Extreme lag on Microsoft Remote Desktop Mac client

Question

Extreme lag on Microsoft Remote Desktop Mac client

Elmar Jense 61

I experience extreme lag in all my actions on the MacOS Remote Desktop Client, where every mouse click takes up to 30 seconds to take effect.
my setup is the following;

MacBook Pro 15" (2015)
External USB-C 4K monitor (lg)

This problem only occurs when the external monitor is connected. If I only use my Macbook, there is no lag at all.

Michel, T 1 Reputation point

2021-04-15T13:46:43.687+00:00

Just wanted to follow up, if a soultion was found?

I'm expiriencing the same performance issues with a Cinema Display connected to a closed MacBook Pro (2016).

The problem only occurs with a RD Gateway Server 2019 but works fine with a RD Gateway Server 2012, so if anyone has any suggestions I'd be grateful.

I tried the beta version with no success

After disconnecting the display the connection works just fine.

Thanks in advance
Michael Li 1 Reputation point

2021-05-27T18:40:23.467+00:00
Same issues here!
Config:

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)

Big Sur version 11.3 (20E232)

2,3 GHz Intel Core i7 quatre cœurs

16 Go 1600 MHz DDR3

Intel Iris Pro 1536 Mo

mouse Logitec MX Master 3 (seems fine bluetooth connection)

2x HDMI spliter J5 Create (might be the cause?!)

USB splitter J5 Create (not the problem)

Seems to occur when I plug my monitor HP 24f into the HDMI port. Even directly in the laptop!
Mikkel Hvid 1 Reputation point

2021-06-02T11:33:56.363+00:00

I'm seeing the same issue on a brand new Mac Mini M1.
The only things conncted is: Samsung 4k monitor U32J590U via HDMI, MS Surface keyboard wireless and Razer Deathadder V2 Pro via 2.4GHz.
I have tried both normal and beta RDP client, connecting to RemoteApp.
Roelan 21 Reputation points

2021-10-13T07:18:01.36+00:00
Don Miller 1 Reputation point

2021-10-16T14:17:49.583+00:00

Also same issue on mac mini. RDP 8 worked great, until Big Sur, then it started crashing on startup.
V10 and the beta are both so delayed as to be very frustrating to use. Tried plugging mouse directly into , mac mini (avoid the usb hub), made no difference.
makzr 11 Reputation points

2021-11-03T08:13:04.44+00:00

I faced to exact same problems.

I using my MacBook connected to an external 4K display (Gigabyte M32U) via a single Thunderbolt 3 cable.
Mouse and keyboard are both connected to the hub in the monitor.
I'm also connected via RDP Gateway.

Microsoft Remote Desktop is so laggy, it's completely unusable. I don't have this problem with any other application, it's only in RDP.
When using the built-in trackpad and MacBook keyboard everything is ok (not as fast and fluid as on Windows, but it's usable).
makzr 11 Reputation points

2022-02-10T18:16:12.41+00:00

@Anonymous it‘s really sad to see this issue still exists, a year after it was first reported. And there is no comment or statement by MS on this topic.
The community narrowed it down to a very specific problem. Could you reproduce it (at least)?
User5290 1 Reputation point

2022-06-16T21:39:23.217+00:00

I'm running an older Intel-based Mac Pro, and I can confirm the same issue. For me, I'm watching a video in Microsoft Stream to ensure a constant feed of data over the wifi connection, and it seems the wifi connection is the issue:

Compare that with the network connection on my Mac:
Biazeca 6 Reputation points

2022-07-26T06:43:37.52+00:00

Changing the polling rate from my Logitech Pro Wireless mouse to 125 Hz in the G Hub Software solved the problem at least in my case. When I turned it back on to 1000 Hz the lag started again.
makzr 11 Reputation points

2022-08-03T07:30:07.547+00:00

It doesn't work with my G Pro X Superlight. However, that's a bug in the Logitech software. It doesn't accept changing polling rate...
However, I don't think it's an acceptable solution to set your mouse back to year 1995 ... all modern mice use 500 or 1000hz ...

These polling rates work flawlessly on the Windows version of Remote Desktop (same gateway, same target host) but they cause complete chaos with the macOS version.
That's a bug in the macOS RDP client and nothing else ... It's a shame that Microsoft doesn't respond in any useful way to this issue.
Scarab Poyam 0 Reputation points

2025-06-14T08:20:46.1966667+00:00

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10 answers

Your answer

Michel, T 1 Reputation point

2021-04-15T13:46:43.687+00:00

Just wanted to follow up, if a soultion was found?

I'm expiriencing the same performance issues with a Cinema Display connected to a closed MacBook Pro (2016).

The problem only occurs with a RD Gateway Server 2019 but works fine with a RD Gateway Server 2012, so if anyone has any suggestions I'd be grateful.

I tried the beta version with no success

After disconnecting the display the connection works just fine.

Thanks in advance
Michael Li 1 Reputation point

2021-05-27T18:40:23.467+00:00

Same issues here!
Config:

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)

Big Sur version 11.3 (20E232)

2,3 GHz Intel Core i7 quatre cœurs

16 Go 1600 MHz DDR3

Intel Iris Pro 1536 Mo

mouse Logitec MX Master 3 (seems fine bluetooth connection)

2x HDMI spliter J5 Create (might be the cause?!)

