What Is Device Redirection?

Remote Desktop Services provides client users the ability to access their local devices and resources in remote sessions. Users can access resources such as local drives, printers, the Clipboard, and supported Plug and Play devices. This is usually referred to as device redirection.

In Windows Server 2008 R2, device redirection has been enhanced and expanded. Now you can redirect Windows Portable Devices, specifically media players based on the Media Transfer Protocol (MTP), and digital cameras based on the Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP).

For RD Gateway, when you select the option to disable device redirection for specific device types, the RD Gateway server will send the request back to the client with a list of the device types to be disabled. This list is a suggestion only; it is possible for the client to modify the device redirection settings in the list. The suggested device redirection settings can only be enforced for Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) clients.

	Caution
	Selecting the Only allow client connections to Remote Desktop Session Host servers that enforce RD Gateway device redirection check box will prevent users that are running versions older than Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) 7.0 from connecting, and will enforce secure device redirection.

	Note
	RD Gateway does not have the ability to manage device redirection for smart cards and audio.

For more information about device redirection in Windows Server 2008 R2, see the Remote Desktop Services page on the Windows Server 2008 R2 TechCenter (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=140433).