HOW TO: Use Group Policy to Permit Users to Redirect and Play Audio in a Remote Desktop Session to Terminal Services in Windows Server 2003

This article discusses how to enable the Allow audio redirection Group Policy setting in Windows Server 2003 so that users who connect to the server in a Windows Terminal Services session by using Remote Desktop Connection can configure how they want to play audio output.

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Overview

By default, the Allow audio redirection Group Policy setting in Windows Server 2003 is set to Not Configured, and users who connect to Terminal Services in Windows Server 2003 by using Remote Desktop Connection cannot apply audio redirection. To permit users to choose where they want to play audio output during a Terminal Services session, you must enable the Allow audio redirection Group Policy setting.

After you configure this Group Policy setting, users can configure how they want to play audio when they click one of the following options in the Remote computer sound box on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection:

• Bring to this computer: This setting runs sound files in the Remote Desktop session and plays them on the user's computer.
• Do not play: This setting disables all sound in Remote Desktop sessions.
• Leave at remote computer: This setting runs sound files in the Remote Desktop session and plays them on the server.

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Enable the "Allow Audio Redirection" Group Policy Setting

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type mmc, and then click OK.
3. On the File menu, click Add/Remove Snap-in.
4. Click Add.
5. Click Group Policy Object Editor, and then click Add.
6. Under Group Policy Object, specify the Group Policy object that you want (for example, Local Computer Policy), and then click Finish.
7. Click Close, and then click OK.
8. In the console tree, expand the policy, expand Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand Windows Components, expand Terminal Services, and then click Client/Server data redirection.
9. In the right pane, double-click Allow audio redirection.
10. Click Enabled, and then click OK.

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