The Sessions tab allows you to configure the timeout and reconnection settings for Remote Desktop Services sessions.

Item Details

End a disconnected session

Specify the maximum amount of time that a disconnected user session is kept active on the RD Session Host server. If you specify Never, the user's disconnected session is maintained for an unlimited time.

When a session is in a disconnected state, running programs are kept active even though the user is no longer actively connected.

Active session limit

Specify the maximum amount of time that the user's Remote Desktop Services session can be active before the session is automatically disconnected or ended.

The user receives a warning two minutes before the Remote Desktop Services session is disconnected or ended, which allows the user to save open files and close programs.

Idle session limit

Specify the maximum amount of time that an active Remote Desktop Services session can be idle (without user input) before the session is automatically disconnected or ended.

The user receives a warning two minutes before the session is disconnected or ended, which allows the user to press a key or move the mouse to keep the session active.

When a session limit is reached or connection is broken

Specify whether to disconnect or end the user's Remote Desktop Services session when an active session limit or an idle session limit is reached.

If the user's session is disconnected, the programs that the user is running are kept active even though the user is no longer actively connected.

If the user's session is ended, the user must establish a new Remote Desktop Services session with an RD Session Host server.

Allow reconnection

Specify whether the user can reconnect from any computer to a disconnected session on an RD Session Host server.

The From originating client only option currently is not used by Windows Server Remote Desktop Services.

Additional considerations

  • Membership in the Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to configure the properties of a local user account.

  • Membership in the Account Operators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to configure the properties of most domain user accounts. In some cases, membership in the Domain Admins group, or equivalent, is the minimum required.

  • Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477.

  • You can use Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration to configure session timeout settings on a per-connection basis on an RD Session Host server. Session timeout settings configured by using Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration take precedence over the session timeout settings that have been configured for a specific user account.

  • For information about configuring timeout and reconnection settings on a per-connection basis on an RD Session Host server by using Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration, see the topic "Configuring Remote Desktop Services Connections" in the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration Help in Windows Server 2008 R2.

  • For information about configuring timeout and reconnection settings by using Group Policy settings, see Using Group Policy Settings.

Additional references