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Configure Audio Recording Redirection on an RD Session Host Server

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

Audio recording redirection allows users to record audio to the remote computer in a remote session. By default, audio recording redirection is not allowed when connecting to a computer running Windows Server 2008 R2.

Note

Users can specify whether to record audio to the remote computer by configuring the remote audio settings on the Local Resources tab in Remote Desktop Connection (RDC). Users can record audio by using an audio input device on the local computer, such as a built-in microphone.

Manually configuring audio recording redirection

To manually configure audio recording redirection on a Remote Desktop Session Host (RD Session Host) server, you need to do the following:

  • Start the Windows Audio service.

  • Enable the Allow audio recording redirection Group Policy setting.

Start the Windows Audio service

Use the following procedure to start the Windows Audio service on the RD Session Host server.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, on the RD Session Host server that you plan to configure, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477.

To start the Windows Audio service

  1. On the RD Session Host server, open the Services snap-in. To open the Services snap-in, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.

  2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Yes.

  3. In the Services pane, right-click Windows Audio, and then click Properties.

  4. On the General tab, in the Startup type box, select Automatic, and then click Apply.

  5. Under Service status, click Start.

  6. Click OK to close the Windows Audio Properties dialog box.

  7. Confirm that the Status column for the Windows Audio service displays Started.

Enable the Allow audio recording redirection Group Policy setting

To allow audio recording redirection when connecting to a computer running Windows Server 2008 R2, you must enable the Allow audio recording redirection Group Policy setting. The Allow audio recording redirection Group Policy setting is located in Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Device and Resource Redirection and can be configured by using either Local Group Policy Editor or the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC).

For more information about Group Policy settings for Remote Desktop Services, see the Remote Desktop Services Technical Reference (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=138134).

Additional references