Where Is Remote Desktop Services Manager? | Quick Path

The Remote Desktop Services Manager is found in Server Manager > Remote Desktop Services; the old tsadmin.msc tool lived on legacy servers.

If you’re hunting for the place to view user sessions, shadow desktops, or sign off stuck logins, the modern home is inside Server Manager under the Remote Desktop Services workspace. On older builds, there was a standalone Microsoft Management Console snap-in often launched with tsadmin.msc. That classic console went away after the Windows Server 2008 R2 era, and its duties shifted into Server Manager, PowerShell, and a handful of command-line utilities.

Quick Location By Windows Server Version

Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025

1. Open Server Manager.
2. Select Remote Desktop Services in the left pane.
3. Choose Overview or Collections to see your deployment, brokers, gateways, and session hosts.
4. Open a collection to view active connections, publish apps, and perform session tasks.

This is the replacement for the old one-stop console. Collections group one or more RD Session Host servers and the RemoteApps or desktops assigned to users. Microsoft’s guide shows the path inside Server Manager and the tasks available in a collection. See the official instructions for creating and working with collections in Remote Desktop Services > Collections.

Windows Server 2012 / 2012 R2

1. Open Server Manager.
2. Go to Remote Desktop Services → Collections.
3. Pick your collection to view sessions and actions.

The standalone consoles tsadmin.msc and tsconfig.msc were removed beginning with this generation. Admins now use Server Manager, PowerShell, and command-line tools to manage sessions.

Windows Server 2008 R2 And Earlier

1. Open Administrative Tools.
2. Launch Remote Desktop Services Manager (older builds call it Terminal Services Manager).
3. From here, you could view users, processes, and sessions on each host.

These builds still offered the traditional MMC snap-in alongside the Server Manager role view.

Finding Remote Desktop Services Manager Location—Newer Builds

Modern servers place the key controls inside the Remote Desktop Services workspace in Server Manager. Here’s the fast route to the most common tasks admins reach for during a busy day.

See Who’s Connected Right Now

• Server Manager > Remote Desktop Services > Collections, open a collection and drill into active sessions.
• Task Manager on the session host → Users tab gives a per-host snapshot.
• Command line:
  • qwinsta (query session) shows session IDs and states. Official reference: qwinsta command.
  • quser (query user) lists users and session IDs. Official reference: quser command.

Sign Off A Hung Session

Once you have the session ID, you can sign off from PowerShell, the command line, or via the collection view.

# List sessions on a remote host
qwinsta /server:RDHost01

# List users on a remote host
quser /server:RDHost01

# Log off a specific session ID (e.g., 5) on a remote host
logoff 5 /server:RDHost01

# Reset a stuck session by ID on the local host
rwinsta 5

These tools are part of the built-in Windows command set for Remote Desktop Session Host servers. Microsoft provides a consolidated reference for RDS command-line tools here: RDS command-line tools reference.

Do The Same With PowerShell

When an RD Connection Broker is present, the RemoteDesktop PowerShell module exposes rich cmdlets for sessions, collections, and publishing.

# Load the RDS module (on a server with the role or RSAT)
Import-Module RemoteDesktop

# List all user sessions known by the broker
Get-RDUserSession -ConnectionBroker "rdcb.contoso.com"

# Sign off a session by ID on a given host
Invoke-RDUserLogoff -HostServer "RDHost01.contoso.com" -UnifiedSessionID 5 -Force

# List collections
Get-RDSessionCollection -ConnectionBroker "rdcb.contoso.com"

Cmdlet docs: Get-RDUserSession and Invoke-RDUserLogoff. You’ll find the full set in the RemoteDesktop module reference.

Why The Old Console Went Away

The classic MMC console concentrated session, process, and server views in one window. Beginning with the 2012 generation, that view was replaced by a deployment-aware workspace inside Server Manager. The modern approach understands brokers, gateways, and collections, and it unifies publishing, session actions, and diagnostics in one place. The older snap-ins aren’t shipped on these builds.

Common Paths That Trip People Up

You Don’t See “Remote Desktop Services” In Server Manager

Add the Remote Desktop Services role and complete the quick start deployment, or join the server to an existing deployment managed by a broker. Once the role is present, the workspace appears in Server Manager, and collections become visible. Microsoft’s collection guide shows the Server Manager path and the tasks available there.

