Microsoft Remote Desktop Multiple Connections



  1. Microsoft Remote Desktop Multiple Connections Login
  2. Windows Server 2012 Remote Desktop Multiple Connections
  3. Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Download
  4. Microsoft Remote Desktop Multiple Connections Free
  5. Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Multiple Monitors

Usually, RDP server providers give you a single remote desktop connection by default. You won’t have multiple RDP connections, even when you buy admin RDP, which if you log in to the same RDP with a different device, the first session will be lost! But how can we enable multiple concurrent remote desktops? This article will first discover how to activate two RDP sessions and then multiple RDP sessions.

RDCMan is a client that is widely used to manage multiple remote desktop connections because it's a convenient option. However, RDCMan has not kept pace with the level of advanced technology that we're pursuing. Instead, we have two great supported client options: Remote Desktop Connection and Universal Client for Windows 10. Making the remote connection. Now that we’ve enabled the remote desktop feature on the computers, configured custom ports, and set up the router, we can finally connect. Bring up Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection program, on the Start menu. Start by entering the information like usual. Once Group Policy Editor had loaded navigate to Computer Configuration, next Administrative Templates, then Windows Components, then Remote Desktop Services, then Remote Desktop Session host. From there, you should see a folder marked as Connections, click into it. Windows systems come with a built-in protocol for remote connections. Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) provides a graphical interface through which users can connect to a remote computer via a network connection. However, there are now several RDP alternatives on the market, designed to address potential functionality gaps.

Windows server’s Remote Desktop feature has to be enabled; if it is not and you have not remote access to the server, to do this, use the below link:

Enable Multiple RDP Connections

To have multiple RDP connections, we have to do some configurations. First, we should disable the remote desktop user’s restriction to a single remote user and the second one is to change the limit number of connections.

Steps To Activate Multiple RDP Connections

Sessions
  1. Login to your RDP server.
  2. Press Windows Logo Key (also known as Windows Key) and R key simultaneously to open the Run page.
  3. Type gpedit.msc and press OK to open Local Group Policy Editor.
  4. Go to the following path:
    Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> windows Component -> Remote Desktop Services -> remote desktop session host -> connections
  5. We need to edit two files here, Edit the Restrict Remote Desktop Services users to a single Remote Desktop Services Session, put the status on Disabled, and then press OK.
    Also, edit the Limit number of connections and put the status on Enabled, Increase the RD Maximum Connection allowed to 2.
    Note: If you set it more than 2, it won’t make any difference because you can make two concurrent sessions in this case!

  6. It’s done; now you should able to have multiple RDP connections at the same time.

Create New Remote Desktop Users

To administrate RDP sessions, it is better to create separate users. However, you can connect multiple times to RDP with a single user at the same time!

Steps To Create Users

Microsoft Remote Desktop Multiple Connections Login

  1. Open the Computer Management. (Type compmgmt.msc in the Run and press Enter)
  2. Go to Computer Management(Local) -> Local User and Groups -> Users , Right-click on Users and select New User…
    Note: Also, you should add new users to the Remote Desktop Users Group!
  3. Fill the fields and create as many users as you want(Here you only need 2 users)!

All is set now! try to connect RDP with two different devices and different users.
Let’s take a look at Task Manager to check online users and run on their sessions.

Allow More Than 2 Remote Sessions

To allow more remote users on your Windows server, you need to install the RDS(Remote Desktop Services) and purchase a RDS License, but It will give you 120 days free trial for this feature when you install(without license). Here we will install RDS without ADDC (active directory domain controller).

Steps To Install RDS

  1. Open Server Manager.
  2. In Dashboard, select Add roles and features.
  3. Choose Role-based or feature-based installation in the Installation Type step, and click Next.
  4. Choose to select a server from the server pool in the Server Selection step and go ahead.
  5. Tick the Remote Desktop Service check-box in the Server Roles step and click Next.
  6. Go ahead Features step by default options.
  7. Tick the Remote Desktop Connection Broker and Remote Desktop Session Host check-boxes, and click Next.Note: Maybe it will ask you to install some pre-required role services or features, which you should accept.Note: If you want to use the RDS deployment beyond the 120-day trial period, you’ll need to install the Remote Desktop Licensing role too.
  8. In the last step, tick the “Restart the destination server automatically if required” and press Install.Note: It will take a while to be installed completely, and the server may need a few reboots.

