RemoteApp

The setup below was designed and implemented to run SSMS on client PC's with limited local resources (e.g. memory).

References:
RemoteApp ¹⁾
Remote Desktop Services ²⁾
RemoteApp setup ³⁾
RemoteApp setup ⁴⁾
RemoteApp Tool ⁵⁾
Run remote app from web page Also by Kim Knight

Assuming the app's are being hosted on a Win7/2008 machine then on the host machine:

1. Open regedit
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Terminal Server\TSAppAllowList
3. Update and/or create keys as below or copy the code below to a reg file and run it.
   (Edit the path to SSMS to suit your environment)

   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
   
   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Terminal Server\TSAppAllowList]
   "CertificateIssuedBy"=""
   "fHasCertificate"=dword:00000000
   "CertificateExpiresOn"=""
   "fDisabledAllowList"=dword:00000001
   "CertificateIssuedTo"=""
   "CustomRDPSettings"="authentication level:i:2"
   
   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Terminal Server\TSAppAllowList\SSMS]
   "Name"="SSMS"
   "Path"="E:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft SQL Server\\100\\Tools\\Binn\\VSShell\\Common7\\IDE\\Ssms.exe"

RemoteApp Tool ⁶⁾

I haven't tested this yet.

On the local machine create a SSMS.rdp file with the following contents:

domain:s:****
username:s:****
full address:s:****
remoteapplicationname:s:****
remoteapplicationprogram:s:****
shell working directory:s:****

allow font smoothing:i:1
audiomode:i:2
autoreconnection enabled:i:1
bitmapcachepersistenable:i:1
compression:i:0
session bpp:i:16

disable cursor setting:i:0
disable full window drag:i:1
disable menu anims:i:1
disable themes:i:1
disable wallpaper:i:1

redirectclipboard:i:1
redirectcomports:i:0
redirectdrives:i:1
redirectposdevices:i:0
redirectprinters:i:0
redirectsmartcards:i:0

prompt for credentials on client:i:1
remoteapplicationmode:i:1
disableremoteappcapscheck:i:1
alternate shell:s:rdpinit.exe

drivestoredirect:s:C:;

multimon:i:1

Where:

TODO Document other parameters
To reduce network traffic
- colour level is reduced to 16bits (session bpp)
- display animation is disabled (disable*)
- audio is left at the server (audiomode)
- redirection is generally off (redirect*), importantly the clipboard is redirected to the local machine (redirectclipboard)
- disableremoteappcapscheck must be set to 1 to fix the 'remote computer does not support RemoteApp' error.
- alternate shell must be set to rdpinit.exe to make sure you run the app. and don't just get a remote desktop.