"What is VDI? Understanding Virtual Desktop Infrastructure for Modern IT"
What is VDI? Learn how Virtual Desktop Infrastructure works, its benefits, challenges, and future trends in enterprise IT.
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TSPLUS BLOG
Managing credentials securely is fundamental to remote infrastructure administration. One recurring task for IT administrators is knowing how to change the RDP password in various scenarios — whether it’s part of password rotation policies, dealing with expired credentials, or troubleshooting login issues. This article offers complete and technically precise methods to change or reset passwords via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), ensuring compatibility with domain and local environments, and accommodating both interactive and administrative workflows.
One of the most direct and Microsoft-recommended ways to change a password during an RDP session is by using the Ctrl + Alt + End key combination. Unlike Ctrl + Alt + Del, which is intercepted by the local OS, this alternative is passed to the remote session, enabling access to the Windows Security screen.
When an RDP session is launched, keyboard inputs like Ctrl + Alt + Del are not sent to the remote machine because they’re captured by the local operating system for security reasons. Microsoft introduced Ctrl + Alt + End as a way to simulate the Secure Attention Sequence (SAS) on the remote desktop session.
This method remains the quickest and most reliable option for interactive RDP sessions with basic access rights.
Some environments (e.g., thin clients, nested RDP sessions, custom keyboards) may fail to transmit Ctrl + Alt + End correctly. In these cases, the Windows On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) allows you to simulate keypresses, including the Secure Attention Sequence.
The OSK, when used inside the RDP session, triggers events within the remote OS, bypassing local keyboard restrictions. This makes it a reliable alternative to hardware key combinations.
Use this when physical keyboard combinations are blocked or passed to the local system instead of the remote host.
The net user command provides a fast, scriptable way to change or reset user passwords, both local and domain. It's ideal for administrators with elevated permissions who need to enforce password policies or recover access for end-users.
This command directly replaces the password for the specified local or domain user account.
Change password for local user jdoe:
If you don’t want the password to appear in plain text:
You'll be prompted to enter the new password securely.
Ideal for administrators who need a quick way to update passwords during maintenance or remote access support.
PowerShell provides both local and Active Directory password management options. It’s ideal for sysadmins automating credential lifecycles, supporting remote operations, or applying policies at scale.
powershell: Set-LocalUser -Name "username" -Password (ConvertTo-SecureString -AsPlainText "new_password" -Force)
powershell: Import-Module ActiveDirectory ; Set-ADAccountPassword -Identity "username" -Reset -NewPassword (ConvertTo-SecureString -AsPlainText "NewP@ssw0rd!" -Force)
PowerShell enables repeatable, auditable processes ideal for scripting password resets in enterprise environments.
This method is suitable for local account password changes and is often used when onboarding new users or managing non-domain endpoints via RDP.
This is a practical choice for GUI-based system admins managing local users on RDP-accessible endpoints.
Control Panel is still present in Windows Server and older Windows clients. It's the most user-friendly method for standard users, but it requires the current password.
This method is most useful for non-admin users needing to update their credentials during routine access.
TSplus Remote Access offers IT administrators a secure, efficient way to manage and scale RDP access across any infrastructure. With web-based portals, session control, 2FA, Active Directory integration, and seamless user provisioning, it simplifies remote desktop deployments without the complexity of traditional RDS. Ideal for SMBs and enterprises alike, TSplus enhances security, centralizes control, supports multi-user environments, and reduces the operational overhead of managing remote systems at scale.
Changing a password in an RDP session is a common administrative task, but one that requires context-specific techniques. Whether you're dealing with interactive user sessions, domain-managed identities, or automation workflows, the methods covered here give you the flexibility and control needed in professional IT environments.
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