How to keep your Remote Desktop Session Alive with Remote Desktop Connection
Certain applications necessitate an ongoing active remote desktop session to ensure their continuous operation. To establish a keep-alive mechanism that maintains a persistent desktop session in the Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) environment, it is necessary to modify the settings within the Group Policy Editor located on the remote computer.
To enable a keep-alive mechanism for maintaining a desktop session in Remote Desktop Connection (RDC), you can adjust the settings within the Group Policy Editor on the remote computer. Here's how:
Open Group Policy Editor:
Press Win + R on the remote computer to open the Run dialog.
Type gpedit.msc and press Enter. This opens the Local Group Policy Editor.
Navigate to Remote Desktop Session Host Policies:
In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Remote Desktop Services -> Remote Desktop Session Host -> Connections.
Enable Keep-Alive Connections:
Look for the policy named "Configure keep-alive connection interval."
Double-click on the policy to open its properties.
Configure Keep-Alive Interval:
Select the "Enabled" option.
In the "Keep-Alive interval" field, specify the time interval (in seconds) at which the keep-alive packets should be sent to maintain the connection. For example, you can set it to 300 seconds (5 minutes).
Apply Changes:
Click "OK" to apply the changes.
Restart Remote Desktop Services (optional):
To ensure the policy takes effect, you can restart the Remote Desktop Services on the remote computer.
Open a Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
Run the following command: net stop termservice && net start termservice
Please note that modifying group policy settings requires administrative privileges, and these steps are specific to the Windows operating system. Additionally, the availability of group policy settings can vary based on your Windows edition and version.
Always exercise caution when making changes to group policies, as incorrect configurations can affect the system's behavior. If you're unsure or uncomfortable with these changes, consider seeking assistance from your IT department or a knowledgeable colleague.
To enable a keep-alive mechanism for maintaining a desktop session in Remote Desktop Connection (RDC), you can adjust the settings within the Group Policy Editor on the remote computer. Here's how:
Open Group Policy Editor:
Press Win + R on the remote computer to open the Run dialog.
Type gpedit.msc and press Enter. This opens the Local Group Policy Editor.
Navigate to Remote Desktop Session Host Policies:
In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Remote Desktop Services -> Remote Desktop Session Host -> Connections.
Enable Keep-Alive Connections:
Look for the policy named "Configure keep-alive connection interval."
Double-click on the policy to open its properties.
Configure Keep-Alive Interval:
Select the "Enabled" option.
In the "Keep-Alive interval" field, specify the time interval (in seconds) at which the keep-alive packets should be sent to maintain the connection. For example, you can set it to 300 seconds (5 minutes).
Apply Changes:
Click "OK" to apply the changes.
Restart Remote Desktop Services (optional):
To ensure the policy takes effect, you can restart the Remote Desktop Services on the remote computer.
Open a Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
Run the following command: net stop termservice && net start termservice
Please note that modifying group policy settings requires administrative privileges, and these steps are specific to the Windows operating system. Additionally, the availability of group policy settings can vary based on your Windows edition and version.
Always exercise caution when making changes to group policies, as incorrect configurations can affect the system's behavior. If you're unsure or uncomfortable with these changes, consider seeking assistance from your IT department or a knowledgeable colleague.
Updated on: 09/08/2023
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