Windows
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  • 12/01/2026

How to Enable Single Session Remote Desktop on Windows Server

This guide explains how to enable Single Session Remote Desktop on Windows Server by configuring Group Policy settings. Single Session mode allows only one active RDP session per user account, preventing multiple concurrent logins and helping administrators better manage system resources.

Enable Single Session via Group Policy

Step 1: Open Local Group Policy Editor

Press Win + R, type:

gpedit.msc

Then press Enter

Step 2: Navigate to the RDP Policy

Go to:

Computer Configuration
 └─ Administrative Templates
    └─ Windows Components
       └─ Remote Desktop Services
          └─ Remote Desktop Session Host
             └─ Connections

Step 3: Configure Single Session Policy

Find and double-click:

Restrict Remote Desktop Services users to a single Remote Desktop Services session
  • Set to Enabled
  • Click Apply → OK

This setting forces each user to have only one RDP session

Apply the Policy Immediately

Open Command Prompt (Run as Administrator) and run:

gpupdate /force

Restart Remote Desktop Services (Optional but Recommended)

run:

services.msc

Restart:

  • Remote Desktop Services

  • Remote Desktop Services UserMode Port Redirector

Or simply restart the server.

Verify the Configuration

  1. Login via RDP with a user account
  2. Open another RDP connection using the same account
  3. The new login should reconnect to the existing session instead of creating a new one

Notes & Best Practices

  • Works on Windows Server 2012 / 2016 / 2019 / 2022
  • Does not limit different users, only restricts one session per user
  • Recommended for:
    • VPS
    • RDP Servers
    • Application servers
  • For domain environments, configure via Group Policy Management (GPMC) instead of local policy

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