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To allow only one Remote Desktop Services (RDS) session per user on a server, enable Restrict Remote Desktop Services users to a single Remote Desktop Services session. To cap all users’ RDS sessions on a host, use the separate Limit number of connections policy. These settings control RDS sessions; they are not universal limits on every kind of Windows sign-in.

Choose the limit that matches your goal

Goal Policy What it controls
One remote session per user on a server Restrict Remote Desktop Services users to a single Remote Desktop Services session Per-user RDS sessions, including active and disconnected sessions. A later logon reconnects to the existing disconnected session. Microsoft policy documentation
Limit total remote sessions on a host Limit number of connections Overall simultaneous RDS sessions on an RD Session Host. When the limit is exceeded, additional users receive a server-busy error. Microsoft policy documentation

Neither policy should be treated as a cap on all local console or interactive Windows logons. Windows separates the right to log on locally from the right to log on through Remote Desktop Services. A user may be allowed to connect over RDP but not permitted to sign in at the console. Microsoft logon-rights documentation

Allow one RDS session per user

  1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) or edit the applicable domain Group Policy Object.
  2. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Connections.
  3. Open Restrict Remote Desktop Services users to a single Remote Desktop Services session, set it to Enabled, and apply the policy.

Microsoft identifies the policy as TS_SINGLE_SESSION; its registry policy value is fSingleSessionPerUser under SOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTTerminal Services. The effect is one session per user on that server, whether the session is active or disconnected. If the user logs on again while a session is disconnected, Windows reconnects that session rather than creating another one. Microsoft policy CSP

Cap total RDS sessions on a host

To limit the host-wide number of simultaneous RDS sessions, use Limit number of connections in the same Connections policy folder. This is a different control from the per-user restriction, and Microsoft describes it for RD Session Host servers. Its device policy mapping is TS_MAX_CON_POLICY. If the configured maximum has been reached, another user may see an error stating that the server is busy. Microsoft policy CSP

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The policy documentation says RD Session Host servers allow unlimited RDS sessions by default, while Remote Desktop for Administration allows two RDS sessions. Those are defaults described on that policy page, not licensing guidance for a particular deployment. A connection limit is not a substitute for checking the licensing and configuration requirements that apply to your Windows Server environment.

Deploy through MDM only after checking applicability

Microsoft lists the single-session policy in its Policy CSP as device-scoped and documents applicability for specified Windows 10 and Windows 11 editions and versions. For MDM, it is ADMX-backed and uses SyncML formatting. Confirm that the exact OS edition and build in your environment support the setting, and verify that your MDM method targets it correctly before deployment. Microsoft policy CSP

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Understand what counts as a session

RDS assigns each RDS logon its own session ID. These policies address that RDS session model; they do not establish a universal Windows counter that combines remote sessions with every local interactive sign-in. Windows also defines separate permissions for local logon and RDS logon, so session-count policy and sign-in authorization answer different questions. Microsoft logon-rights documentation

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Troubleshoot RDP access after a policy change

If users cannot connect, do not assume that the session limit is the cause. Check the user’s group membership and effective permissions, including the right to log on through Remote Desktop Services. Review relevant allow and deny policies: an explicit deny, restrictive Group Policy, missing RDS logon rights, or conflicting settings can prevent access. Microsoft RDS logon-rights troubleshooting

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