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How to Use Remote Desktop and Screenshots

This guide covers every remote monitoring feature in HandyCafe Server. You can view what is happening on any client PC, take control of it, capture screenshots, record sessions, inspect running software, send messages, and power-manage machines remotely.

How to Take a Screenshot

Screenshots let you capture a single frame of a client PC's display without starting a full remote session.

What you will need

  • HandyCafe Server running.
  • At least one client PC online and connected.

Steps

  1. Locate the target PC in the Admin Panel on the main page. Online PCs show a green status indicator.
  2. Click Screenshot on the PC tile.
  3. Wait a few seconds for the capture to complete. The screenshot viewer opens automatically, displaying the captured image.
  4. In the screenshot viewer, you have two options. Click Refresh to take a new screenshot of the current screen state. Click Download to save the image to your local machine. The file is saved with a timestamped filename such as PC01_2026-04-16_14-30-22.png.

Expected result

A full-resolution screenshot of the client's display is captured and shown in the viewer. The image reflects exactly what was on screen at the moment of capture.

Common mistakes

  • Attempting to screenshot an offline PC. The option is grayed out or returns an error. Ensure the PC is online first.
  • Expecting real-time updates from a single screenshot. For continuous monitoring, use Remote Desktop instead.

How to Start a Remote Desktop Session

Remote Desktop gives you a live video stream of a client PC's screen with full mouse and keyboard control.

What you will need

  • HandyCafe Server running.
  • Target client PC online and connected.
  • Sufficient network bandwidth between server and client. A minimum of 2 Mbps is recommended for smooth streaming.

Steps

  1. In the Admin Panel, select the online PC you want to control and click Remote Desktop on the card.
  2. A new window opens showing the live video feed from the client. The stream begins automatically.
  3. Move your mouse inside the remote desktop window to control the cursor on the client PC. Your mouse movements translate directly to cursor movements on the remote machine.
  4. Type on your keyboard while the remote desktop window is focused to send keystrokes to the client. Clipboard sync is available to copy and paste text between your machine and the remote client.

Expected result

You see a real-time video stream of the client PC and can interact with it as if you were sitting at that machine. The client PC user can also see cursor movements happening on their screen.

How to Adjust Stream Quality

Adjusting the bitrate and quality settings lets you balance visual clarity against network usage.

What you will need

  • An active remote desktop session.

Steps

  1. With the remote desktop window open, locate the quality settings controls in the toolbar.
  2. Adjust the Bitrate slider. The range is 350 kbps (minimum, suitable for very slow networks) to 25,000 kbps (maximum, for LAN connections). A setting of 2,000-5,000 kbps works well for most local networks.
  3. Adjust the FPS setting if available. Higher values provide smoother motion at the cost of more bandwidth.
  4. The stream updates immediately. There is no need to restart the session.

When to use each setting

  • Low bitrate (350-1,000 kbps): Use over slow or congested networks, or when monitoring many PCs simultaneously. The image will be softer but functional.
  • Medium bitrate (2,000-5,000 kbps): Good default for local area networks. Provides clear text and UI elements.
  • High bitrate (10,000-25,000 kbps): Use on gigabit LANs when you need to read small text or watch video playback on the remote machine.

How to Record a Remote Session

Session recording captures the remote desktop stream to a video file for later review.

What you will need

  • An active remote desktop session.
  • FFmpeg installed on the server machine. Recording uses FFmpeg to encode the stream.

Steps

  1. With the remote desktop window open, click the Record button in the toolbar.
  2. The recording indicator appears, confirming that capture is active.
  3. Continue working in the remote desktop session. All video is captured.
  4. Click Stop Recording when finished.
  5. The recording is saved as an MP4 file in the recordings directory. The default path is config_dir/recordings/ where config_dir is the HandyCafe Server configuration directory. The filename includes the PC name and timestamp.

Expected result

An MP4 video file containing the entire remote session from the moment you clicked Record until you stopped. The file can be played in any video player.

How to View Running Apps on a Client

This feature shows you every process currently running on a client PC.

What you will need

  • Target client PC online and connected.

Steps

  1. Select the target PC in the Admin Panel and click Running Apps on the card.
  2. A panel opens showing all active processes on the client machine. Each entry shows the process name and resource usage.

Expected result

A real-time list of running processes on the client PC. This is useful for checking what a customer is doing or diagnosing performance issues.

How to View Installed Apps

You can retrieve a list of all software installed on a client machine.

What you will need

  • Target client PC online and connected.

Steps

  1. Select the target PC in the Admin Panel and click Installed Apps on the card.
  2. A panel lists all installed software detected on the client machine.

Expected result

A complete list of installed applications on the client PC. Use this to verify that required software is present or to audit client machines.

How to Send a Message to a Client

Messages display as a popup on the customer's screen. Use them for notifications like "Your session ends in 5 minutes" or "Please come to the front desk."

What you will need

  • Target client PC online and in an active session.

Steps

  1. Select the target PC in the Admin Panel and click Send Message on the card.
  2. Type the message text in the dialog that appears.
  3. Click Send to deliver the message.

Expected result

A popup notification appears on the client PC's screen showing your message. The customer sees it immediately.

How to Shut Down or Reboot Clients Remotely

You can power-manage client PCs without leaving the server workstation.

What you will need

  • Target client PCs online and connected.

Steps for a single PC

  1. Select the target PC in the Admin Panel and click Shutdown to power off or Reboot to restart.
  2. Confirm the action in the dialog that appears.

Steps for multiple PCs at once

  1. Select multiple PCs in the Admin Panel by holding Ctrl and clicking each one, or use Ctrl+A to select all.
  2. Click Shutdown or Reboot from the action buttons.
  3. Confirm the bulk action. All selected PCs execute the command simultaneously.

Expected result

The selected client PCs shut down or restart. Their status in the Admin Panel changes to offline after shutdown or briefly shows reconnecting during a reboot.

How to Wake Up an Offline PC

Wake on LAN sends a special network packet to start an offline PC remotely.

What you will need

  • The client PC must have Wake on LAN (WoL) enabled in its BIOS/UEFI settings.
  • The PC must be connected to the network via Ethernet (WoL over Wi-Fi is unreliable on most hardware).
  • The server must be on the same network segment as the client, or the router must be configured to forward broadcast packets.

Steps

  1. Locate the offline PC in the Admin Panel. It appears with a gray or red status indicator.
  2. Click Wake on LAN on the PC card.
  3. The server sends the magic packet to the client's MAC address.
  4. Wait 30-60 seconds for the PC to boot and the HandyCafe Client to start.

Expected result

The client PC powers on, boots into the operating system, and the HandyCafe Client connects to the server automatically. The PC status changes to online in the Admin Panel.

Common mistakes

  • WoL is not enabled in the client PC's BIOS. This is disabled by default on most machines. Enter the BIOS setup and look for "Wake on LAN" or "Wake on PCI-E" and enable it.
  • The client PC is on a different subnet. WoL broadcast packets do not cross routers by default. You need a directed broadcast or the PCs must be on the same VLAN.
  • The client PC was unplugged from power. WoL requires the power supply to provide standby power to the network card. A fully unplugged machine cannot be woken.

Common Mistakes Across All Remote Features

  • Trying to use remote features on a PC that shows as offline. Always verify the connection status before attempting any remote action.
  • Running multiple remote desktop sessions simultaneously on a low-bandwidth network. Each session consumes significant bandwidth. Monitor network usage if you open more than two or three sessions.
  • Forgetting that the customer can see your remote cursor and keystrokes. Remote Desktop is not a hidden monitoring tool. The customer sees everything you do on their screen.