Tag: Computer Configuration
Set Remote Desktop Services User Home Directory
Specifies whether Remote Desktop Services uses the specified network share or local directory path as the root of the user’s home directory for a Remote Desktop Services session. To use this setting select the location for the home directory (network or local) from the Location drop-down list. If you choose to place the directory on a network share type the Home Dir Root Path in the form -> -> Computername -> Sharename and then select the drive letter to which you want the network share to be mapped. If you choose to keep the home directory on the local computer type the Home Dir Root Path in the form “Drive: -> Path” (without quotes) without environment variables or ellipses. Do not specify a placeholder for user alias because Remote Desktop Services automatically appends this at logon. Note: The Drive Letter field is ignored if you choose to specify a local path. If you choose to specify a local path but then type the name of a network share in Home Dir Root Path Remote Desktop Services places user home directories in the network location. If the status is set to Enabled Remote Desktop Services creates the user’s home directory in the specified location on the local computer or the network. The home directory path for each user is the specified Home Dir Root Path and the user’s alias. If the status is set to Disabled or Not Configured the user’s home directory is as specified at the server.
Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode
This policy setting allows you to specify the type of Remote Desktop Services client access license (RDS CAL) that is required to connect to this RD Session Host server. You can use this policy setting to select one of two licensing modes: Per User or Per Device. Per User licensing mode requires that each user account connecting to this RD Session Host server have an RDS Per User CAL. Per Device licensing mode requires that each device connecting to this RD Session Host server have an RDS Per Device CAL. If you enable this policy setting the Remote Desktop licensing mode that you specify is honored by the Remote Desktop license server. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting the licensing mode is not specified at the Group Policy level.
Limit maximum color depth
This policy setting allows you to specify the maximum color resolution (color depth) for Remote Desktop Services connections. You can use this policy setting to set a limit on the color depth of any connection that uses RDP. Limiting the color depth can improve connection performance particularly over slow links and reduce server load. If you enable this policy setting the color depth that you specify is the maximum color depth allowed for a user’s RDP connection. The actual color depth for the connection is determined by the color support available on the client computer. If you select Client Compatible the highest color depth supported by the client will be used. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting the color depth for connections is not specified at the Group Policy level. Note: 1. Setting the color depth to 24 bits is only supported on Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP Professional. 2. The value specified in this policy setting is not applied to connections from client computers that are using at least Remote Desktop Protocol 8. 0 (computers running at least Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012 R2). The 32-bit color depth format is always used for these connections. 3. For connections from client computers that are using Remote Desktop Protocol 7. 1 or earlier versions that are connecting to computers running at least Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012 R2 the minimum of the following values is used as the color depth format: a. Value specified by this policy setting b. Maximum color depth supported by the client c. Value requested by the client If the client does not support at least 16 bits the connection is terminated.
Limit number of monitors
This policy setting allows you to limit the number of monitors that a user can use to display a Remote Desktop Services session. Limiting the number of monitors to display a Remote Desktop Services session can improve connection performance particularly over slow links and reduce server load. If you enable this policy setting you can specify the number of monitors that can be used to display a Remote Desktop Services session. You can specify a number from 1 to 16. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting the number of monitors that can be used to display a Remote Desktop Services session is not specified at the Group Policy level.
Allow users to connect remotely by using Remote Desktop Services
This policy setting allows you to configure remote access to computers by using Remote Desktop Services. If you enable this policy setting users who are members of the Remote Desktop Users group on the target computer can connect remotely to the target computer by using Remote Desktop Services. If you disable this policy setting users cannot connect remotely to the target computer by using Remote Desktop Services. The target computer will maintain any current connections but will not accept any new incoming connections. If you do not configure this policy setting Remote Desktop Services uses the Remote Desktop setting on the target computer to determine whether the remote connection is allowed. This setting is found on the Remote tab in the System properties sheet. By default remote connections are not allowed. Note: You can limit which clients are able to connect remotely by using Remote Desktop Services by configuring the policy setting at Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Remote Desktop Services -> Remote Desktop Session Host -> Security -> Require user authentication for remote connections by using Network Level Authentication. You can limit the number of users who can connect simultaneously by configuring the policy setting at Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Remote Desktop Services -> Remote Desktop Session Host -> Connections -> Limit number of connections or by configuring the policy setting Maximum Connections by using the Remote Desktop Session Host WMI Provider.
Limit maximum display resolution
This policy setting allows you to specify the maximum display resolution that can be used by each monitor used to display a Remote Desktop Services session. Limiting the resolution used to display a remote session can improve connection performance particularly over slow links and reduce server load. If you enable this policy setting you must specify a resolution width and height. The resolution specified will be the maximum resolution that can be used by each monitor used to display a Remote Desktop Services session. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting the maximum resolution that can be used by each monitor to display a Remote Desktop Services session will be determined by the values specified on the Display Settings tab in the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration tool.
Enforce Removal of Remote Desktop Wallpaper
Specifies whether desktop wallpaper is displayed to remote clients connecting via Remote Desktop Services. You can use this setting to enforce the removal of wallpaper during a Remote Desktop Services session. By default Windows XP Professional displays wallpaper to remote clients connecting through Remote Desktop depending on the client configuration (see the Experience tab in the Remote Desktop Connection options for more information). Servers running Windows Server 2003 do not display wallpaper by default to Remote Desktop Services sessions. If the status is set to Enabled wallpaper never appears in a Remote Desktop Services session. If the status is set to Disabled wallpaper might appear in a Remote Desktop Services session depending on the client configuration. If the status is set to Not Configured the default behavior applies.
Deny logoff of an administrator logged in to the console session
This policy setting determines whether an administrator attempting to connect remotely to the console of a server can log off an administrator currently logged on to the console. This policy is useful when the currently connected administrator does not want to be logged off by another administrator. If the connected administrator is logged off any data not previously saved is lost. If you enable this policy setting logging off the connected administrator is not allowed. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting logging off the connected administrator is allowed. Note: The console session is also known as Session 0. Console access can be obtained by using the /console switch from Remote Desktop Connection in the computer field name or from the command line.
Configure keep-alive connection interval
This policy setting allows you to enter a keep-alive interval to ensure that the session state on the RD Session Host server is consistent with the client state. After an RD Session Host server client loses the connection to an RD Session Host server the session on the RD Session Host server might remain active instead of changing to a disconnected state even if the client is physically disconnected from the RD Session Host server. If the client logs on to the same RD Session Host server again a new session might be established (if the RD Session Host server is configured to allow multiple sessions) and the original session might still be active. If you enable this policy setting you must enter a keep-alive interval. The keep-alive interval determines how often in minutes the server checks the session state. The range of values you can enter is 1 to 999999. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting a keep-alive interval is not set and the server will not check the session state.
Use the specified Remote Desktop license servers
This policy setting allows you to specify the order in which an RD Session Host server attempts to locate Remote Desktop license servers. If you enable this policy setting an RD Session Host server first attempts to locate the specified license servers. If the specified license servers cannot be located the RD Session Host server will attempt automatic license server discovery. In the automatic license server discovery process an RD Session Host server in a Windows Server-based domain attempts to contact a license server in the following order: 1. Remote Desktop license servers that are published in Active Directory Domain Services. 2. Remote Desktop license servers that are installed on domain controllers in the same domain as the RD Session Host server. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting the RD Session Host server does not specify a license server at the Group Policy level.