Set time-out settings for disconnected, active, and idle sessions

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To set time-out settings for disconnected, active, and idle sessions

• Using Group Policies (best practice)

• Using Terminal Services Configuration

Using Group Policies (best practice)

1. Open Group Policy.

2. In Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Terminal Services, Sessions, enable the settings you want to configure. See the policy explain text for more information.

   Important

   • You should thoroughly test any changes you make to Group Policy settings before applying them to users or computers. For more information on testing policy settings, see Resultant Set of Policy.

Notes

• Use the above procedure to configure the local Group Policy object. To change a policy for a domain or an organizational unit, you must log on to the primary domain controller as an Administrator. Then, you must invoke Group Policy through the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.

• These policies affect every client that connects to the terminal server. To define Session settings on a per-user basis, use the Sessions policies under User Configuration.

Using Terminal Services Configuration

1. Open Terminal Services Configuration.

2. In the console tree, click Connections.

3. In the details pane, right-click the connection for which you want to modify time-out settings, and then click Properties.

4. On the Sessions tab, above End a disconnected session, select the Override user settings check box. This allows you to configure time-out settings for the connection.

5. Configure the following time-out settings as appropriate:

   • In End a disconnected session, select the maximum amount of time that a disconnected session remains on the server. When the time limit is reached, the disconnected session ends. When a session ends, it is permanently deleted from the server. Select Never to allow disconnected sessions to remain on the server indefinitely.

   • In Active session limit, select the maximum amount of time that a user's session can remain active on the server. When the time limit is reached, either the user is disconnected from the session or the session ends. When a session ends, it is permanently deleted from the server. Select Never to allow the session to continue indefinitely.

   • In Idle session limit, select the maximum amount of time that an idle session (a session without client activity) remains on the server. When the time limit is reached, either the user is disconnected from the session or the session ends. When a session ends, it is permanently deleted from the server. Select Never to allow idle sessions to remain on the server indefinitely.

   Notes

   • To open Terminal Services Configuration, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Terminal Services Configuration.

   • Group Policy overrides the configuration set with the Terminal Services Configuration tool.

   • These settings affect every client that uses the connection to connect to the terminal server. To define Session settings on a per-user basis, use the User Configuration Group Policies or the Terminal Services Extension to Local Users and Groups and Active Directory Users and Computers.t

Note

• To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.

Information about functional differences

• Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Working with MMC console files
Configuring session limits
Change settings for when a session limit is reached or connection is broken
Change settings for reconnecting disconnected Citrix ICA sessions
Configuring Terminal Services with Group Policy
Group Policy (pre-GPMC)