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RDCMan

Score7 out of 10

62 Reviews and Ratings

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What is RDCMan?

RDCMan, or Remote Desktop Connection Manager from Microsoft, is a utility for managing multiple remote desktop connections. Once shut down due to a vulnerability in version 2.7, RDCMan is now updated and part of the Sysinternals family of tools. The 2.8 release fixes CVE-2020-0765, the XML parsing vulnerability. As of May, 2025, RDCMan is in version 3.1.

Categories & Use Cases

Media

Screenshot of a view of RDCMan 2.22
Screenshot of a view of RDCMan 2.22
Screenshot of a view of RDCMan 2.81

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Screenshot of a view of RDCMan 2.22

Key Features

Learn about the best (and worst!) features RDCMan has to offer, as determined by TrustRadius' reviewers.
Based on 62 ratings of RDCMan's features
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Top Performing Features

  • Remote management of servers & workstations

    Server reboot, start/stop services & processes, clear logs, manage disks, shares, etc. without having to initiate remote control.

    Category average: 8.7

  • Access to sleeping/powered-off computers

    Remote access and troubleshooting of out-of-band computers.

    Category average: 6.4

  • Centralized management dashboard

    Dashboard to facilitate management of users, permissions, licenses etc.

    Category average: 7.9

Areas for Improvement

  • Session record

    Ability to record session for training purposes.

    Category average: 7.9

  • Annotations

    Ability to markup and highlight end user’s screen to provide visual clues or to highlight areas.

    Category average: 7.7

  • Instant message

    Ability for administrator to communicate via instant message with remote user.

    Category average: 8

Reviews

What users are saying about RDCMan.
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RDCM

Incentivized
Sander de BeusView profile
IT Service Coördinator in Information Technology at Brightforward (11-50 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We have a couple of servers we need to access and for the servers we use Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan). Most of them are IT servers like a server for Active directory. We also have Virtual machines running where we use Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) for. It is a easy tool to get access to the server because its Windows integrated.

Pros

  • Easy way of connecting to servers
  • Stable and strong connection when you are connected to a server
  • file share from desktop to connected server works good
  • When using Remote desktop is dont feel you work on a server is easy to use

Cons

  • You can't drag and drop files between local and remote sessions—something many modern RDP tools allow, and it saves a ton of clicks.
  • You can export settings, but not as CSV or something readable/editable outside RDCMan. Makes documentation or sharing config info harder.
  • Hovering over minimized or background sessions shows nothing—no live thumbnail or last screen capture like some tools do.

Return on Investment

  • its less time consuming for IT engineers because they have everything on one please
  • less FTE for the tasks
  • Lack of MFA option

Usability

Alternatives Considered

Avanti, Remote Desktop Services and TeamViewer

Other Software Used

Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Entra ID

Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager

Incentivized
Verified User
Analyst in Finance and Accounting (51-200 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Connect to multiple servers via RDP. The business problem is that it cuts down on login times and allows me to quickly bounce between clients and connections as needed. The login process is usually very quick and it has features to group your connections in ways that make logical sense for your day to day.

Pros

  • Ease of Use
  • Fast connections
  • Central location

Cons

  • Password manager
  • Screen functionality
  • Toggle ability

Return on Investment

  • Quicker debugging
  • Multiple use cases at once
  • Faster resolutions to issues

Usability

Alternatives Considered

Adobe Acrobat

Other Software Used

Adobe Acrobat, Coremetrics / IBM Digital Analytics (discontinued), F5 on IBM Cloud

RDCMan helps troubleshooting custom software apps.

Incentivized
Verified User
Engineer in Information Technology (1-10 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I have several RD machines across multiple clients' servers in a laboratory environment and do development work that needs to be tested on every machine. Each one has a slightly different OS, database, and application version(s) configuration. I often need to connect to more than one machine at a time for testing, and RDCMan simplifies monitoring and maintaining all of them.

Pros

  • I can see previews of all the machines working at the same time.
  • Having all password in one place.
  • Organization of devices based on purpose, configuration, etc.

Cons

  • I sometimes get strange connection errors and session errors that sever live connections.
  • Windows shortcut keys don't work in windowed mode.
  • I'm hesitant to use it over the internet given past problems.

Return on Investment

  • I can troubleshoot application errors faster for clients.
  • While troubleshooting, I spend less time fumbling to find credentials and other machine-specific settings.
  • Being able to connect to the same machines from multiple devices helps me when I'm not in the office.

Usability

Other Software Used

SQLite, Fujitsu ScanSnap, AnyDesk, FileZilla, OneDrive, Dropbox, PaperCut

Excellent software for managing remote computer / server connections

Incentivized
Verified User
Team Lead in Information Technology (501-1000 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I am a team lead of a development group and a senior developer. I have a large number of servers that I manage, and using RDCMan makes this job considerably easier. The software is also used to keep track of which desktop computers are assigned to which developer as I frequently have to install software for my team.

Pros

  • Server Management
  • Ability to organize into groups
  • Quick and easy to use

Cons

  • Honestly I would not change anything about it.

Return on Investment

  • Improved efficiency
  • Better inventory management

Alternatives Considered

TeamViewer

Other Software Used

Adobe Acrobat DC, Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Premiere Pro

Another great tool in the toolbox

Incentivized
Verified User
Technician in Information Technology (5001-10,000 employees employees)

Pros

  • Quick
  • Easy
  • Minimal work on user end

Cons

  • Security
  • parallel support
  • chat log

Return on Investment

  • Make users happy
  • Low risk with COVID
  • Quick and Easy

Alternatives Considered

LogMeIn Pro, TeamViewer and VNC Connect

Other Software Used

LogMeIn Pro, VNC Connect, TeamViewer