Category: At least Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1

This policy setting determines whether the desktop is always displayed after a client connects to a remote computer or an initial program can run. It can be used to require that the desktop be displayed after a client connects to a remote computer even if an initial program is already specified in the default user profile Remote Desktop Connection Remote Desktop Services client or through Group Policy. If you enable this policy setting the desktop is always displayed when a client connects to a remote computer. This policy setting overrides any initial program policy settings. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting an initial program can be specified that runs on the remote computer after the client connects to the remote computer. If an initial program is not specified the desktop is always displayed on the remote computer after the client connects to the remote computer. Note: If this policy setting is enabled then the “Start a program on connection” policy setting is ignored.

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.

This policy setting determines whether notifications are displayed on an RD Session Host server when there are problems with RD Licensing that affect the RD Session Host server. By default notifications are displayed on an RD Session Host server after you log on as a local administrator if there are problems with RD Licensing that affect the RD Session Host server. If applicable a notification will also be displayed that notes the number of days until the licensing grace period for the RD Session Host server will expire. If you enable this policy setting these notifications will not be displayed on the RD Session Host server. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting these notifications will be displayed on the RD Session Host server after you log on as a local administrator.

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.