Windows 8.1 session logoff on RDP disconnect

I installed fresh Win8.1 on a VM, enabled RDP access.

Problem that I'm facing is that when I close RDP client my session and all my windows and applications got closed immediately. I need session to stay on waiting for me with all my apps running.

I researched on this topic. found an article https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754272.aspx, tried what was suggested, but it didn't help.

I tried to connect from Win8.1 standard RDP client and from microsoft RDP client for iOS. Same behaviour. User account I use to log in is microsoft account xxx@live.com

P.S. Just in case it matters: VM is virtualbox, virtual box extensions pack is installed on guest 8.1 And I never use 'logoff', i always close RDP client with X. I do this on several other remote machines and it works flawlessly..

Anton Viktorov

Posted 2015-07-15T15:37:05.200

Reputation: 31

possible duplicate of Stop log off when disconnected from RDP session

– austinian – 2015-07-15T17:11:44.947

How many users connect to this VM? – austinian – 2015-07-15T22:01:49.567

@austinian only 1 user connected. – None – 2015-07-15T22:17:53.247

i checked event logs and potentially found a cause, but don't know how to solve this. Each time i disconnect clicking X or writing tsdiscon in console there is a line in event log saying "The Desktop Window Manager has exited with code (0xd00002fe)". i suspect that might be the cause of session being logged off. – None – 2015-07-15T22:20:19.350

Answers

Finally! This problem is solved now. It looks like Windows 8.1 overriding all the options you set in registry or group policies when it thinks there is not enough RAM. I had 1Gb RAM on this VM, i increased that to 1.5GB and all the options i set started working! The thing is that Windows turns off Fast User Switching in case of 1GB Ram and this influences remote sessions (even there is only 1) in such a weird way.

Thanks everyone. Anton Viktorov

Anton Viktorov

Posted 2015-07-15T15:37:05.200

Reputation: 31

1 - Close the Remote Desktop Windows with the X, don't close with a logoff.

2 - Set this setting: Computer Configuration --> Administrative Templates --> Windows Components --> Remote Desktop Services --> Remote Desktop Session Host --> Session Time Limits | Enable the "Set time limit for disconnected sessions" >> Never. Watch to be sure no domain GPO overwrite your setting. (By moving the computer from OU)

yagmoth555

Posted 2015-07-15T15:37:05.200

Reputation: 258

I always close with X. I work on several remote machines - windows servers and windows7 - everything works as expected. But it doesnt work with this 8.1 machine... – None – 2015-07-15T15:56:08.587

Downvoter, the OP edited is question to answer me. – yagmoth555 – 2015-07-15T17:32:59.080

@AntonViktorov Domain joined ? Be sure no domain GPO take precedence over the setting you set (Computer Configuration --> Administrative Templates --> Windows Components --> Remote Desktop Services --> Remote Desktop Session Host --> Session Time Limits | Enable the "Set time limit for disconnected sessions" >> Never) – yagmoth555 – 2015-07-15T17:49:08.340

Downvoted because OP used the term "disconnect" correctly in the title of the post. Edit history was reviewed before downvote. I thought it was clear from the context that the user was using a disconnect method of exiting RDP instead of a logoff method. There are other methods besides "click the x" to do a disconnect, also. – austinian – 2015-07-15T19:21:52.873

@austinian Thanks for the feedback. It wasn't clear at first, now it's, as I never assume, but I understand that with the current question I will be downvoted for sure. – yagmoth555 – 2015-07-15T19:53:02.703

You can always edit, which would give the opportunity for an upvote :) – austinian – 2015-07-15T20:35:16.407

this VM machine is not in domain. in group policy i both set Computer and User settings related to timeouts to "Never" – None – 2015-07-15T20:43:55.707

@AntonViktorov Then try with mstsc /v:IP /admin – yagmoth555 – 2015-07-15T20:54:17.177

@yagmoth555 nothing new happened. same behaviour. – None – 2015-07-15T22:17:19.057

Check the group policies related to disconnect time limit. There are two different ones: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee791756(v=ws.10).aspx

Corvar

Posted 2015-07-15T15:37:05.200

Reputation: 36

Thanks, i already looked into this. I checked that before. I actually edited both "Computer" and "User" policies. I set "never" for timeouts in both branches. Unfortunately this didn't help. – None – 2015-07-15T20:45:45.350