Session Time Limits

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

Policy settings in this node control time limits for Remote Desktop Services sessions on a Remote Desktop Session Host server.

The full path of this node in the Group Policy Management Console is Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Session Time Limits.

Note

If you are using the Local Group Policy Editor, Policies is not part of the node path.

Available policy settings

Name	Explanation	Requirements
Set time limit for disconnected sessions	This policy setting allows you to configure a time limit for disconnected Remote Desktop Services sessions. You can use this policy setting to specify the maximum amount of time that a disconnected session is kept active on the server. By default, Remote Desktop Services allows users to disconnect from a Remote Desktop Services session without logging off and ending the session. When a session is in a disconnected state, running programs are kept active even though the user is no longer actively connected. By default, these disconnected sessions are maintained for an unlimited time on the server. If you enable this policy setting, disconnected sessions are deleted from the server after the specified amount of time. To enforce the default behavior that disconnected sessions are maintained for an unlimited time, select Never. If you have a console session, disconnected session time limits do not apply. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, disconnected sessions are maintained for an unlimited time. You can specify time limits for disconnected sessions on the Sessions tab in the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration tool. Note This policy setting appears in both Computer Configuration and User Configuration. If both policy settings are configured, the Computer Configuration policy setting takes precedence.	At least Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003 family
Set time limit for active but idle Remote Desktop Services sessions	This policy setting allows you to specify the maximum amount of time that an active Remote Desktop Services session can be idle (without user input) before it is automatically disconnected. If you enable this policy setting, you must select the desired time limit in the Idle session limit drop-down list. Remote Desktop Services will automatically disconnect active but idle sessions after the specified amount of time. The user receives a warning two minutes before the session disconnects, which allows the user to press a key or move the mouse to keep the session active. If you have a console session, idle session time limits do not apply. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Remote Desktop Services allows sessions to remain active but idle for an unlimited time. You can specify time limits for active but idle sessions on the Sessions tab in the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration tool. If you want Remote Desktop Services to terminate-instead of disconnect-a session when the time limit is reached, you can configure the Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Session Time Limits\Terminate session when time limits are reached policy setting. Note This policy setting appears in both Computer Configuration and User Configuration. If both policy settings are configured, the Computer Configuration policy setting takes precedence.	At least Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003 family
Set time limit for active Remote Desktop Services sessions	This policy setting allows you to specify the maximum amount of time that a Remote Desktop Services session can be active before it is automatically disconnected. If you enable this policy setting, you must select the desired time limit in the Active session limit drop-down list. Remote Desktop Services will automatically disconnect active sessions after the specified amount of time. The user receives a warning two minutes before the Remote Desktop Services session disconnects, which allows the user to save open files and close programs. If you have a console session, active session time limits do not apply. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Remote Desktop Services allows sessions to remain active for an unlimited time. You can specify time limits for active sessions on the Sessions tab in the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration tool. If you want Remote Desktop Services to terminate-instead of disconnect-a session when the time limit is reached, you can configure the Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Session Time Limits\Terminate session when time limits are reached policy setting. Note This policy setting appears in both Computer Configuration and User Configuration. If both policy settings are configured, the Computer Configuration policy setting takes precedence.	At least Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003 family
Terminate session when time limits are reached	Specifies whether to terminate a timed-out Remote Desktop Services session instead of disconnecting it. You can use this setting to direct Remote Desktop Services to terminate a session (that is, the user is logged off and the session is deleted from the server) after time limits for active or idle sessions are reached. By default, Remote Desktop Services disconnects sessions that reach their time limits. Time limits are set locally by the server administrator or in Group Policy. See the Set time limit for active Remote Desktop Services sessions and Set time limit for active but idle Remote Desktop Services sessions settings. If the status is set to Enabled, Remote Desktop Services terminates any session that reaches its time-out limit. If the status is set to Disabled, Remote Desktop Services always disconnects a timed-out session, even if specified otherwise by the server administrator. If the status is set to Not Configured, Remote Desktop Services disconnects a timed-out session, unless specified otherwise in local settings. Note This setting only applies to time-out limits that are deliberately set (in the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration tool or Group Policy Management Console), not to time-out events that occur due to connectivity or network conditions. Also note that this setting appears in both Computer Configuration and User Configuration. If both settings are configured, the Computer Configuration setting overrides.	At least Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003 family
Set time limit logoff of RemoteApp sessions	This policy setting allows you to specify how long a user's RemoteApp session will remain in a disconnected state before the session is logged off from the RD Session Host server. By default, if a user closes a RemoteApp program, the session is disconnected from the RD Session Host server. If you enable this policy setting, when a user closes a RemoteApp program, the RemoteApp session will remain in a disconnected state until the time limit that you specify is reached. When the time limit specified is reached, the RemoteApp session will be logged off from the RD Session Host server. If the user starts a RemoteApp program before the time limit is reached, the user will reconnect to the disconnected session on the RD Session Host server. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, when a user closes a RemoteApp program, the session will be disconnected from the RD Session Host server. Note This policy setting appears in both Computer Configuration and User Configuration. If both policy settings are configured, the Computer Configuration policy setting takes precedence.	At least Windows Server 2008