2.7.14 Controlling the interface of a computer during a remote control session

(1) Registering and entering special keys for use in remote control sessions

When you use your keyboard to enter special keys like function keys and keyboard shortcuts, those keystrokes apply to the controller itself. To use special keys on the remote computer, you need to register them in the controller first.

The special keys you register appear in the key input bar of the Remote Control window. By clicking the buttons in the key input bar, you can enter the associated special key in the remote computer.

Tip

If the controller computer and the remote computer have different input environments (for example, the controller system uses an English-language keyboard while the remote system uses a Japanese layout), you might not be able to enter certain characters using your keyboard. In this case, you can enter such characters without needing to be conscious of the different input environments by using special keys or transferring the data using the clipboard.

Related Topics:

• (2) Default special keys registered in the controller

• (3) Transferring clipboard data during remote control sessions

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(2) Default special keys registered in the controller

The following table lists the special keys provided by default in the controller program. You can add a default special key by selecting the Default option under Action key type when you register a special key.

No.	Special keys
1	F1
2	Shift + F1
3	Shift + F10
4	SpaceBar
5	Esc
6	Alt
7	Alt + Tab
8	Alt + Esc
9	Alt + SpaceBar
10	Alt + -
11	Alt + Enter
12	Alt + F4
13	Alt + F6
14	Alt + PrintScreen
15	PrintScreen
16	Ctrl + C
17	Ctrl + O
18	Ctrl + P
19	Ctrl + S
20	Ctrl + V
21	Ctrl + X
22	Ctrl + Z
23	Ctrl + Esc
24	Ctrl + F6
25	Ctrl + Tab
26	Kanji

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(3) Transferring clipboard data during remote control sessions

You can configure the remote control feature to automatically transfer clipboard data from the controller to the remote computer, or vice versa, each time the clipboard contents change. This ensures that the clipboard contents are always the same on both computers, which means you can work seamlessly between them when performing operations like the following:

• Displaying a Web site in a Web browser on the remote computer by pasting a URL recorded on the controller PC

• Paste screenshots or other data collected on the remote computer into documents being created on the controller computer

There are some differences in the types of data that can be transferred depending on the connection type.

For standard connections:

You can transfer the following types of data or any combination thereof:

• Text

• Bitmaps

• Metafiles

• Rich text

• Color palettes

For RFB connections:

You can send and receive ASCII text only. The ability to send and receive non-ASCII text depends on the environment of the remote computer.

Clipboard data is transferred when the controller window becomes active. If you are using an RFB connection, data is transferred when the clipboard contents are updated on the remote computer.

Tip

When using a standard connection, to prevent the system from slowing down when a large amount of data is copied to the clipboard, you can configure the remote control feature to only transfer text on the Optimize Transaction tab of the Environment Settings dialog box.

Tip

While clipboard data is being transferred, the system displays a message and progress bar in the status bar at the bottom of the Remote Control window. If you start transferring an unexpectedly large file that appears to be taking too long to transfer, you can cancel the transmission by right-clicking the progress bar and selecting Cancel. The data being transferred is discarded, and the clipboard reverts to its previous contents.

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(4) Setting search ranges for connection-target computers

There are five ways to set the search range for connection-target computers, as described in the table below.

No.	Method	Example	Actual search range
1	Specify a single IP address.	172.17.11.10	172.17.11.10
2	Enter the first three bytes of the IP address. As the last byte, enter two numbers joined by a hyphen (-). Use this format to search within a group of consecutive IP addresses.	172.17.11.10-20	172.17.11.10 to 172.17.11.20
3	Enter the first three bytes of the IP address. As the last byte, enter several numbers separated by commas (,). Use this format to search within a group of non-consecutive IP addresses.	172.17.11.10,11,100,200	172.17.11.10,172.17.11.11,172.17.11.100,172.17.11.200
4	Use a combination of methods 2 and 3.	172.17.11.10,50-100,200	172.17.11.10, 172.17.11.50 to 172.17.11.100, and 172.17.11.200
5	Specify the first three bytes of the IP address. Use this format to search among all the IP addresses within a given subnet.	172.17.11	172.17.11.0 to 172.17.11.255

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(5) Status of connection-target computers

Computers in the Search Agents dialog box can be in Awaiting connection, Connection rejected, Not running, or Not responding status. The figure below shows how a computer transitions between these statuses.

Not responding

The computer does not exist or is turned off.

Not running

The computer cannot be controlled remotely, or the remote control agent is not running on the computer.

Connection rejected

The remote control agent is running on the computer (with the agent installed), but a connection cannot be established. Possible causes include the agent not being registered as a permitted controller, and the port used by the remote control feature being used by another application. Check the message on the Details tab of the Search Agents dialog box.

Awaiting connection

The computer is ready to accept connections.

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(6) Operating the menu bar during a full-screen remote control session

In full screen mode, you can use the menu bar to, for example, define the remote control settings, view how much data has been sent and received, and change the display settings.

The following table shows the icons in the menu bar and describes their function.

Icon	Name	Description
	Pin icon	Click this icon to keep the menu bar displayed at all times. After you click the pin button, the menu bar remains on screen regardless of where the mouse pointer is located. This feature is disabled by default.
	Ctrl + Alt + Delete button	Clicking this icon has the same effect as pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete on the remote computer.
	Refresh button	Click this button to refresh the contents of the controller window. You can use this button to correct glitches in the display, for example.
	Send/Receive icon	This icon shows whether data is being sent to and received from the remote computer, and whether the data is encrypted. Encryption is indicated by a key icon. You can reset the values from the pop-up menu that appears when you right-click the icon.
	Minimize button	Click this icon to minimize the controller window. The desktop of the computer running the controller appears.
	Restore button	Click this icon to exit full-screen mode.
	Close button	Click this icon to end the remote control session and close the window.