That’s it; now you should increase the RD Maximum Connection allowed in the Limit number of connections file (For example 99) and set both files status’ which we described how you could do above already. (Step 2-7 in “Enable Multiple RDP Connections” section)

Conclusion

To have multiple RDP connections, we should disable the single-user remote desktop mode and change the remote connection limit. In this situation, you can have 2 RDP sessions simultaneously for free, but if you wish to have more, you should install the RDS role through the server. This tool is open just for 120 days, and after this period, you will have to buy an RDS license to be able to use it.

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Applies To: Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019

When it comes to supported configurations for Remote Desktop Services environments, the largest concern tends to be version interoperability. Most environments include multiple versions of Windows Server - for example, you may have an existing Windows Server 2012 R2 RDS deployment but want to upgrade to Windows Server 2016 to take advantage of the new features (like support for OpenGLOpenCL, Discrete Device Assignment, or Storage Spaces Direct). The question then becomes, which RDS components can work with different versions and which need to be the same?

So with that in mind, here are basic guidelines for supported configurations of Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server.

Note

Make sure to review the system requirements for Windows Server 2016 and system requirements for Windows Server 2019.

Best practices

  • Use Windows Server 2019 for your Remote Desktop infrastructure (the Web Access, Gateway, Connection Broker, and license server). Windows Server 2019 is backward-compatible with these components, which means a Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2012 R2 RD Session Host can connect to a 2019 RD Connection Broker, but not the other way around.

  • For RD Session Hosts - all Session Hosts in a collection need to be at the same level, but you can have multiple collections. You can have a collection with Windows Server 2016 Session Hosts and one with Windows Server 2019 Session Hosts.

  • If you upgrade your RD Session Host to Windows Server 2019, also upgrade the license server. Remember that a 2019 license server can process CALs from all previous versions of Windows Server, down to Windows Server 2003.

  • Follow the upgrade order recommended in Upgrading your Remote Desktop Services environment.

  • If you are creating a highly available environment, all of your Connection Brokers need to be at the same OS level.

RD Connection Brokers

Windows Server 2016 removes the restriction for the number of Connection Brokers you can have in a deployment when using Remote Desktop Session Hosts (RDSH) and Remote Desktop Virtualization Hosts (RDVH) that also run Windows Server 2016. The following table shows which versions of RDS components work with the 2016 and 2012 R2 versions of the Connection Broker in a highly available deployment with three or more Connection Brokers.

3+ Connection Brokers in HARDSH or RDVH 2019RDSH or RDVH 2016RDSH or RDVH 2012 R2
Windows Server 2019 Connection BrokerSupportedSupportedSupported
Windows Server 2016 Connection BrokerN/ASupportedSupported
Windows Server 2012 R2 Connection BrokerN/AN/ANot Supported

Support for graphics processing unit (GPU) acceleration

Remote Desktop Services support systems equipped with GPUs. Applications that require a GPU can be used over the remote connection. Additionally, GPU-accelerated rendering and encoding can be enabled for improved app performance and scalability.

Remote Desktop Services Session Hosts and single-session client operating systems can take advantage of the physical or virtual GPUs presented to the operating system in many ways, including the Azure GPU optimized virtual machine sizes, GPUs available to the physical RDSH server, and GPUs presented to the VMs by supported hypervisors.

See Which graphics virtualization technology is right for you? for help figuring out what you need. For specific information about DDA, check out Plan for deploying Discrete Device Assignment.

GPU vendors may have a separate licensing scheme for RDSH scenarios or restrict GPU use on the server OS, verify the requirements with your favorite vendor.

