Microsoft Remote Desktop For Macos High Sierra

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Nickie Koskinen

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Aug 3, 2024, 5:04:47 PM8/3/24

to althiacresti

I'm using Chrome Remote Desktop on a Windows Desktop to access an Apple iMac. I cannot figure out how to invoke the Apple Command key function from my Windows keyboard. I would think that the Windows key would work but it doesn't. Is there a way to map the Windows key to the Apple Command key? I really want to be able to invoke copy and paste from the keyboard, which are Command-C and Command-V on the iMac, so I'm stuck because I don't have a "Command" key.

My solution to this problem is to leverage the handy "Configure Key Mapping" command provided by the latest version of Chrome Remote Desktop (v. 77.0 at the time of writing). The option is available in the sidebar as shown below.

Clicking the link opens the "Configure Key Mapping" dialog, from which you can create your own mapping. An important thing to note is that the keycodes supported by Chrome Remote Desktop are not the usual "ASCII" codes to which every developer is used to (I did this error myself the first time); rather, the codes should be taken from the "UI Events KeyboardEvent code Values" W3C standard. If you go through the standard you'll find the useful "List of code values for functional keys in the Alphanumeric section" table, which I also replicate below.

At this point you should be able to use Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V etc. on your local PC to trigger the corresponding Cmd-C, Cmd-V etc. commands in the remote Mac. The solution works quite well for me and it resolves a perennial problem of how to use the Cmd button while on a Windows PC without having to rely on external apps or plugins.

I'm on a Windows 10 machine remoting into an El Capitan Mac (yes, it's an old OS, but it's a 2009 model that can't be upgraded any higher). If the other solutions don't work for you (they didn't for me), you can try adding Mac keyboard shortcuts in Keyboard settings. I use this mac as a home server and only use it via Chrome Remote Desktop, so I am not worried about messing up keyboard shortcuts when using the computer's keyboard directly.

The problem was that when connecting with the Chrome Remote Desktop to a Linux machine, the remapping MetaLeft to ControlLeft did not work. Turned out it's because the macbook remapped the left key to the MetaRight what whatever reason.

I have confirmed, using chrome remote desktop, that search+another_key does the same as CMD+another_key while remote-connected to my mac-book pro over home WiFi. I also noted that if I want to enter two search+another_key presses sequentially, I must release and repress the search key after each instance

If you want to use e.g. WIN-key + C to represent Cmd + C on mac, other than "Configure key mappings" (WIN-key seems mean Cmd on mac by default?), you need to go to full-screen checkbox by the right-side's blue-sliding bar (F11 doesn't work for me).