Identify Client Hardware Requirements

The classic "Terminal Services Client" from Windows 2000 has been sunset in a few ways:

• Terminology Shift: Microsoft rebranded "Terminal Services" to "Remote Desktop Services" (RDS) starting with Windows Server 2008. This change better reflected the service's expanded capabilities.
• Client Evolution: The core functionality of the old "Terminal Services Client" now resides in the "Remote Desktop Connection" (RDC) client, which comes pre-installed on modern Windows versions. The RDC client has significantly improved since Windows 2000, offering better graphics support, resource redirection, and enhanced security.
• Deprecated Support: Microsoft no longer supports Windows 2000 Terminal Services itself. You shouldn't expect to find the old Terminal Services Client on modern installations, and running it on new systems may pose significant security risks.

If you need to connect to Remote Desktop Services on current Windows Server versions:

1. Use the modern Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) client: This is easily accessible by searching for "Remote Desktop Connection" in the Start menu.
2. Consider alternatives: There are third-party RDP clients available for various platforms, potentially offering additional features or specialized use cases.

The modern equivalent of the 32-bit and 16-bit versions of the Terminal Services Client for Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2022 is the **Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) client**. Here's a breakdown of why RDC is considered the modern equivalent: * **Evolution, not replacement:** Microsoft has been continually improving the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and the RDC client since the days of the original Terminal Services Client. Modern RDC is a direct descendant, offering vastly better features and security. * **Compatibility:** The RDC client in current Windows versions is designed to work seamlessly with Remote Desktop Services on Windows Server 2022 and other recent Windows Server editions. * **No need for 32-bit/16-bit versions:** Modern versions of Windows are predominantly 64-bit. The RDC client is a 64-bit application, eliminating the need for separate versions based on bitness. Key Features of the Modern RDC client:

• Enhanced Graphics:** Supports higher resolutions, better color depths, and smoother remote desktop experiences.
• Resource Redirection:** Seamlessly use printers, local drives, and other resources within a remote desktop session.
• Security:** Includes support for modern security protocols like Network Level Authentication (NLA) and Transport Layer Security (TLS).

How to access the Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) client:

1. Search:** Press the Windows key and search for "Remote Desktop Connection".
2. Run Dialog:** Press the Windows key + R and type "mstsc".

The requirements for the 32-bit and 16-bit versions of Terminal Services Client are the system and hardware requirements for the operating system. A network adapter and the TCP/IP protocol must also be installed on the client. The 32-bit software is designed to run on 32-bit operating systems that include the entire Windows NT family (including Windows 2000 clients). The 32-bit Terminal Server Client also runs on Win9x clients such as Windows 95 and Windows 98. The amount of network traffic between the Terminal Server and client is kept at a reasonable minimum. Therefore, while always preferable, a Fast Ethernet adapter is not required.

Although vendors offer a variety of hardware configurations for handheld PCs, the HPC 3.0 specification defines a minimum hardware configuration that supports the Terminal Services Client. Before purchasing any Windows CE Terminal Client you must check the manufacturer's specifications regarding support for the Terminal Client software. Of course, the HPC device must support a network connection in order to interface with the Terminal Server.
Company Scenario: Your company has about 300 computers and all of them run Office 4.3 on Windows for Workgroups. There are several on the network, two Windows NT 3.51, and a Windows NT 4.0 server that is the Primary Domain Controller. The other servers are used for File and Print Services.
You would like to take advantage of the power and features included with the latest version of Microsoft Office, which is Office 2000. However, most of the computers are 386 and 486 computers with 8 to 16 MB of RAM. In order to run Office 2000, you would need to upgrade all the machines to Pentium-class processors and upgrade the amount of RAM to at least 32 MB. While you may be able to do this on some of the 486 computers, few 386 computers can support that much RAM, and even the 486 computers likely use Fast Page Mode RAM, which is very difficult to find these days. Although your hardware is aging, overall it works fine, and management does not support buying new hardware until there is no alternative. They ask you for any alternatives. You suggest upgrading the servers to Windows 2000 and using at least two of them as Terminal Servers with Office 2000 installed. In order to accomplish this task, you need to upgrade the RAM on the machines that have less than 16 MB. However, since the operating system is Windows for Workgroups, you may be able to get by with 12 MB or even 8 MB. All of the machines have VGA cards and therefore support the required 256 colors to run the Terminal Server Client. The next lesson looks at how to define server configuration for Terminal Services.

Clients that run Terminal Services are not required to have much processing power. Therefore, it is very easy to integrate Terminal Services into a network that has older computers and equipment. Terminal Services supports the following platforms: Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows NT, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows CE Handheld PC 3.0, and Windows-based Terminals. The following table describes the client hardware requirements.

Operating system	RAM	Processor	Video card
Windows 2000	32 MB	Pentium	VGA
Windows NT 4.0	16 MB	486	VGA
Windows 98	16 MB	486	VGA
Windows 95	16 MB	386	VGA
Windows for Workgroups 3.11	16 MB	386	VGA
Windows CE Handheld PC 3.0	Vendor	Vendor	Vendor

Note: While you can run the Terminal Server Client on Windows 98 and Windows NT clients, you may find that client performance suffers because of the basic memory requirements of the operating systems themselves. Windows 2000 Professional computers can run with 32 MB of memory; however, overall performance will be quite sluggish. In addition, there is Terminal Services Client support for the following devices:

1. Windows CE, Handheld PC Edition 3.0 and Windows CE, Handheld PC Professional Edition 3.0
2. Windows-based Terminals, Standard and Professional (based on Windows NT Embedded)

Note: Manufacturers of Windows-based terminals and handheld PCs usually embed Terminal Services Client in the operating system.
There are two versions of Terminal Services Client:

1. The 32-bit version for Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows 98, and Windows 95
2. The 16-bit version for Windows for Workgroups

Before you move on to the next lesson, the following page identifies the hardware requirements for installing Terminal Service.
Hardware for Windows Server