How to Prevent Idle Timeout in Remote Desktop Sessions

10/23/2026

To prevent idle timeout in Remote Desktop, change the session time limit on the server (through Group Policy, Remote Desktop Session Host settings or the registry) or keep the session active from the client side. Which route you take depends on whether you control the server or only connect to it.

Why Remote Desktop disconnects idle sessions

Windows can end or disconnect a session after a period without keyboard or mouse input. The limit is usually set by an administrator, a domain policy or a default on the Remote Desktop Session Host. It is meant to free resources and reduce the risk of unattended logged-in machines.

There are two separate behaviours worth telling apart. A disconnected session leaves your programs running on the server so you can reconnect. A logged-off session closes everything. Many people only notice the problem when work is lost, so check which one is happening before changing anything.

Option 1: Change the limit with Group Policy

If you administer the machine, Group Policy is the cleanest fix. It works on a single PC through the local editor or across many through a domain policy.

• Press Win+R, type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
• Go to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Remote Desktop Services, Remote Desktop Session Host, Session Time Limits.
• Open the setting named Set time limit for active but idle Remote Desktop Services sessions.
• Choose Enabled and set the idle limit to Never, or to a longer value, then click OK.
• Also check Set time limit for disconnected sessions and End session when time limits are reached, so a disconnected session is not removed.
• Run gpupdate /force in a command prompt, or sign out and back in.

Home editions of Windows do not include the local Group Policy editor, and they do not host incoming Remote Desktop connections in the usual way, so this applies mainly to Pro, Enterprise and Server editions.

Option 2: Change the session settings on a server

On Windows Server, you can also set limits per connection. Open Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration (or the collection properties in Server Manager on newer versions), open the Sessions tab and look at the idle session limit. Untick the override of user settings if you want the setting to apply to everyone, then set the idle limit to No timeout.

Be aware that a Group Policy setting takes priority over these local settings. If your change appears to do nothing, a domain policy is probably overriding it.

Option 3: Use the registry

The same policy can be written directly to the registry, which is handy for scripts or editions without the policy editor. Back up the registry first, since a wrong edit can cause problems.

• Open regedit and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services. Create the key if it does not exist.
• Create or edit a DWORD value named MaxIdleTime and set it to 0 for no limit. Values are in milliseconds.
• Optionally set MaxDisconnectionTime to 0 so disconnected sessions stay alive.
• Restart the machine or run gpupdate /force.

Option 4: Keep the session active from the client

Sometimes you cannot change the server because it belongs to your employer or a hosting provider, and you should respect those rules. Where you are permitted to stay connected, a small utility can simulate activity so the idle counter never runs out.

Keep It Alive is a free tool that does this. It sends harmless activity at regular intervals, so the session is treated as in use. You can read how it works on the Keep It Alive home page and grab it from the download page. Run it inside the remote session, or on the local machine, depending on where the timeout is being measured.

For setup questions, the Keep It Alive help page covers the options in more detail.

Remote Desktop idle timeout versus the warning message

Some users see a message that the session will disconnect soon, others are cut off with no warning. The warning only appears when a time limit exists, so removing or extending the limit also removes the message. Network drops are a different cause: if the connection is lost because of a router, VPN or firewall timeout, the session may disconnect even though it was never idle. In that case, check the VPN and firewall idle settings as well.

Troubleshooting when the timeout still happens

• Check for a domain Group Policy that overrides your local change by running gpresult /r.
• Confirm the right policy is set: idle limit, disconnected limit and the end-session option are three separate settings.
• Look at screen savers and lock screen policies, which can lock the session even without a disconnect.
• Test whether a VPN or firewall closes quiet connections after a fixed time.
• Make sure you edited the server being connected to, not your local PC.

Security considerations

Removing the idle limit leaves logged-in sessions open for longer. Keep screen locking enabled, use strong passwords and limit who can connect. If you only need long sessions occasionally, a generous limit is safer than no limit at all.