Configure Remote Control of Terminal Services Sessions
Applies To: Windows Server 2008
You can monitor the actions of a client logged on to a terminal server by using remote control from another session. Remote control allows you to either observe or actively control a client session. If you choose to actively control a client session, you will be able to input keyboard and mouse actions to the session. You can warn a client that you want to remotely control their session by choosing to display a message on the client that asks permission to view or take part in the session.
Configuring remote control on a per-connection basis affects all sessions that use the connection. By default, remote control is not allowed.
You can configure remote control on a per-user basis by using the Terminal Services Extension to the Local Users and Groups snap-in or to the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in.
Remote control settings configured by using Terminal Services Configuration will take precedence over the remote control settings that have been configured for a specific user account.
Use the following procedure to specify the remote control settings for a remote session.
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 specify the remote control settings for a remote session
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 Remote Control tab.
To use the remote control settings specified for the user account, select the Use remote control with default user settings option. The default setting for a user account is that remote control users have full control of the session if the user gives permission.
To specify remote control settings for the connection, select the Use remote control with the following settings option and then configure whether the user's permission is required and what level of control is allowed.
Click OK. Changes to remote control settings are not applied to sessions that are connected when the change is made. The changes will take effect the next time the user establishes a new connection to the terminal server.
You can also configure remote control settings by applying the Set rules for remote control of Terminal Services user sessions Group Policy setting. This Group Policy setting is located in the following locations:
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Terminal Services\Terminal Server\Connections
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Terminal Services\Terminal Server\Connections
This Group Policy setting can be configured by using either the Local Group Policy Editor or the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). Note that the Group Policy setting will take precedence over the setting configured in Terminal Services Configuration. If both the Computer Configuration and the User Configuration policy settings are configured, the Computer Configuration policy setting takes precedence.
For more information about Group Policy settings for Terminal Services, see the Terminal Services Technical Reference (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Linkid=89673).
For information about how to remotely control a user session, see the topic "Remotely Control a User Session" in the Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services Manager Help.
For information about configuring remote control settings on a per-user basis, see the topic "<UserAccount> Properties: Remote Control Tab" in the Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services User Properties Help.