Connect-RDPSession.ps1

19 Sep 2025

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Description

Connect-RDPSession starts the native Remote Desktop client (mstsc.exe) for every computer name you supply. The advanced function exposes a -ComputerName parameter (alias -cn) that accepts single or multiple targets as values or from the pipeline, and honours WhatIf / Confirm semantics thanks to SupportsShouldProcess.

Usage examples

Connect-RDPSession -ComputerName 'server01'
'rdp01','rdp02' | Connect-RDPSession -WhatIf

When a launch fails the function reports the computer as unreachable, otherwise the RDP session window opens immediately.

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Script

Function Connect-RDPSession {
        <#
        .SYNOPSIS
                Connect-RDPSession

        .DESCRIPTION
                Connect-RDPSession - Spawn MSTSC and launches an RDP session to a remote computer.

        .PARAMETER ComputerName
                This parameter accepts the Name of the computer you would like to connect to.
                Supports IP/Name/FQDN

        .EXAMPLE
                Connect-RDPSession -ComputerName COMPUTERNAME
                Starts an RDP session to COMPUTERNAME

        .OUTPUTS
                System.String. Connect-RDPSession

        .NOTES
                Author:     Luke Leigh
                Website:    https://scripts.lukeleigh.com/
                LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukeleigh/
                GitHub:     https://github.com/BanterBoy/
                GitHubGist: https://gist.github.com/BanterBoy

        .INPUTS
                ComputerName - You can pipe objects to this perameters.

        .LINK
                https://scripts.lukeleigh.com
                Get-Date
                Start-Process
                Write-Output
#>

        [CmdletBinding(DefaultParameterSetName = 'Default',
                PositionalBinding = $true,
                SupportsShouldProcess = $true)]
        [OutputType([string], ParameterSetName = 'Default')]
        [Alias('crdp')]
        Param
        (
                [Parameter(ParameterSetName = 'Default',
                        Mandatory = $false,
                        ValueFromPipeline = $true,
                        ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = $true,
                        HelpMessage = 'Enter a computer name or pipe input'
                )]
                [Alias('cn')]
                [string[]]$ComputerName
        )

        Begin {

        }

        Process {
                ForEach ($Computer In $ComputerName) {
                        If ($PSCmdlet.ShouldProcess("$($Computer)", "Establish an RDP connection")) {
                                try {
                                        Start-Process "$env:windir\system32\mstsc.exe" -ArgumentList "/v:$Computer"
                                }
                                catch {
                                        Write-Output "$($Computer): is not reachable."
                                }
                        }
                }
        }

        End {

        }
}

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Download

Please feel free to copy parts of the script or if you would like to download the entire script, simple click the download button. You can download the complete repository in a zip file by clicking the Download link in the menu bar on the left hand side of the page.

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Report Issues

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