Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) has Remote Desktop (RDP) service that allows the computer to be remotely connected, accessed and controlled from another computer or host. However, Windows XP machine only allows one concurrent remote desktop connection from a single user been connected to it with no multiple remote desktop sessions or connections support.
Whenever there is a remote user who user Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) client to connect to a Windows XP host, the local user is disconnected with the local console screen locked, with or without his or her permission. Remote Desktop, unlike Terminal Server Services in Windows 2000, Server 2003 and Server 2008, is designed for single user use only, no matter it’s local or remote user.
Here’s a hack to unlock the single user limitation and enable multiple concurrent remote desktop connection sessions support in Windows XP Professional and Media Center Edition, using a either a patched termserv.dll or old patched cracked termserv.dll build version version 5.1.2600.2055, so that unlimited users can simultaneously connect to a computer via Remote Desktop.
Download a copy of patched termsrv.dll (in ZIP file) which has the Remote Desktop connection limitation deactivated for your version of Windows XP:
Windows XP RTM, SP1 and SP2: termsrv.dll (version 5.1.2600.2055)
Windows XP SP2: termsrv.dll (version 5.1.2600.2180)
Windows XP SP3: termsrv.dll (version 5.1.2600.5512)
For information, the termsrv.dll patch normally has the following HEX code bits overwritten with following value:
00022A17: 74 75
00022A69: 7F 90
00022A6A: 16 90
Restart the computer and boot info Safe Mode by pressing F8 during initial boot up and select Safe Mode. This step is only required if you’re currently running Windows Terminal Services or Remote Desktop service, and System File Protection has to be skipped and bypassed, else it will prompt the following error message to restore the original termsrv.dll.
Windows File Protection
Go to %windir%\System32 and make a backup copy (or rename) the termsrv.dll.
Rename or delete the termserv.dll in the %windir%\System32\dllcache folder.
Copy the downloaded termsrv.dll into %windir%\System32, %windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 (if exist) and %windir%\System32\dllcache.
Then download and run the ts_multiple_sessions.bat (in ZIP file) to merge the registry value into registery, or you can run Registry Editor to manually add the following registry value:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Terminal Server\Licensing Core]
“EnableConcurrentSessions”=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
“EnableConcurrentSessions”=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
“AllowMultipleTSSessions”=dword:00000001
Click on Start Menu -> Run command and type gpedit.msc, follow by Enter to open up the Group Policy Editor.
Navigate to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Terminal Services.
Enable Limit Number of Connections and set the number of connections to 3 (or more). The setting allows more than one users to use the computer and logged on at the same time.
Ensure the Remote Desktop is enabled in System Properties’ Remote tab by selecting the radio button for Allow users to connect remotely to this computer.
Enable and turn on Fast User Switching in Control Panel -> User Accounts -> Change the way users log on or off.
Restart the computer normally.