7 Sep 2020: ChangeLog AADS Terminal Server (Build 177.7)

Improvement: AADS Client

Initially AADS Client shows the Authorization details in a "read only" modus, such to avoid that accidentally the Authorization details are changed.

When clicking on the small "edit button", next to "Username", it becomes possible for the user to enter and change the Authorization details:

Note: when AADS Client is started, and initially there is no "Username" or "Host", for example because it is the very first time AADS Client is started, then AADS Client does not start in "read only" mode; AADS Client immediately allows for the user to enter the Authorization details:

In this case the user needs to be able to enter the Authorization details.

Improvement: Update because of Windows 10 / Server 2016 / 2019

Windows 10 / Server 2016 / 2019 is still ambiguous when it comes to settings. Most settings are done by "Settings" with the UWP user interface. However, often it will be required or desirable to do settings using the "classic" Control Panel user interface.

About the "classic" Control Panel user interface:

• Occasionally AADServer need to do some "extra steps" such to show the Control Panel user interface for settings.
• Occasionally we need to update AADServer because older or newer Windows 10 builds require "other and different steps" for showing the Control Panel user interface.

Whenever technically possible, AADServer offers an Application for Control Panel settings when using Windows 10 / Server 2016 / 2019:

Work Around for Win10 Redstone 1 / LTSB 2016

In case an AADS StartMenu is used on Win10 Redstone 1 / LTSB 2016, and the default Windows 10 Tile Menu is disabled:

it might happen that the Administrator sees the following message with each logon:

A "work-around" is implemented such to avoid that the Administrator gets to see this message with each logon.

Bug Fix: Temp Folder

The Group Policy "Do Not delete temp folders upon exit" was never applied. This is fixed.

Change: Use the term "Allow List" and "Deny List"

Following contemporary IT standards (year: 2020), the terms "White List" and "Black List" will be replaced by "Allow List" and "Deny List":

The files used by the RDP Firewall are renamed as follows:

Improvement: Firewall List Export to CSV

It is possible to export the following Firewall Lists to CSV (comma separated values) files:

Failed Logon

Temporary blocked

Allow List

(previously this was called the White List)

Deny List

(previously this was called the Black List)

RDP and SSL logging

The CSV Files

The "CSV files" are placed in a folder:

• Administrators have READ + WRITE rights on this folder and the Files.
• Users have READ rights.
• After 24 hours, these CSV files will be deleted.

Batch export of Firewall Lists

It will be possible to use our CommandLineTool to instruct an AADS Terminal Server to export all Firewall Lists:

• All FW Lists will be exported.
• An extra File with a Date/Time stamp will be created.
• At maximum an AADS Terminal Server will export all FW Lists once per minute.
• Using our CommandLineTool  in Windows Task Scheduler, in batch files, etc, it is possible to schedule an export and create the CSV files "when" such is needed.

Bug Fix: Backup and Restore the Location Deny and Allow list

Due to a bug, the GeoIP Location Deny and Allow Lists were not included in an AADS Backup. Hence they would not be Restored.

(previously these 2 lists were called the GeoIP Location White List and GeoIP Location Black List)

Improvement: Search Files and Folders

About Search

About what "Search" does or implies, has changed in the past decades:

• Initially "Search" was about searching Files and Folders.
• When the internet became common, "Search" was about searching on the internet.
• Nowadays "Search" includes what the so called "virtual assistants" can do, like Alexa, Cortana, Amazon Echo and Google Assistant.

The first type of "search", searching for Files and Folders, is still relevant and needed.

In the past years while working on Windows 10, Microsoft has regularly changed, updated, fixed, and borked, how "Search" works in Windows 10. And too often we have noticed, and have been informed by customers and resellers, that "search" in Windows 10 does not always work. Because of this, we made our own "Search ". And as the title of this FAQ clearly suggest: our "Search" is about searching for Files and Folders.

• If "search" as currently done by Windows works OK for you, then probably you do not need our "Search" tool.
• If "search" for Files and Folders on Windows gives you trouble, as an alternative you can use our "Search" tool.

