “Span mode”. "

Fourth, add the rdp file to the remoteapp programs list in your rdweb server.
Go to "remoteapp manger."
Click "add remoteapp programs."
Next.
Browse.
Make sure "all files (*.*)" is selected in the dropdown box. After you've found your custom rdp file select Open.
Next and finish.

Fifth, customize view permissions for the rdp file.
Under remoteapp programs in remoteapp manger, right click the rdp file then select properties. Select user assignment then select "specified domain users and domain groups." Click add. Since this is a specific user rdp file select the appropriate user profile for the rdp file.
OK it.
Then OK in remoteapp properties.

Now, say all of this was for Jane Austen. She will login to the RDWeb portal, see the file you've added to remoteapp programs for her profile, run it then have access to her work desktop. This is much easier compared to the default route.

Windows Server 2008 R2 RDWeb Resources

This is the first post of February 2013 and it's already the 19th. I can't believe it. I haven't posted in a while, but it's not because of laziness: I've been working on RDWeb for my work. Along the way I found some very helpful and not so helpful resources. I'll only list the helpful links.  Do note that these links may not solve your problem and that I'm not endorsing *every* solution mentioned in the links. The answers labeled "best answer" or "chosen answer" helped me in the forums. I didn't try every solution that is mentioned in the links below.

My main focus for deploying Remote Desktop Services was to make our local applications available to users located outside our network so that's the focus of the links below. 

Getting Started
Deploying Remote Desktop Web Access Step-by-Step Guide

Resources on Troubleshooting Outside Access Problems
External Users Can't Connect to Apps in RDWeb
TS Gateway "the computer can't connect to the remote computer"
External Access to RDWeb Problem
How to resolve external FQDN to a local IP when behind a firewall
RD Gateway/Web Access Outside the Firewall
Your computer can’t connect to the remote computer because the Remote Desktop Gateway server address is unreachable or incorrect. Type a valid Remote Desktop Gateway server address.
Can't Access Through Gateway
Remote Desktop Gateway is Temporarily Unavailable

Licensing
Remote Desktop Services Licensing

Customizing the RDWeb website
Customizing RDWeb

Troubleshooting Remote Desktop from RDWeb
Remote Desktop via RDWeb

Can't Change Screen Resolution During Remote Session

A lot of screen resolution problems lately. This one though is a problem a remote user had yesterday during her remote session to a vm she logs into at our main site. Her setup is the following: vpn to our main site, rdp to virtual machine. At her remote site, the power user there installed new monitors for clients. The new monitors are wide screen monitors, replacing their old square monitors. This client in particular didn't like the new monitors because of the small display size that wide screen monitors typically default to. The power user at the site customized the user's desktop very well just by changing the display size of the screen to %135.

Yesterday, I got a call from the power user telling me the client wasn't happy with the display size for her remote session, especially since she couldn't customize the screen resolution or display size (both are grayed out during a remote session). The remote user was trashing the vpn connection, our software, and everything else that wasn't related to the actual issue. The power user said he couldn't figure out why they couldn't change the display settings. He thought it may have been a privilege issue, but that's not the reason. From what I know, display settings cannot be changed during a remote session.

To fix the issue I went to our server, logged into the virtual machine the remote users logs into and changed the display size to 150%. She was happy, the power user was happy; it was good.

There might be a workaround, but I don't know of one. I'm not far from the physical server, so the best solution for me was to go to the server and change the display size for the vm, call the power user and ask him how the new size looked.

If you know of a solution for changing the display size of a pc during a remote session comment below.