GPUs presented by a non-Microsoft hypervisor or Cloud Platform must have drivers digitally-signed by WHQL and supplied by the GPU vendor.

Remote Desktop Session Host support for GPUs

The following table shows the scenarios supported by different versions of RDSH hosts.

FeatureWindows Server 2008 R2Windows Server 2012 R2Windows Server 2016Windows Server 2019
Use of hardware GPU for all RDP sessionsNoYesYesYes
H.264/AVC hardware encoding (if suppported by the GPU)NoNoYesYes
Load balancing between multiple GPUs presented to the OSNoNoNoYes
H.264/AVC encoding optimizations for minimizing bandwidth usageNoNoNoYes
H.264/AVC support for 4K resolutionNoNoNoYes

VDI support for GPUs

The following table shows support for GPU scenarios in the client OS.

Microsoft remote desktop download
FeatureWindows 7 SP1Windows 8.1Windows 10
Use of hardware GPU for all RDP sessionsNoYesYes
H.264/AVC hardware encoding (if suppported by the GPU)NoNoWindows 10 1703 and later
Load balancing between multiple GPUs presented to the OSNoNoWindows 10 1803 and later
H.264/AVC encoding optimizations for minimizing bandwidth usageNoNoWindows 10 1803 and later
H.264/AVC support for 4K resolutionNoNoWindows 10 1803 and later

Windows Server 2012 Remote Desktop Multiple Connections

RemoteFX 3D Video Adapter (vGPU) support

Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Download

Note

Because of security concerns, RemoteFX vGPU is disabled by default on all versions of Windows starting with the July 14, 2020 Security Update and removed starting with the April 13, 2021 Security Update. To learn more, see KB 4570006.

Remote Desktop Services supports RemoteFX vGPUs when VM is running as a Hyper-V guest on Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2016. The following guest operating systems have RemoteFX vGPU support:

  • Windows 7 SP1
  • Windows 8.1
  • Windows 10 1703 or later
  • Windows Server 2016 in a single-session deployment only

Discrete Device Assignment support

Remote Desktop Services supports Physical GPUs presented with Discrete Device Assignment from Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2019 Hyper-V hosts. See Plan for deploying Discrete Device Assignment for more details.

VDI deployment – supported guest OSes

Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019 RD Virtualization Host servers support the following guest OSes:

  • Windows 10 Enterprise
  • Windows 8.1 Enterprise
  • Windows 7 SP1 Enterprise

Note

  • Remote Desktop Services doesn't support heterogeneous session collections. The OSes of all VMs in a collection must be the same version.
  • You can have separate homogeneous collections with different guest OS versions on the same host.
  • The Hyper-V host used to run VMs must be the same version as the Hyper-V host used to create the original VM templates.

Single sign-on

Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019 RDS supports two main SSO experiences:

  • In-app (Remote Desktop application on Windows, iOS, Android, and Mac)
  • Web SSO

Using the Remote Desktop application, you can store credentials either as part of the connection info (Mac) or as part of managed accounts (iOS, Android, Windows) securely through the mechanisms unique to each OS.

To connect to desktops and RemoteApps with SSO through the inbox Remote Desktop Connection client on Windows, you must connect to the RD Web page through Internet Explorer. The following configuration options are required on the server side. No other configurations are supported for Web SSO:

  • RD Web set to Forms-Based Authentication (Default)
  • RD Gateway set to Password Authentication (Default)
  • RDS Deployment set to 'Use RD Gateway credentials for remote computers' (Default) in the RD Gateway properties

Note

Due to the required configuration options, Web SSO is not supported with smartcards. Users who login via smartcards might face multiple prompts to login.

For more information about creating VDI deployment of Remote Desktop Services, check out Supported Windows 10 security configurations for Remote Desktop Services VDI.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Multiple Connections Free

Using Remote Desktop Services with application proxy services

Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Multiple Monitors

You can use Remote Desktop Services with Azure AD Application Proxy. Remote Desktop Services does not support using Web Application Proxy, which is included in Windows Server 2016 and earlier versions.