AADS includes its own Search tool: 

How it integrates with Windows can be set by the Administrator:

Our "Search" can be downloaded "here " and can be used on any Windows PC or Server.

Bug fixes and Improvements: RDP+ File transfer

RDP+ File Transfer is described in the Manual.

RDP+ File Transfer is also used to transfer PDF files from the Server to the Client PC/Devices.

It is now possible to control the "Send" and "Recv" Throughput of RDP+ File Transfer. Because internet connection do often not have a symmetrical speed for Upload and Download, the Throughput for Send/Upload and Recv/Download can be set separately:

The Throughput limit for Send/Upload and Recv/Download are applied and shared among all users. So, if the Throughput limit is 500 Kilo Bytes per second, then the total sum of all RDP+ Filetransfers as concurrently done by all users, will not exceed 500 Kilo Bytes per second.

Bug Fix: DockDesktop menu

When using Application Control DockDesktop menu on Windows x64, it could happen that not all ICONS/Shortcuts as shown were correct.

Bug Fix: Country names RDP GeoIP Firewall

The RDP GeoIP Firewall shows the names of the selected countries for the "GeoIP Location Allow List" or the "GeoIP Location Deny List". The name of the countries are "localized" names; they are translated to the names as known in the language of Windows and Service Packs as installed. However, it might happen that Windows has "multiple localized names" for 1 country. For example, the country [AU] is off course Australia. But when this name is localized, the result can also be:

• Australia [AU]
• Ashmore and Cartier Islands [AU]
• Coral Seal Islands [AU]

because all of them are [AU]

To avoid misunderstandings about this bug: this bug does not imply that the RDP GeoIP Firewall is applying and using the wrong country or wrong IP filters when selecting, for example, Australia. This bug does only imply that the selected country might be named differently, in case Windows knows multiple names for the selected country.

In the next AADS build, this bug is fixed. Also the 2-letter ISO 3166-1 country code is shown:

Improvement: Recycle Bin

AADS Application Control has a new Special Command: ms-recylebin:

When this Special Command is assigned to the user(s), the AADS Menu has Recycle Bin as a menu option:

Improvement (kind of...)  : splash screen

With each AADS build more-and-more functionality is added, and the settings of these functions are done with AADS Maintenance and Control. Because of this, AADS Maintenance and Control gets bigger-and-bigger. And because of that,  AADS Maintenance and Control starts slower-and-slower...

We have not (yet...) found ways to make  AADS Maintenance and Control faster, and also we do not want to remove functionality from  AADS Maintenance and Control .

However, it seems that occasionally  AADS Maintenance and Control is started twice, because it appears not "fast" enough, so the Administrator thinks "I did not start it" and double-clicks on the icon again...
Therefore a small start-up-splash-screen is added to  AADS Maintenance and Control, so that the Administrator knows it is starting and all he/she needs to do for now is wait a few seconds...

Bug Fix / Improvement: DPI monitors

Some bug fixes and improvements have been done such to be able to show the AADS Start Menu correctly on Monitors with a high (higher then normal) DPI setting.

Improvement: New Search-option

Improvement: Failed Logon and Temporary Block list joined together

1. There is a new Search-option: the Search Results are automatically found and selected when entering some Search string.
2. The Failed Logon and Temporary Block list are joined together in 1 view.

Following the entering of some Search string, the Search Results in both the Failed Logon and Temporary Block list can be Deleted in 1 action. Or can be Copied to the Allow/Deny List in 1 action.

The point of these changes and improvements, is that it becomes easier to search-and-select an User or an IP-Address, and delete it from the Failed Logon and Temporary Block list.
Suppose an user has accidentely done several failed logons, and the user, and the IP-Address appears both on the Failed Logon and Temporary Block list, it is now easier and quicker to delete the user and the IP-Address from both Firewall lists.

Improvement: Search GeoIP

It is possible to search in the local GeoIP database:

• Enter an IP Address, IPv4 or IPv6, and the GeoIP location will be shown

• If the IP Address is also located on the Spamhaus Drop List, you will know: