So WinXP has "Remote Desktop" built into it -- think VNC. It also has a feature by which users can leave their programs running while someone else is logged in. It would seem logical, then, that you could use Remote Desktop to control that backgrounded session. But this is Microsoft, so logic is thrown out the window. You can't do it. It tells you that in order to control another session, the person currenylt logged in has to log out (or background their session).

In reality, I'm sure that it's not a technical issue, but a licensing one. And, as such, I bet that it's fixable with a registry tweak or something similar. Does anyone know of a way I can have someone logged in at the console and via Remote Desktop at the same time not sharing the same desktop, without installing a Server-licensed Windows?

I wonder if it also might be a security precaution?

Doesn't mean there isn't a registry tweak to get around it, just suggesting a possible alternate explanation for the limitation.