The latest update for our Privileged Account and Session Management product module (v.115) is here!
In addition to general improvements and bug fixes, we’ve upgraded the keyboard shortcuts supported within PASM RDP sessions.
Keyboard interactions behave differently depending on whether the RDP session is running in window mode (non-full-screen) or full-screen mode, as well as whether the shortcut is OS-level or application-level.
Below is a simplified overview showing when shortcuts work inside the remote session and how they behave, depending on the RDP display mode.
| Shortcut Category | Full-Screen Mode | Window Mode (Non-full screen) | Explanation |
| Fully Supported Keystrokes | ✔️ | ✔️ | These work normally inside the remote session, regardless of whether it is running in full-screen mode or window mode. |
| Keystrokes Supported Only in Full-Screen Mode | ✔️ | ❌ | These shortcuts are sent to the remote machine only when the RDP session is in full-screen mode; otherwise, they are handled by your local computer. |
| Keystrokes Not Supported in PASM RDP | ❌ | ❌ | These shortcuts do not apply to the remote session, regardless of whether the RDP session is in full-screen mode or window mode. |
| Special Case Behavior → Sticky Keys (Shift×5) | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | This is a Windows accessibility feature that runs locally AND remotely. |
| Copy → Paste (Local → Remote) | ✔️ 4096 chars | ✔️ 4096 chars | Copy-paste operations between the local machine and the remote session are limited to 4096 characters per paste action. Multiple paste actions can be performed consecutively. |
| Copy → Paste (Remote → Remote) | ✔️ Unlimited | ✔️ Unlimited | Copy-paste operations within the remote session have no size limit identified so far. |
| Copy → Paste (Remote → Local) | ✔️ Unlimited | ✔️ Unlimited | Copy-paste operations from remote to local have no size limit identified so far. |
Fully Supported Keystrokes (Window & Full-Screen)
These keys behave consistently inside PASM RDP, functioning the same way they do on a standard local Windows machine.
| Keystroke | Behavior Description |
| Ctrl + R / F5 | Refreshes the active remote application or browser tab (functional in all tested remote applications). |
| Alt + ← / Alt + → | Performs backward/forward navigation inside remote browsers or Explorer windows. |
| Tab | Moves focus forward between interactive UI elements such as buttons, fields and controls. |
| Shift + Tab | Moves focus backward across UI elements. |
| Tab + Enter | Activates or confirms the currently selected control. |
| Tab + Space | Toggles selection states such as checkboxes, switches, and toggles. |
| Tab + Arrow Keys (↑ ↓ ← →) | Navigates lists, dropdowns, menus, and grid items inside the remote session. |
| F6 + Tab | Moves focus between main regions or sections of a remote application UI. |
| Shift + F6 + Shift + Tab | Cycles backward through interface panels or grouped elements. |
| Tab + Esc | Cancels selections or closes dropdown components in the remote interface. |
| Ctrl + C / Ctrl + X / Ctrl + V | Performs copy, cut, and paste within the remote session (paste from local → remote limited to 4096 characters per paste action; remote → remote/local unlimited). |
| Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y | Executes undo and redo actions inside remote editors and applications. |
| Ctrl + A | Selects all content in the active remote window or text field. |
| Ctrl + S | Saves documents or files within remote applications. |
| Ctrl + O | Opens file selection dialogs within remote applications. |
| Ctrl + P | Opens the print dialog in the remote environment. |
| Ctrl + F | Opens search/find interfaces in remote editors or browsers. |
| Ctrl + B / Ctrl + I / Ctrl + U | Applies text formatting (bold, italic, underline) when supported by the remote application. |
| Page Up / Page Down | Scrolls through pages or long content inside remote documents. |
| Enter | Confirms actions, submits forms, or activates focused elements. |
| End / Home | Moves to the end or beginning of a line, document, or list. |
| Caps Lock | Toggles capitalization mode normally in the remote environment. |
| Backspace / Space / Delete | Perform normal editing or deletion actions within remote applications. |
Keystrokes Supported Only in Full-Screen Mode
These shortcuts work only in full-screen mode; when the session is windowed, they are intercepted by the local OS.
| Keystroke | Behavior Description |
| Alt + F4 | Closes the active remote window, but closes the local PASM window when used in windowed mode. |
| Ctrl + T | Opens a new browser tab inside the remote session (windowed mode triggers local tab creation instead). |
| Ctrl + W | Closes the active remote browser tab; captured locally otherwise. |
| Ctrl + Shift + T | Reopens the last closed tab in the remote browser when in full-screen mode. ⚠️ When not in full screen, this shortcut initiates a new local RDP session instead of performing any action in the remote session. |
| Ctrl + Tab | Switches between remote tabs only when in full screen; otherwise switches local browser tabs. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Performs reverse tab switching inside the remote browser only while in full-screen mode. |
Keystrokes Not Supported in PASM RDP
Never forwarded to the remote machine due to OS-level restrictions.
| Keystroke | Behavior Description |
| Win + L | Locks the local computer; cannot be intercepted by RDP. |
| Ctrl + Alt + End | Not forwarded to PASM remote sessions (intended for direct RDP-to-Server sessions). |
| Ctrl + Alt + Delete | Always opens the local security options screen. |
| Ctrl + Shift + Esc | Always launches the local Task Manager. |
| Alt + Tab / Alt + Esc | Always switches between local applications, never remote ones. |
| Ctrl + Alt + Break | Not applicable in PASM's RDP implementation; no action occurs. |
| Ctrl + Esc | Opens the local Start Menu. |
| Windows key (Win) | Always opens the local Start Menu. |
| Fn + F1–F12 | Managed by the local BIOS/firmware; not passed to remote sessions. |
Special Case Behavior
| Keystroke | Behavior Description |
| Shift ×5 (five times) | Opens the Sticky Keys accessibility prompt and may appear simultaneously on both the local and remote systems. |
Copy & Paste Behavior in PASM RDP
Text copy and paste behavior varies depending on the direction in which the content is transferred:
- Local → Remote
- Each paste action supports a maximum of 4096 characters.
- If the copied text exceeds 4096 characters, PASM automatically trims the content, and only the first 4096 characters are pasted into the remote session.
- The remaining text is discarded and not transferred.
- Users can perform an unlimited number of paste actions, but each action is individually limited to the first 4096 characters.
- Remote → Remote
- Copy/ paste operations performed completely inside the remote session have no known size limit.
- Large text blocks can be transferred freely, behaving exactly as they would on a normal Windows machine.
- Remote → Local
- Copying text from the remote session back to the local machine is fully supported with no identified size limit.
- Large amounts of text can be copied without restrictions.