If you need to specify the users (or groups) that can REMOTE DESKTOP (RDP) to a PC and you want to do this with Group Policy, you are in the right place:
- In Group Policy Management Console (GPMC.MSC) select Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Restricted Groups\
- Right-click Restricted Groups and then click Add Group.
- Click the Browse button, type Remote and click the Check Names and you should see REMOTE DESKTOP USERS come up.
- Click OK in the Add Groups dialog.
- Click Add beside the MEMBERS OF THIS GROUP box then click Browse.
- Type the name of the domain group, then click the Check Names button, then click OK to close this box.
- Click OK to close this box which will complete the addition of the domain group to the Remote Desktop Users group.
- Go to your PC and in an elevated command prompt type GPUPDATE /FORCE to refresh the GPolicy on your PC
- Verify that the group has been added to under the SELECT USERS button on the REMOTE tab of the PC’s SYSTEM PROPERTIES.
7 Comments
Hans Lindgren · February 26, 2024 at 5:26 am
Thank you!
Ian Matthews · February 26, 2024 at 2:23 pm
You are very welcome. Thanks for visiting us Hans 🙂
deckass · September 30, 2019 at 4:04 am
Great help , eventually managed to get connected after multiple sources didn’t help with they guides / solutions.
Hristo · July 7, 2018 at 7:59 am
Ryan, If you only enable RD through group policy, but the machines themselves are still set to “Don’t allow connections to this computer ,” when Group Policy refreshes (every 90 minutes or so), you’ll be disconnected from the machine.
Per http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2083411 with this GP, also deploy a registry tweak to allow RD connections on the target machines. Then you won’t be randomly disconnected.
stevedubravaarmusanet · April 10, 2018 at 1:33 pm
Excellent — thank you
Ryan · January 3, 2017 at 9:06 am
I followed the instructions above and it seems to work, however after an undisclosed period of time, rdp stops working on the target machine(s). I either wait as it does correct itself eventually OR I just restart the machine and that fixes it immediately and RDP works again. Interesting to note that just doing a gpupdate /f doesn’t make RDP work again, but a restart does.
Any thoughts to why this is ‘timing out’ or not refreshing properly?
-Ryan
Sandeep · December 7, 2016 at 8:16 am
Thank you