[Detailed Guide] How to Minimize Remote Desktop With Shortcut Key

How do I minimize RDP with keyboard shortcut?

I’m considering if there is a method for assisting me with changing from a full-screen Remote Desktop window to my local Windows 10 computer using keyboard shortcut? I don’t want to minimize the RDP window (exit the full screen) using mouse each time. Thanks a lot!”

How to minimize Remote Desktop with shortcut key

When you are connecting to a remote computer over RDP, you can minimize the window using Ctrl + Alt + Break keyboard shortcut on Windows 11/10/8/7. If there is no Break key on your keyboard, you can use Ctrl + Alt + Pause combination to exit the Remote Desktop full screen.

If your keyboard isn’t with Break and Pause key, you can resort to the open-source scripting tool, AutoHot Key to set up Ctrl+Shift+CapsLock as a shortcut to minimize Remote Desktop. Let’s see the whole process.

Step 1. Download and run AutoHot Key on your computer.

Step 2. On your desktop, right-click the blank space, choose New and choose AutoHotkey Script.

Step 3. Name the script and the end should be with ahk. For example: minimize.ahk.

Step 4. Right-click the newly created file and choose Edit Script.

Step 5. On the pop-up window, add this content to the file:

#IfWinActive ahk_class TSSHELLWND
^Capslock:: ; Ctrl+Caps Lock
; Need a short sleep here for focus to restore properly.
Sleep 50
WinMinimize A ; need A to specify Active window
;MsgBox, Received Remote Desktop minimize hotkey ; uncomment for debugging
return
#IfWinActive

Note: This script is for Windows 7 and you need to change #If fWinActive to #IfWinActive Remote Desktop Connection when you want to set keyboard shortcut to minimize Remote Desktop Windows 10.

Step 6. Save the file. Then, double-click it to run it.

Step 7. Now, you can use Ctrl+Shift+CapsLock shortcut to minimize Remote Desktop.

Other great keyboard shortcuts in Remote Desktop session

After knowing how to minimize a Remote Desktop window using keyboard, you may be interested in other useful keyboard shortcuts in Remote Desktop session. Check out these keyboard shortcuts listed below.

Ctrl + Alt + Home: To show the Windows Remote Desktop connection bar.
Ctrl + Alt + End: To send Ctrl+Alt+Del command to the remote computer rather than your local computer.
Ctrl + Alt+ ← : To switch to the host computer.
Ctrl + Alt + → : To switch back to the remote computer.
Alt+Insert/Page up: To toggle between the different apps that you are running on the remote computer. That takes the same effect as the Ctrl+Alt keyboard combination on your local PC.
Win+T: To select the session that you want to be in when there are multiple RDP sessions running on your computer.

Recommended: secure remote desktop software with shortcuts

Now, surely you have realized how to minimize Remote Desktop with shortcut key and take other operations. However, sometimes, you may find RDP keyboard not working or get connection failure. Here, a secure remote desktop software, AnyViewer is highly recommended.

It offers you a stable remote connection and fast speed even from a different network without port forwarding. What’s more, it enables you to easily minimize remote desktop session window or maximize it without keyboard and it is featured with shortcuts to many essential programs during the remote session. They are listed as follows:

• Ctrl+Alt+Delete
• Lock
• Logout
• Restart
• Shutdown
• This PC
• Task Manager
• CMD
• Disable the mouse and keyboard of the recipient
• Black the screen of the recipient
• Lock the device when disconnected

✍ Note: To use Disable the mouse and keyboard of the recipient or Black the screen of the recipient, upgrade to Professional and Enterprise Plan at first.

Follow the steps to see how to use the tool for remote access.

Step 1. Download, install, and run the remote desktop software on the computers. To control your PC from your phone, you need to use AnyViewer mobile apps. 

Step 2. Create an AnyViewer account and log into the same account on the computers.

Tip: Once logging in, the device will be assigned to the account automatically. And you can start one-click unattended remote access between assigned computers.

Step 3. On your local computer, go to Device and you can see all devices that are assigned to the account. Click the computer that you want to access and choose One-click control.

Step 4. Then, you’ll manage to access the remote computer from your local PC. You can easily minimize or enlarge the remote desktop window or make view it in full screen mode. 

Notes:

• If you just need to transfer files between remote computers, you can click File Transfer to transfer files without running a remote session.
• When you need to offer one-time remote support to your friend or client, you can take control of the computer on the other end by sending request rather than the same account.