Comments on: How to enable Remote Desktop via Group Policy

By: Ahsan

Ahsan — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:31:58 +0000

Works like a charm! Thanks mate

By: Phil Wiffen

Phil Wiffen — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:08:11 +0000

Interesting Bob! By default, users in the Domain Administrators group, and users in the Local Admin group should be allowed RD access (that’s how it works here). Do you have a different use-case?

By: bob

bob — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:09:17 +0000

None of these actually work.

The only way I found to get GP to allow specific users to remote to given systems was the restricted groups option under user rights assignment.

It adds those users to the remote users group on the target machines. The other settings read as though they should work but seem to serve no purpose.

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:06:48 +0000

Ivan,
You were close but the correct path to get to the 2nd option on a W2K box is:

Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Terminal Services > Terminal Server > Connections > Allow users to connect remotely using Terminal Services

By: Ahamed,

Ahamed, — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:04:39 +0000

Thank you for your nice information…

By: Ivan Radisson

Ivan Radisson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:10:28 +0000

For those creating this GPO on a Windows Server 2008:

The second option is under:

Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Terminal Services > Connections > Allow users to connect remotely using Terminal Services

Regards.

By: Doug reynolds

Doug reynolds — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:01:58 +0000

Hey, i had remote desktop enabled on my server ’08 domain, and remote desktop worked great for my windows xp. Fast forward, i start adding win7 pro machines, and alas, you can’t rdp to them (xp machines are fine). I add them above firewall except to the group policy, and now i cant even remote desktop into the server.. what gives?

By: John

John — Tue, 11 May 2010 11:23:46 +0000

Hey thanks a lot mate!
First hit in Google and saved me a lot of time!
Setting up the GPOs right now, will tell ya how it works tomorrow.

By: Phil Wiffen

Phil Wiffen — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:30:43 +0000

Andy: to log on remotely via RDP, you need to be in the Local Administrator’s group on the PC you’re RDPing to. Either that, or change what types of user you’ll let log in remotely.

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:25:19 +0000

I successfully connect to the computer but when logging in with user, i get the following message:

The local policy of this system does not permit you to log on interactively.

Anyone know what setting I need to change? Hopefully 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?