Remote Desktop graphical issue with app background

Question

Hi

We're running a 25 year old self-developed app on a 2008R2 VM server.
Users are accessing the app either via full desktop experience or remoteapp from windows 10 or 11.

Issue:
On laptops running windows 11 (desktops computers works fine on w11 as well as win10 laptops) the baggrund of an app window popup will be a mirror of whatever was on the background of the desktop at the time of the window popup. Meaning that the otherwise intended solid baggrund color of the window is now a "screenshot" of the desktop.

I've tried different stuff, but without any luck:
Tried any rdp setting under Experience as well as color depth
Updated server, updated, client computers (drivers and windows), installed wmwaretools.

If running the remoteapp on the server itself the bagground is fine, but launching it within the rdp directly it does the below.

Anyone got any idea how to solve this old app? It needs to be working, we can't just give and say "its too od"

Answer 1

Hi AndreasDenmark,

This is a known issue when you are on the latest update for Windows 11 24H2 connecting with mstsc.exe to 7 or 2008R2, this wil probably be resolved in the next update.

For the time being using the remote desktop app from the Microsoft Store can help you, it does not have this issue when connecting to these legacy Oses. https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9WZDNCRFJ3PS?hl=en-us&gl=US&ocid=pdpshare

Hope this helps,

Answer 2

@AndreasDenmark, what tools were used to develop the application? I'm seeing the same thing with our application. I noticed that only the first draw of the screen seems to be a problem. If I force a redraw by doing something in the app that causes a redraw, the problem is gone.

The problem happens with Windows 10 or Windows 11, so I'm not sure about the answer from MVP Erik Moreau below suggesting it is related to Windows 11 only.

Answer 3

I found a solution for this. In your application, call Invalidate() on your main view once after it is loaded. This will tell Windows to redraw the screen when it is able. This should not be necessary, but it will resolve the issue.