USB splitter J5 Create (not the problem)

Seems to occur when I plug my monitor HP 24f into the HDMI port. Even directly in the laptop!
Mikkel Hvid 1 Reputation point

2021-06-02T11:33:56.363+00:00

I'm seeing the same issue on a brand new Mac Mini M1.
The only things conncted is: Samsung 4k monitor U32J590U via HDMI, MS Surface keyboard wireless and Razer Deathadder V2 Pro via 2.4GHz.
I have tried both normal and beta RDP client, connecting to RemoteApp.
Don Miller 1 Reputation point

2021-10-16T14:17:49.583+00:00

Also same issue on mac mini. RDP 8 worked great, until Big Sur, then it started crashing on startup.
V10 and the beta are both so delayed as to be very frustrating to use. Tried plugging mouse directly into , mac mini (avoid the usb hub), made no difference.
makzr 11 Reputation points

2021-11-03T08:13:04.44+00:00

I faced to exact same problems.

I using my MacBook connected to an external 4K display (Gigabyte M32U) via a single Thunderbolt 3 cable.
Mouse and keyboard are both connected to the hub in the monitor.
I'm also connected via RDP Gateway.

Microsoft Remote Desktop is so laggy, it's completely unusable. I don't have this problem with any other application, it's only in RDP.
When using the built-in trackpad and MacBook keyboard everything is ok (not as fast and fluid as on Windows, but it's usable).
makzr 11 Reputation points

2022-02-10T18:16:12.41+00:00

@Anonymous it‘s really sad to see this issue still exists, a year after it was first reported. And there is no comment or statement by MS on this topic.
The community narrowed it down to a very specific problem. Could you reproduce it (at least)?
User5290 1 Reputation point

2022-06-16T21:39:23.217+00:00

I'm running an older Intel-based Mac Pro, and I can confirm the same issue. For me, I'm watching a video in Microsoft Stream to ensure a constant feed of data over the wifi connection, and it seems the wifi connection is the issue:

Compare that with the network connection on my Mac:
Biazeca 6 Reputation points

2022-07-26T06:43:37.52+00:00

Changing the polling rate from my Logitech Pro Wireless mouse to 125 Hz in the G Hub Software solved the problem at least in my case. When I turned it back on to 1000 Hz the lag started again.
makzr 11 Reputation points

2022-08-03T07:30:07.547+00:00

It doesn't work with my G Pro X Superlight. However, that's a bug in the Logitech software. It doesn't accept changing polling rate...
However, I don't think it's an acceptable solution to set your mouse back to year 1995 ... all modern mice use 500 or 1000hz ...

These polling rates work flawlessly on the Windows version of Remote Desktop (same gateway, same target host) but they cause complete chaos with the macOS version.
That's a bug in the macOS RDP client and nothing else ... It's a shame that Microsoft doesn't respond in any useful way to this issue.
Scarab Poyam 0 Reputation points

2025-06-14T08:20:46.1966667+00:00

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Answer 1

John Kaufman 5

Turning off Hardware Acceleration as mentioned above fixed me right up. I'm on the last of the Intel 16" MacBook Pro's connecting to a local Windows 11 22H2 if anyone's keeping track :)

Answer 2

Tim Stahl 5

Another update if anyone is still having this issue. I've got a new iMac with the M3 and MacOS Sonoma 14.2.1. I installed the version from the App Store and had all sorts of awful lagging issues. I removed that and installed the latest Beta from https://install.appcenter.ms/orgs/rdmacios-k2vy/apps/microsoft-remote-desktop-for-mac/distribution_groups/all-users-of-microsoft-remote-desktop-for-mac and the problems went away!

Must be something in the AppStore release and the M-series processors having issues.

Dorian Gaensslen 0 Reputation points

2024-01-13T14:20:46.97+00:00

This made the remote connection for us impossible, we got every time the 0x204 error which only disappeared when we removed everything and installed again (had to try multiple times and delete cache folders https://macsecurity.net/view/495-fix-error-code-0x204-remote-desktop-mac). Luckily, it worked again somehow.
James Petras 0 Reputation points

2024-03-16T21:03:01.05+00:00

Hi,

This solved the problem for me. Thanks for the tip!

Answer 3

Anonymous

Hi @Elmar Jense

Does this happen recently (before it work without any lag)? No new changes or configurations made?
Do you have other monitor? Could this be related with the resolution of this 4K monitor?

We would also suggest to try the Microsoft Remote Desktop Beta, which is more stable.

Best Regards
Karlie

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Anonymous

2021-02-24T03:00:03.44+00:00

Hi,

We have not heard from you for several days, any update?

Thanks
Anonymous

2021-03-04T03:20:30.037+00:00

Hello @Elmar Jense

Have you checked if below answers help?

If they are helpful, please do not forget to accept the answers.

Thanks
Chris Smith 15 Reputation points

2023-07-07T20:51:14.1666667+00:00

@karlie - see my answer above. The RDP client is broken with high polling rate mice after v10.7.3
makzr 11 Reputation points

2023-07-08T05:22:22.09+00:00

Chris Smith is right. It‘s related to the pollling rate of the mouse. It worked in 10.7.3 and before and is broken in every newer version.

Answer 4

Franco Neil Glovasa 1

Disabling hardware improves the performance. Its not that fast but its usable. Thanks for the tip.

Answer 5

Dorian Gaensslen 0

Thanks for the many good hints here. Another thing to look at is the polling rate of the mouse. If you have a professional/gaming mouse, the polling rate can normally be adjusted. Bringing it down from 1000 to 150 or 200 Hz did solve this issue for us. This is why it helps to disconnect the mouse sometimes.

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Extreme lag on Microsoft Remote Desktop Mac client

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