When attempting to transfer files via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) between Windows 7 and Windows Server 2003, encountering an empty \\\\tsclient directory is a common frustration point. Let's break down the technical aspects and solutions.

Before diving deep, verify these basic requirements:

1. Client OS: Windows 7 Professional/Enterprise/Ultimate
2. Server OS: Windows Server 2003 (SP2 recommended)
3. RDP Client version: 7.0 or later
4. Network connectivity between machines

The RDP client configuration requires more than just ticking checkboxes:

1. In Remote Desktop Connection:
   - Go to Local Resources tab
   - Click "More..." under Local devices and resources
   - Ensure "Drives" is expanded and all desired drives are selected
   - Check "Support printer redirection" (sometimes affects drive mapping)
   
2. On the server side:
   reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server" /v fDisableCdm /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

When basic configuration doesn't work, try these diagnostic steps:

# Check RDP drive redirection status
query session

# Verify client drive redirection is enabled
reg query "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server" /v fDisableCdm

# Alternative access method (Powershell)
Test-Path "\\tsclient\c"

When \\\\tsclient fails persistently, consider these alternatives:

# Using PowerShell remoting (requires setup):
Copy-Item -Path C:\localfile.txt -Destination \\server\share -Credential $cred

# Via Windows Shares:
net use x: \\clientip\share /user:clientusername password

# Through RDP clipboard:
certutil -encode sourcefile encodedfile.txt
# Then paste the content and decode on the server side

Remember that enabling drive redirection has security implications:

• Disable after use via Group Policy: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Device and Resource Redirection > "Do not allow drive redirection"
• Consider using more secure alternatives like SFTP when transferring sensitive files

When establishing an RDP connection from Windows 7 to Windows Server 2003, many administrators expect to see their local drives automatically mapped under \\\\tsclient. However, the share remains stubbornly empty despite enabling drive redirection in the RDC client settings.

Before diving deep, verify these basics:

1. Remote Desktop Connection version ≥ 6.1 (Windows 7 default)
2. "Drives" checkbox selected in Local Resources tab
3. Administrative privileges on both machines
4. Network connectivity between client and server

Windows Server 2003 requires these registry tweaks for proper drive redirection:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\Wds\rdpwd]
"fEnableDriveRedirection"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp]
"fDisableCpm"=dword:00000000
"fDisableCdm"=dword:00000000

When \\\\tsclient fails, consider these PowerShell alternatives:

# Map client drive manually
New-PSDrive -Name "ClientC" -PSProvider FileSystem -Root "\\tsclient\c" -Persist

# Verify RDP drive redirection status
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_TerminalServiceSetting -Namespace root\cimv2\TerminalServices | 
Select-Object -Property *

Remember that Server 2003's NTLM security might block connections. Add this registry entry on the client:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa]
"RestrictRemoteSAM"=dword:00000000

For persistent issues, implement these workarounds:

1. Use FTP with PowerShell remoting
2. Create scheduled tasks that copy files via UNC paths
3. Deploy temporary share on client machine