Configuring RD Session Host Server Settings

Updated: March 2, 2011

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

To define how users will connect to the RD Session Host server (or RD Session Host server farm) to access RemoteApp programs, you can configure RD Session Host server deployment settings.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, on the RD Session Host server that you plan to configure, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at Local and Domain Default Groups (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477).

To configure RD Session Host server settings

  1. On the RD Session Host server, open RemoteApp Manager. To open RemoteApp Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Remote Desktop Services, and then click RemoteApp Manager.

  2. In the Actions pane of RemoteApp Manager, click Remote Desktop Session Host Settings. (Or, in the Overview pane, next to Remote Desktop Session Host Settings, click Change.)

  3. On the Remote Desktop Session Host tab, under Connection settings, accept or modify the server name and the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) port number.

  4. To provide a link to a full desktop session to the RD Session Host server through RD Web Access, under Remote desktop access, select the Show a remote desktop connection to this RD Session Host server in RD Web Access check box.

Note

If you want the user to be able to use all available client monitors when connecting to a full desktop session to the RD Session Host server, on the Common RDP Settings tab, under User experience, select the Use all client monitors when connecting to a remote desktop check box.

  1. Under Access to unlisted programs, choose either of the following:

    • Do not allow users to start unlisted programs on initial connection (Recommended)

      To help protect against malicious users, or a user unintentionally starting a program from an .rdp file on initial connection, we recommend that you select this setting.

Important

This setting does not prevent users from starting unlisted programs remotely after they connect to the RD Session Host server by using the RemoteApp program. For example, if Microsoft Word is in the RemoteApp Programs list and a Web browser is not, if a user starts a remote Word session, and then clicks a hyperlink in a Word document, the user can start a Web browser.

  - **Allow users to start both listed and unlisted programs on initial connection**  
      

Warning

If you choose this option, users can start any program remotely from an .rdp file on initial connection, not just those programs in the RemoteApp Programs list. To help protect against malicious users, or a user unintentionally starting a program from an .rdp file, we recommend that you do not select this setting.

  1. When you are finished, click OK.