Managing From A Workstation

If you manage from a Windows client, install the Remote Server Administration Tools that include Server Manager and MMC consoles. On current Windows 10/11 releases, these tools are add-on features. Microsoft documents installation choices and what’s included across versions in the RSAT overview. Link: Install RSAT.

Shadowing A User’s Desktop

Shadowing lets you view or control a live user session. Current builds support it with proper consent and policy settings. If you need step-by-step coverage, Microsoft-focused guides outline how to set the shadow level, consent prompt, and firewall rules before connecting.

Hands-On Playbook For Everyday Tasks

View All Sessions Across Hosts

When a broker is in play, the PowerShell route gives you the widest view:

# Across the deployment via the broker
Get-RDUserSession -ConnectionBroker "rdcb.contoso.com" |
  Select-Object UserName, SessionState, HostServer, UnifiedSessionID |
  Format-Table -Auto

Find And Nudge A Single User

Working on a single host with no broker? The command line is fast:

# See sessions on the host
quser /server:RDHost01

# Sign off by session ID (double-check first)
logoff 7 /server:RDHost01

Both commands are documented under Windows Commands on Microsoft Learn.

Publish Or Tune Apps In A Collection

Publishing lives inside the collection view. From there, add RemoteApps, assign user groups, and direct profiles to a file share through user profile disks when needed. The collection docs walk through each step and the required objects.

Table: Where To Manage Sessions By Version

The quick matrix below shows where to look and what tooling exists, so you’re not digging through menus on a busy day.

Practical Tips That Save Time

• Pin Server Manager on your admin workstation and add all session hosts, brokers, and gateways to the console. That keeps the RDS workspace one click away.
• Name collections clearly (e.g., “Accounting-Apps-Prod”). Session searches go faster when hosts are grouped by purpose.
• Use the broker for a single pane. Even with one host, a broker unlocks the RemoteDesktop PowerShell module’s deployment-wide session view.
• Keep a CLI cheat sheet. qwinsta/quser to list, logoff to end, rwinsta to reset. Handy when a GUI is sluggish or you’re on a Core install.
• Document consent for shadowing. Set proper policy and get user approval where your standards require it.

Troubleshooting: When Things Don’t Line Up

Permissions Block Session Queries

The query tools respect RDS permissions. If qwinsta or quser returns access errors against another host, check your rights and RDP-TCP permissions on that server. The docs note that querying other sessions requires special access.

Commands Not Found On A Client PC

If a client shell says a query command isn’t recognized, make sure you’re running an elevated shell on a system with the right feature set. On managed desktops, Server Manager and admin tools come from RSAT. Microsoft’s RSAT overview covers install paths by Windows version.

Collection Is Empty Even Though Users Are Connected

Collections show sessions for the hosts that belong to them. If a host isn’t added to the collection or your broker can’t reach it, the session list stays blank. Add the host, confirm it’s healthy, and refresh the view. The collections guide describes adding or moving RD Session Host servers.

FAQ-Style Clarifications (No Fluff, Just The Bits You Need)

Can You Still Launch The Old Snap-In On Newer Servers?

No. The classic console isn’t shipped. Some community posts show attempts to copy binaries from older builds, but the supported path is Server Manager, PowerShell, and the command set documented by Microsoft.

Do You Need A Broker To Use PowerShell?

The rich session cmdlets assume a broker, since sessions are tracked at the deployment level. On a single host with no broker, use the host-local tools like Task Manager, qwinsta, and quser.

One-Page Recap You Can Bookmark

• Modern location: Server Manager → Remote Desktop Services → Collections.
• Legacy builds: The standalone console existed on 2008 R2 and earlier.
• Fast status: qwinsta to list sessions, quser to list users, logoff or rwinsta to end or reset. Official command docs are linked above.
• PowerShell with broker: Get-RDUserSession and Invoke-RDUserLogoff from the RemoteDesktop module give deployment-wide control.
• Managing from Windows 10/11: Install RSAT to get Server Manager and related consoles.