Integration

Apps mode integrates individual remote windows into your local desktop. The application runs on the host; the window you move, resize and switch to belongs to the client desktop. The shell behavior below describes the Windows desktop client.

Window management

• Remote application windows appear in Alt+Tab.
• The taskbar groups windows by remote application, so you can switch between that application’s windows.
• Maximizing uses the local monitor’s working area and respects the taskbar.
• Taskbar interactions support minimizing and restoring windows.
• Windows can be snapped to the sides of the screen and arranged alongside local applications.
• You can move and resize windows across your supported displays.

Local window transitions are handled by Windows, subject to your Windows animation settings. The host does not need to animate its own window for the client to animate it.

Up to four monitors

Remote Apps supports up to four monitors. A host administrator may configure a lower limit. Display and pointer behavior on additional monitors is undefined: windows may be positioned incorrectly, rendering may be wrong, and cursor coordinates may not match. Keep the Apps workspace within the supported display count.

Why Windows versions matter

Microsoft provides public window-capture APIs, but no single public DWM interface supplies all the window notifications, independent surfaces and damage information used by PrimalDesk’s native Apps implementation.

The native capture method therefore uses a system extension adapted to particular Windows version families. Some application behaviors and untested Windows or Windows Server builds may not work. A major Windows update that changes DWM can require compatibility work from PrimalDesk developers and an updated Host installation. See Version support before planning an OS upgrade.

Alternative capture with WGC

An optional, experimental capture method uses the public Windows.Graphics.Capture (WGC) API. Starting with build 26100, its dirty-region information makes pixel updates possible without comparing every pixel of successive frames. The Host also checks that the required APIs are actually available.

In the Host admin app, open Publishing → Apps settings and use the experimental WGC capture option where available. The choice is saved for new Windows Apps sessions; reconnecting to an existing session does not necessarily change its capture method.

Because WGC uses a public API, it is less dependent on DWM’s internal implementation and is expected to tolerate Windows updates better. It is still experimental, and this is not a guarantee of stability or feature parity. WGC does not make every Windows build, graphics driver or application supported.

Microsoft documents the API in Direct3D11CaptureFrame.DirtyRegions.