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To use more than one local display in a Windows Remote Desktop session, enable multiple monitors in the connection’s display settings, launch the inbox Remote Desktop Connection client with mstsc /multimon, or set use multimon:i:1 in an .rdp file. Use the first two for a quick all-monitor setup; use an RDP file when you want to choose specific displays.

Choose the display behavior you need

For most setups, /multimon is the right choice: the remote session uses multiple displays and follows the current local monitor layout. If you need to limit the session to particular monitors, use an RDP file and specify their IDs.

Microsoft also supports /span, but it behaves differently: it stretches one remote desktop across the local virtual desktop rather than presenting the monitors as separate displays. Its constraints are covered below.

Method Displays used Remote desktop behavior Best for
Connection display settings All monitors, when the option is enabled Multiple displays in the remote session Turning the option on through the client UI
mstsc /multimon All monitors in the current local layout Multiple displays in the remote session A quick launch using the local layout
.rdp file with use multimon All monitors, or selected monitors if configured Multiple displays in the remote session Saved connections and per-connection display control
mstsc /span The local virtual desktop One remote desktop stretched across the displays A single large desktop, if the monitors meet the span requirements

Way 1: Enable multiple monitors in connection settings

  1. Open Remote Desktop Connection and choose or edit the saved remote connection.
  2. Open the connection’s display or display configuration settings.
  3. Enable the option for using all monitors or multiple screens, then connect.

The exact label and location can vary between client versions. Microsoft’s Remote Desktop FAQ describes editing the connection and enabling multiple screens. See Microsoft’s Remote Desktop clients FAQ.

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Way 2: Launch MSTSC with /multimon

Use this method when you want the session to follow your current local monitor configuration without changing a saved connection’s settings.

  1. Press Win+R to open Run, or open Command Prompt.
  2. Enter mstsc /multimon and press Enter.

To open a particular connection file with this option, use mstsc /multimon pathtoconnection.rdp, replacing the example path with the file’s actual location. Microsoft documents /multimon as making the session’s monitor layout identical to the current client-side configuration. Read the Microsoft Learn mstsc command reference.

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Way 3: Configure an RDP file, including selected displays

An RDP file lets you save multi-monitor behavior with a connection. To use all monitors, add this setting:

use multimon:i:1

To use only particular local displays, add a comma-separated list of their IDs:

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selectedmonitors:s:<ID1>,<ID2>

Find the display IDs

  1. Open Run or Command Prompt.
  2. Run mstsc.exe /l to list the local monitors and their IDs.
  3. Use the IDs shown for the displays you want in the selectedmonitors setting.

Check the selection order and layout

  • The selected displays must be contiguous; you cannot choose a separated set while skipping a display between them.
  • The first ID in the list becomes the primary display in the remote session.

Microsoft documents these RDP properties and their behavior in its supported RDP properties reference.

When to use /span instead

Use mstsc /span only if you want one remote desktop stretched across the local virtual desktop. Microsoft specifies that spanning requires the monitors to have the same resolution and be aligned horizontally side by side. Vertically arranged monitors are not supported for this mode. These are requirements for /span, not for the separate-display behavior enabled by /multimon. Microsoft’s mstsc reference explains both options.

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Check that your Remote Desktop client supports the setup

Multiple-monitor and selected-monitor support vary by client and platform. Microsoft’s client comparison lists multi-monitor support for the Windows MSTSC client and macOS client, while other listed clients do not all offer the same capabilities. Selected-monitor support is a separate feature, so check the comparison for the client you use before relying on the RDP-file selection settings. Compare Remote Desktop client features.

Do not confuse the inbox Windows Remote Desktop Connection client, mstsc, with the Remote Desktop app distributed through the Microsoft Store. Microsoft says that Store app reached end of support on May 27, 2025. Beginning September 30, 2025, connections to Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Microsoft Dev Box using that app are blocked; Remote Desktop Services and remote PC connections are unaffected. For Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Dev Box, or another service, follow Microsoft’s current client guidance for that service rather than assuming the Store app and MSTSC are interchangeable. See Microsoft’s Windows client guidance and its Remote Desktop Services connection guidance.

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