Category: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional

This policy setting allows you to specify the maximum amount of time that a Remote Desktop Services session can be active before it is automatically disconnected. If you enable this policy setting you must select the desired time limit in the Active session limit list. Remote Desktop Services will automatically disconnect active sessions after the specified amount of time. The user receives a warning two minutes before the Remote Desktop Services session disconnects which allows the user to save open files and close programs. If you have a console session active session time limits do not apply. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting this policy setting is not specified at the Group Policy level. By default Remote Desktop Services allows sessions to remain active for an unlimited amount of time. If you want Remote Desktop Services to end instead of disconnect a session when the time limit is reached you can configure the policy setting Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Remote Desktop Services -> Remote Desktop Session Host -> Session Time Limits -> End session when time limits are reached. Note: This policy setting appears in both Computer Configuration and User Configuration. If both policy settings are configured the Computer Configuration policy setting takes precedence.

This policy setting Sspecifies whether to end a Remote Desktop Services session that has timed out instead of disconnecting it. You can use this setting to direct Remote Desktop Services to end a session (that is the user is logged off and the session is deleted from the server) after time limits for active or idle sessions are reached. By default Remote Desktop Services disconnects sessions that reach their time limits. Time limits are set locally by the server administrator or by using Group Policy. See the policy settings Set time limit for active Remote Desktop Services sessions and Set time limit for active but idle Remote Desktop Services sessions policy settings. If you enable this policy setting Remote Desktop Services ends any session that reaches its time-out limit. If you disable this policy setting Remote Desktop Services always disconnects a timed-out session even if specified otherwise by the server administrator. If you do not configure this policy setting Remote Desktop Services disconnects a timed-out session unless specified otherwise in local settings. Note: This policy setting only applies to time-out limits that are explicitly set by the administrator. This policy setting does not apply to time-out events that occur due to connectivity or network conditions. This setting appears in both Computer Configuration and User Configuration. If both settings are configured the Computer Configuration setting takes precedence.

This policy setting allows you to control the redirection of smart card devices in a Remote Desktop Services session. If you enable this policy setting Remote Desktop Services users cannot use a smart card to log on to a Remote Desktop Services session. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting smart card device redirection is allowed. By default Remote Desktop Services automatically redirects smart card devices on connection. Note: The client computer must be running at least Microsoft Windows 2000 Server or at least Microsoft Windows XP Professional and the target server must be joined to a domain.

This policy setting allows you to specify whether the client default printer is automatically set as the default printer in a session on an RD Session Host server. By default Remote Desktop Services automatically designates the client default printer as the default printer in a session on an RD Session Host server. You can use this policy setting to override this behavior. If you enable this policy setting the default printer is the printer specified on the remote computer. If you disable this policy setting the RD Session Host server automatically maps the client default printer and sets it as the default printer upon connection. If you do not configure this policy setting the default printer is not specified at the Group Policy level.

This policy setting specifies whether to prevent the mapping of client drives in a Remote Desktop Services session (drive redirection). By default an RD Session Host server maps client drives automatically upon connection. Mapped drives appear in the session folder tree in File Explorer or Computer in the format on . You can use this policy setting to override this behavior. If you enable this policy setting client drive redirection is not allowed in Remote Desktop Services sessions and Clipboard file copy redirection is not allowed on computers running Windows Server 2003 Windows 8 and Windows XP. If you disable this policy setting client drive redirection is always allowed. In addition Clipboard file copy redirection is always allowed if Clipboard redirection is allowed. If you do not configure this policy setting client drive redirection and Clipboard file copy redirection are not specified at the Group Policy level.

This policy setting specifies whether to prevent the redirection of data to client LPT ports during a Remote Desktop Services session. You can use this setting to prevent users from mapping local LPT ports and redirecting data from the remote computer to local LPT port peripherals. By default Remote Desktop Services allows LPT port redirection. If you enable this policy setting users in a Remote Desktop Services session cannot redirect server data to the local LPT port. If you disable this policy setting LPT port redirection is always allowed. If you do not configure this policy setting LPT port redirection is not specified at the Group Policy level.

This policy setting allows you to specify whether to prevent the mapping of client printers in Remote Desktop Services sessions. You can use this policy setting to prevent users from redirecting print jobs from the remote computer to a printer attached to their local (client) computer. By default Remote Desktop Services allows this client printer mapping. If you enable this policy setting users cannot redirect print jobs from the remote computer to a local client printer in Remote Desktop Services sessions. If you disable this policy setting users can redirect print jobs with client printer mapping. If you do not configure this policy setting client printer mapping is not specified at the Group Policy level.