Comments on: How to enable Remote Desktop via Group Policy

By: Wayne

Wayne — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:06:14 +0000

Hi Pablo:

I use the same setup, a Windows 2003 Domain with Windows 7 Enterprise workstations, and I was able to get this to work.

Although, while administering my group policy via the Group Policy Management console from a Windows 7 Enterprise workstation I have the following hierarchy for the Terminal Service (Remote Desktop Settings).

Open the policy associated with the OU the machines are located in
Windows Firewall Setting:
Note: Depending on which “location” you assigned your network connections you may want to do this below for both “Domain Profile” and the “Standard Profile”.

Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative Templates > Network > Network Connections > Windows Firewall > Domain Profile > Windows Firewall: Allow Remote Desktop Exception
Note: Don’t forget to add your subnet to the above entry as well, if you are unsure what your subnet is (scary) enter “localsubnet”.

Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Remote Desktop Services -> Remote Desktop Session Host -> Connections -> Allow users to connect remotely using Remote Desktop Services = Enabled

By: Pablo Montero

Pablo Montero — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:12:02 +0000

This is not working for me. I am using Windows 7 workstations on a Windows 2003 server domain recently installed from scratch. I followed Phil’s suggestions and I am still unable to log on to any workstation remotely.

Has anyone been unable to make this work even after applying the suggested changes to the group policy?

Thanks,

Pablo.

By: David

David — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:01:08 +0000

Thanks! This helped!

By: Phil Wiffen

Phil Wiffen — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:47:07 +0000

Thanks Sem!

By: Sem

Sem — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:40:59 +0000

In 2k8 R2 you should just need to replace Terminal Services with Remote Desktop Services as it has been re-branded.

By: Phil Wiffen

Phil Wiffen — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:30:36 +0000

Conor, do you know how to make it work? We’re not running a 2008 R2 native domain so I can’t try/test

By: Conor Scolard

Conor Scolard — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:44:01 +0000

Doesn’t work with 2k8R2 native domain.

By: widhalmt

widhalmt — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:26:06 +0000

Thanks. This saved a lot time for me.

By: ahmed serag

ahmed serag — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:13:32 +0000

thanks mellion

By: Grant Miller

Grant Miller — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:19:50 +0000

And for the edit, Clay. No point in opening your workstations up further than necessary. Who the he11 uses remote assistance anyway?

By: Grant Miller

Grant Miller — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:14:17 +0000

Sweet, thanks much for posting these clear instructions!

Grant

By: AK

AK — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:30:22 +0000

Excellent, straight to the point and fixed my issue!

By: Philip Manual

Philip Manual — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:07:26 +0000

Just the exact information I was looking for. Thanks!

By: Ngan Nguyen

Ngan Nguyen — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:08:59 +0000

This is great. Thanks for sharing!

By: ripstar

ripstar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:48:16 +0000

HI,
Any ideas how to set the “users allowed to connect” through group policy?

By: Phil Wiffen

Phil Wiffen — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:36:01 +0000

That’s good to know Clay

By: Clay

Clay — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:13:29 +0000

Thanks!
However, you actually don’t need the windows firewall exception. That’s for workstations to receive requests for remote help, not for allowing you remote in. At least that’s how I read the Group Policy definition and remote desktop is working for me with only the second setting.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:13:00 +0000

Works!!! Thanks.

By: Sean

Sean — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:25:48 +0000

Perfect, this one was exactly what I needed! now I can try and put that hair back in that I pulled out!

By: Olsi Deda

Olsi Deda — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:56:14 +0000

straight to the point