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(7) Notes on using the remote control feature

This section provides cautionary notes that apply to the remote control feature. It also provides cautionary notes that apply when the remote computer is using a specific operating system.

• If a remote computer displays an MS-DOS prompt in full-screen mode, the controller cannot display the computer's screen. When using the remote control feature, always use the MS-DOS prompt in a window.

• The controller might be unable to display graphics generated on the remote computer using Direct X (Direct Draw) or OpenGL.

• Animation generally takes a large amount of data to send. Do not display animation on the remote computer while a remote control session is in progress.

• When the controller attempts to reconnect to a remote computer that did not recognize the controller's disconnection, the Duplicate connection dialog box appears. In this case, select the disconnect option in the dialog box and then reconnect to the remote computer.

• Use a color palette with at least 256 colors.

• If the Enable pointer shadow check box is selected on the Pointers tab of the Mouse Properties dialog box in the Control Panel, the cursor appears as a double image in the controller, and its shape might be inconsistent between the remote computer and the controller. To resolve this problem, use one of the following methods:

  • On the remote computer, in the Control Panel, select Mouse, select the Pointers tab, and clear the Enable pointer shadow check box.

  • In the Properties dialog box of the Remote Control window, click the Optimize Transaction tab and select the Do not show the window animation, etc. check box.

• The connection mode changes to shared mode if one of the following occurs while the remote computer is in view mode:

  • The user presses Ctrl + Alt + Delete on the remote computer

  • A hardware error or system error message is displayed or closed

  • A message from the Windows Messenger service is displayed or closed

• Applications that simulate keyboard entry or change key assignments will not work correctly while the remote computer is in view mode.

• Note the following before hiding the screen of a remote computer you are controlling in exclusive mode. We recommend that you thoroughly check operation in a test environment before using this feature.

  • The graphics card and monitor of the remote computer must support power saving mode.

  • The CPU usage might reach 100% on the remote computer, or a residual image might appear on the screen every few seconds.

  • The blackout of the remote computer's screen might be forcibly lifted. the following table describes when this can happen.

    Cause	Description
    Disconnection	The administrator disconnects from the remote computer or ends the remote control session. The user disconnects from the controller or ends the remote control session. The remote control session was terminated due to a communication error.
    Leaving exclusive mode	The user presses Ctrl + Alt + Delete on the remote computer. A hardware error or system error message is displayed or closed on the remote computer. A message from the Windows Messenger service is displayed or closed on the remote computer.

Notes on connections to remote computers running Windows Server 2016, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2012

• Do not disable the following applications in the Startup tab of the System Configuration. If you disable these applications, some remote control features will not work correctly.

  • jdngrcagent.exe

  • jdngrcchat.exe

• Pointer trails do not appear in the controller when you select the Display pointer trails check box in the Visibility area of the Pointer Options tab, displayed by opening the Control Panel and selecting Hardware and Sound, Devices and Printers, and then Mouse.

• If you hide the screen of a remote computer you are controlling in exclusive mode, you cannot send the Ctrl + Alt + Delete key combination from the controller to the remote computer.

• If no mouse is connected to a remote computer with the agent installed, the mouse pointer will always be shaped as an arrow in the controller.

Notes on connections to remote computers running Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Vista

• During remote control sessions, Windows Aero features such as window transparency, taskbar thumbnails, and Windows Flip 3D are disabled.

• When you use a Windows Aero mouse pointer, performance of remote mouse control drops. To prevent this, change the mouse pointer design to None. To change the mouse pointer design:

  1. In the Windows Control Panel, click Mouse.

  2. In the Mouse Properties dialog box, display the Pointers tab.

  3. In the Scheme list box, select (None).

  4. Click OK.

Notes on connections to remote computers running Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista

• If any of the following operations take place on the remote computer during a remote control session, the session is ended.

  • The user logs off

  • The user is switched

  • A remote connection is established using the Remote Desktop feature

Notes on connections to remote computers running Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2008

• If any of the following operations take place on the remote computer during a remote control session, the session is ended.

  • The user logs off

  • The user is switched

  • A console connection is established using the Remote Desktop feature

Notes on connections to remote computers running Windows Server 2003

• The remote control feature does not support console connections established by the Remote Desktop feature of Windows Server 2003. If a console connection is established by Remote Desktop, subsequent connection attempts from the controller will be rejected. If the controller is already connected, it will be disconnected.

  To connect again, unlock Windows Server 2003 on the remote computer.

Notes on connections to remote computers running Windows XP

• The remote control feature does not support the User Switching feature or Remote Desktop feature of Windows XP.

  If the remote computer uses user switching or remote connection by the Remote Desktop feature in Windows XP, subsequent connection attempts from the controller will be rejected. If the controller is already connected, it will be disconnected.

  To re-establish the connection, take the following action:

  • If the connection was rejected due to user switching:

    Log off all users from Windows XP, and log on again as the first user.

  • If the connection was rejected due to the Remote Desktop feature:

    Unlock Windows on the remote computer.

Important

You cannot use the remote control feature with a computer running Windows 7 in Windows XP Mode.

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