If you manage remote servers through Remote Desktop, you have probably hit this problem: you press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and nothing reaches the remote machine, because your local computer responds instead. So, if you are searching for how to send Ctrl Alt Del to Remote Desktop, you are not alone, and the fix is simple once you understand why it happens.
Windows intercepts this key combination at the operating system level, so the command never reaches the remote session. In fact, Microsoft documents this behaviour as part of the Windows Secure Attention Sequence architecture. While this is a security feature rather than a flaw, it can still slow you down when unlocking a session or resetting a password. Fortunately, several reliable workarounds exist, and each depends on your RDP client and platform. For teams running production workloads on a Windows VPS, knowing these methods in advance saves valuable time during administrative tasks.
Quick Answer: Ctrl + Alt + End
For most Windows-to-Windows RDP sessions, press Ctrl + Alt + End instead of Ctrl+Alt+Del. The client intercepts this shortcut locally and transmits it to the remote machine as a genuine Ctrl+Alt+Del signal, so the remote session responds exactly as it would to the physical keys. This is the fastest way to send ctrl alt del rdp — or, put another way, rdp send ctrl alt del — without extra configuration, provided you use the native mstsc.exe client.
Keyboard passthrough set correctly from the first login, so Ctrl+Alt+End works immediately — no Local Resources adjustment, no per-machine configuration. Full administrator access and a dedicated IP, activated instantly.
See RDP VPS plansWhy Ctrl+Alt+Del Doesn’t Reach the Remote Session
Windows treats Ctrl+Alt+Del as a Secure Attention Sequence, a hardware-level interrupt only the local OS can capture. So no application, including your RDP client, can pass it through by default; your local machine reacts instantly, and the remote desktop never sees the input. This exists by design, to stop malicious software from spoofing a login screen. Therefore, to send ctrl alt del to remote desktop, you need either a substitute shortcut your client translates, or a method that bypasses local key capture entirely.
Ctrl + Alt + End vs Ctrl + Alt + Delete: What Is the Difference
Ctrl+Alt+Delete is the physical combination your local OS captures immediately, before any program can respond. Ctrl+Alt+End, however, is a shortcut only the Remote Desktop Connection client (mstsc.exe) recognises: instead of triggering your local security screen, it translates the keystroke and forwards it into the active session as the real Ctrl+Alt+Del signal. In short, Ctrl+Alt+Delete always affects the machine in front of you, while Ctrl+Alt+End reaches the machine on the other end — which explains why remote desktop ctrl alt del issues happen at all.
How to Send Ctrl + Alt + Del Using the On-Screen Keyboard
The On-Screen Keyboard, launched inside the remote session itself, sends keystrokes directly to that remote OS. Because the input originates remotely, there is nothing for your local machine to intercept, so this universal fallback works across every client and platform.
1. Connect to your Remote Desktop session and wait until it is fully active.
2. On the remote desktop, open Run with Win+R, type osk, then press Enter, or search “On-Screen Keyboard” in the Start menu.
3. The On-Screen Keyboard appears on the remote desktop.
4. Click Ctrl, then Alt, then Del in sequence.
5. The Windows security screen appears on the remote machine.
Tip: from Settings, then Accessibility, then Keyboard, toggle on the On-Screen Keyboard so it stays in the system tray for repeated use when you send ctrl alt del rdp during routine administration.
Using the RDP Client’s Built-In Button
Most clients expose a menu action that lets you send ctrl alt del rdp directly, so you never need a shortcut. In full-screen mstsc.exe, move the cursor to the top-centre to reveal the connection bar, click the keyboard icon, then select Send Ctrl+Alt+Delete. This built-in approach to remote desktop ctrl alt del is often the quickest option for admins managing several sessions at once.
Send Ctrl + Alt + Del From Mac to Windows RDP
Sending ctrl alt del to remote desktop from a Mac needs a different approach, since macOS keyboards do not map cleanly onto Windows shortcuts. In Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac, open the Connections menu and click Send Ctrl+Alt+Delete, or try Cmd + Fn + Backspace, though this varies by keyboard model. If the shortcut behaves inconsistently, the Connections menu is most reliable; otherwise, fall back to the On-Screen Keyboard inside the session.
Web-Based RDP Clients and Citrix Workspace
Browser-based clients, such as the Azure Virtual Desktop web client or Apache Guacamole, almost always provide a toolbar with a dedicated Ctrl+Alt+Del button. Keyboard shortcuts reliably fail in browser sessions because the browser captures them first, so use the toolbar button instead. Within Citrix Workspace, the default shortcut is Ctrl+F2; if policy has remapped it, use the toolbar’s Send Keys option.
