Make Local Devices and Resources Available in a Remote Session
Applies To: Windows Server 2008
Terminal Services provides 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 redirection.
In Windows Server 2008 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).
In Windows Server 2008 you can also redirect devices that use Microsoft Point of Service (POS) for .NET 1.1. Microsoft POS for .NET device redirection is only supported if the terminal server is running an x86-based version of Windows Server 2008.
Users can specify which types of devices and resources they would like to redirect to the remote computer on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection.
You can specify which local devices and resources will be available to users for remote sessions by using a connection on the terminal server. You can enable or disable the redirection of the following:
Drives
Printers
LPT Port
COM Port
Clipboard
Audio
Supported Plug and Play devices
Note
Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008 supports redirection of some additional supported Plug and Play devices. These additional supported Plug and Play devices exclude the various kinds of Plug and Play devices that are already supported in other categories, such as Drives, Printers, or Smart Cards. For example, a USB thumb drive that gets installed as a drive letter on the client computer will be listed as available for redirection under the Drives category, and a USB Plug and Play printer attached to the client computer will be redirected under the Printers category. The "Supported Plug and Play devices" category is for other Plug and Play devices, such as Windows Portable Devices and Windows POS for .NET 1.11-based devices.
If you disable redirection of the Clipboard, for example, users connecting remotely to the terminal server on this connection will not be able to redirect their Clipboard in their remote session, even if they select the Clipboard check box on the Local Resources tab under Options in Remote Desktop Connection. If you enable redirection of a local device or resource on the terminal server, users will still have to specify that they want to redirect that type of local device or resource by making the appropriate selection on the Local Resources tab under Options in Remote Desktop Connection.
Use the following procedure to enable or disable the redirection of local devices and resources for the connection on the terminal server.
Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, 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 enable or disable the redirection of local devices and resources
Open Terminal Services Configuration. To open Terminal Services Configuration, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Terminal Services, and then click Terminal Services Configuration.
Under Connections, right-click the name of the connection, and then click Properties.
In the Properties dialog box for the connection, click the Client Settings tab.
Under Redirection, do one of the following for a given local device or resource category:
Select the check box to disable redirection of that type of local device or resource.
Clear the check box to enable redirection of that type of local device or resource.
Click OK.
You can also configure which local devices and resources will be available to users in their remote sessions by applying Group Policy settings.
The following is a list of some of the Terminal Services-specific Group Policy settings that are related to local device and resource redirection.
| Group Policy setting name | Group Policy setting location |
|---|---|
Allow audio redirection |
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Terminal Services\Terminal Server\Device and Resource Redirection |
Do not allow clipboard redirection |
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Terminal Services\Terminal Server\Device and Resource Redirection User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Terminal Services\Terminal Server\Device and Resource Redirection |
Do not allow COM port redirection |
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Terminal Services\Terminal Server\Device and Resource Redirection |
Do not allow drive redirection |
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Terminal Services\Terminal Server\Device and Resource Redirection |
Do not allow LPT port redirection |
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Terminal Services\Terminal Server\Device and Resource Redirection |
Do not allow supported Plug and Play device redirection |
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Terminal Services\Terminal Server\Device and Resource Redirection |
Do not allow client printer redirection |
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Terminal Services\Terminal Server\Printer Redirection |
These Group Policy settings can be configured by using either the Local Group Policy Editor or the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). Note that these Group Policy settings will take precedence over the settings configured in Terminal Services Configuration and will take precedence over the settings specified by the user in Remote Desktop Connection. If both the Computer Configuration and the User Configuration policy settings are configured, the Computer Configuration policy settings take precedence.
For more information about Terminal Services-specific Group Policy settings, see the Terminal Services Technical Reference (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Linkid=89673).
For more information about device and resource redirection, see the Terminal Services page on the Windows Server 2008 TechCenter (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=73931).