This is how your screen looks when remote desktop is active. You will have a grayish bar at the top of the "remote" screen with your Waisman computer name when you are working in that environment.

This bar lets you know where you are, and allows some control in switching between your local and remote Windows sessions.

While you are using remote desktop, you are able to switch between your work computer and your home computer/laptop. You can get back to your local computer by clicking the "Minimize" control on the right end of the gray bar.

Once on the local session, you can get back to the remote session by clicking the item down on the task bar.

Copy (Ctrl-C) and Paste (Ctrl-V) operations can be done between sessions, and is one reason you may wish to hop back to your local session for a bit.

At the far right end of the gray bar, there is the familiar "Close" control. In this context, however, it does something you might not expect. It will close the remote desktop program, but it will leave your remote session running on the other computer. This means no one else will be able to log into that PC. It will appear to be locked. "Close" should really be thought of as "Disconnect".

Clicking the Push Pin on the left end of your gray bar will remove the bar from the screen, but please be aware of where you are working, it can get confusing.

If you bring your pointer back to the top of the remote screen, the gray bar will re-appear. To keep it there, just click the Push Pin button again and it will tack it to your screen.

When you are done working you normally should log off, which will free the computer for someone else to use. This is done as usual by going to START, LOG OFF.

If you do not log off, you can resume the session the next time you are in your office by unlocking the screen with your regular username and password.

You will notice that unlike when you are at Waisman, there is no choice to SHUT DOWN. So it seems as though you can not restart or shut down your Waisman PC while working remotely.

You can in fact do a SHUT DOWN or RESTART by using the "WINDOWS SECURITY" item that only shows up on the Start Menu while working remotely. It is located directly above the LOG OFF option.

The Windows Security Window looks like this. Here you may choose to either SHUT DOWN, or RESTART.


Remember, if you SHUT DOWN you will not be able to remotely access your computer!

Please contact us friendly people at Help@Waisman.Wisc.Edu to assist you with any questions or problems. You can also call us at 608-890-1000.