Configuring Keyboard Passthrough
If Ctrl+Alt+End does not reach the session even within mstsc.exe, your connection may handle shortcuts locally instead of passing them through. Local Resources settings control this directly, so the fix takes only a moment.
1. Open Remote Desktop Connection (mstsc.exe), but do not connect yet.
2. Click Show Options, then open the Local Resources tab.
3. Under Keyboard, find “Apply Windows key combinations” and set it to On the remote computer.
4. Save the setting and connect. Ctrl+Alt+End now routes correctly.
Send Ctrl + Alt + Del in a Nested RDP Session (RDP Inside RDP)
Nested sessions, where you launch a second RDP session from inside the first, add an extra layer of key interception, so a single attempt to remote desktop send ctrl alt del typically only reaches the outermost session.
- Press Ctrl+Alt+End once per nesting level, working from the outside in.
- For the innermost session, use the On-Screen Keyboard, since it bypasses every layer of local interception at once.
- For frequent nested work, enable keyboard passthrough on every hop to reduce how often this becomes an issue.
Send Ctrl + Alt + Del in VMware, Hyper-V and VirtualBox
Virtual machine consoles face the same interception problem, since the physical combination always belongs to the host OS first. In VMware products, select Virtual Machine > Send Ctrl+Alt+Del, or use the equivalent option in VMware Remote Console. In Hyper-V Manager, click Action, then Ctrl+Alt+Delete. In VirtualBox, select Input > Keyboard > Insert Ctrl-Alt-Del. Each method forwards the keystroke straight to the guest OS.
Change Password Over RDP Without Ctrl + Alt + Del
Sometimes you only need a password change, and Ctrl+Alt+Del is not strictly necessary. Windows offers alternative paths that skip the shortcut entirely: open Settings, then Accounts, then Sign-in options, and select Change your password from within the session; run “net user [username] *” as administrator to reset a local account; or, for domain accounts, reset it through Active Directory Users and Computers instead. These options work well on locked-down environments, or when managing changes at scale across servers on a managed hosting platform.
Quick Reference by Platform
| Client / Platform | Method | Notes |
| Windows RDP (mstsc.exe) | Ctrl + Alt + End | Needs keyboard set to “On the remote computer” |
| macOS — Microsoft Remote Desktop | Connections menu > Send Ctrl+Alt+Delete | Most reliable macOS method |
| Web-based RDP clients | Toolbar button | Shortcuts are blocked by the browser |
| Citrix Workspace | Ctrl + F2 or toolbar | May be remapped by policy |
| VMware / Hyper-V / VirtualBox | Menu option (Send Ctrl+Alt+Del) | Bypasses the host OS |
| All clients (fallback) | On-Screen Keyboard (osk.exe) | Works everywhere, platform-independent |
Common Problems and Fixes
| Symptom | Resolution |
| Ctrl+Alt+End has no effect | Set Local Resources keyboard combos to “On the remote computer” and confirm the RDP window has focus. |
| Shortcut triggers the local machine | Switch to full-screen mode, or fix the Local Resources keyboard setting permanently. |
| Browser session ignores shortcuts | Expected behaviour — use the toolbar button or the On-Screen Keyboard instead. |
| Nested RDP session | Press Ctrl+Alt+End per nesting level; use the On-Screen Keyboard for the innermost session. |
| macOS shortcut inconsistent | Use the Connections menu, or the On-Screen Keyboard if that fails. |
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FAQ
Press Ctrl+Alt+End instead. The mstsc.exe client intercepts this shortcut and forwards it as a genuine Ctrl+Alt+Del signal, provided keyboard passthrough is set to “On the remote computer.”
Browsers capture keyboard shortcuts before they reach the session, so web-based clients rely on a toolbar button instead. Use that button rather than a keyboard combination.
Yes. Open the Connections menu in Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac and select Send Ctrl+Alt+Delete. If unavailable, use the On-Screen Keyboard inside the session instead.
The On-Screen Keyboard, launched inside the remote session itself, works across every platform because it sends keystrokes directly from the remote OS rather than your local one.
Yes. Send ctrl alt del to remote desktop once per nesting level, moving from the outer session inward, and use the On-Screen Keyboard for the innermost layer if the shortcut stops working.
Speak With an Infrastructure Specialist
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Explore Managed HostingConclusion
Ultimately, learning how to send ctrl alt del to remote desktop comes down to one idea: the physical combination always belongs to your local machine first. Once you accept that, substitute shortcuts, the on-screen keyboard, toolbar buttons, and passthrough settings stop feeling like workarounds and become your standard toolkit. Whether you connect from Windows, macOS, a browser, or a nested session, a dependable method exists for every scenario. As remote infrastructure keeps expanding, having these techniques ready, alongside RDP-ready hosting that removes the guesswork, keeps your sessions secure, responsive, and easy to manage
