I am using Citrix Access Gateway to connect to a Remote Desktop and I am not able to find a way to switch between open applications. When I press 'Alt + Tab' it comes out of the remote desktop. I mean, the whole remote desktop is getting considered as 1 open application.
Is there any other keyboard shortcut to switch between open applications inside Citrix?

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3 Answers
- Close Citrix Remote Desktop, if it is already running.
- In our local machine, go to ‘Regedit’ and open ‘TransparentKeyPassthrough’. Set the value to ‘Remote’ and close.[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE → SOFTWARE → Citrix → ICA Client → Engine → Lockdown Profiles → All Regions → Lockdown → Virtual Channels → Keyboard]
- Login to the usual Citrix page. Before clicking on the ‘Remote Desktop’, check the ‘Preferences → Session Settings’. Choose ‘Fullscreen’ from dropdown.
- Click ‘Remote Desktop’ now.
- Login to the Remote Desktop
- You should see a blue bar at the top.
- If you don’t see it, press Ctrl + Alt + PAUSE. Now you should see the blue bar.
- Try Alt + TAB, and you should be able to scroll through the open applications within remote desktop. Also, this enables you to save screenshots in the remote itself.
- If you want to maximize the screen even more, Press Shift + F2.
- To revert, you can press the same key combinations again.

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4For my Windows 7 Citrix client, the local REGEDIT path is just like @Ramnath explains, except under the **HKEY_CURRENT_USER** hive – Bkwdesign Feb 10 '15 at 02:52
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1On Windows 7, 64-bit, I have `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Citrix\ICA Client\Engine\Lockdown Profiles\All Regions\Lockdown\Virtual Channels\Keyboard` (note the extra `Wow6432Node`). – Peter Mortensen Jul 10 '17 at 11:01
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1And one for `HKEY_CURRENT_USER` and one for `HKEY_USERS`: `HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Citrix\ICA Client\Engine\Configuration\Advanced\Modules\TransparentKeyPassthrough` and `HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-2841079552-3630746606-3493918560-1717\Software\Citrix\ICA Client\Engine\Configuration\Advanced\Modules\TransparentKeyPassthrough`. – Peter Mortensen Jul 10 '17 at 11:01
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1In the Age of COVID, this proved fantastically helpful. Thank you, everyone! – variant Mar 26 '20 at 18:07
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1I was missing that Registry key at all (the part after Lockdown Profiles did not exist). It turned out that it was because I used Citrix from Windows Store. Installing it traditional way added way more registry keys. Additionally if you want to do opposite of this setting, which is that you client/local PC would respond to alt+tab etc. then you can set the registry value to "Local" – labm0nkey Jan 04 '23 at 12:40
Here is an article from Citrix support center on "Enable toggle between applications using Alt-Tab keys within a remote desktop session"
Launch Regedit.exe on the client device to edit the registry For Windows 32-bit OS, navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE\Citrix\ICAClient\Engine\Lockdown Profiles\All Regions\Lockdown\Virtual Channels\Keyboard\
For Windows 64-bit OS, navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Citrix\ICA Client\Engine\Lockdown Profiles\All Regions\Lockdown\Virtual Channels\Keyboard\
In some cases configuring User based Setting also helps: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Citrix\ICAClient\Engine\Lockdown Profiles\All Regions\Lockdown\Virtual Channels\Keyboard\
Set the below Value.
Value Name TransparentKeyPassthrough
Value Type REG_SZ
Value Remote
Note: You have to exit Receiver and launch it again for this change to take effect.

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I don't have admin privileges on my work PC so can only set this on the HKEY_CURRENT_USER, but by itself that doesn't work. Any idea how I could fix? – Declan Jul 30 '19 at 18:10
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I'm using "Citrix Workspace" chrome app as a workaround for connection issues, does this have to be done in the same way in this case as well? – Karthick Ganesan Mar 18 '20 at 07:25
Got it working. Just to clarify:
In the Registry Editor -
For 32-bit OS, Citrix is under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\
For 64-bit OS, Citrix is under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\
However, I just changed it under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, and it worked.
Also, I chose "On the remote computer" from the "Keyboard" dropdown in the RDP Connection Local Resources tab.

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