Terminal Server Installation

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

The Terminal Server role service, known as the Terminal Server component in Windows Server® 2003, enables a Windows Server® 2008-based server to host Windows®-based programs or the full Windows desktop. From their own computing devices, users can connect to a terminal server to run programs and to use network resources on that server.

In Windows Server 2008, you must do the following to install the Terminal Server role service, and to configure the terminal server to host programs:

  1. Use Server Manager to install the Terminal Server role service.

  2. Install programs on the server.

  3. Configure remote connection settings. This includes adding users and groups that need to connect to the terminal server.

For information about Terminal Server installation prerequisites, see "Checklist: Terminal Server Installation Prerequisites" in the Terminal Server Help in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=101636).

Installing the Terminal Server role service

You can use the following procedure to use Server Manager to install the Terminal Server role service on the computer if Terminal Services is not already installed on the server. If Terminal Services is already installed on the server, see Install the Terminal Server role service (when Terminal Services is already installed).

Important

The installation of the Terminal Server role service requires the computer to be restarted.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, on the terminal server that you plan to configure, is the minimum required to complete this procedure.

To install the Terminal Server role service

  1. Open Server Manager. To open Server Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.

  2. In the left pane, right-click Roles, and then click Add Roles.

  3. In the Add Roles Wizard, on the Before You Begin page, click Next.

  4. On the Select Server Roles page, under Roles, select the Terminal Services check box.

Note

If Terminal Services is already installed on the server, the Terminal Services check box will be selected and dimmed.

  1. Click Next.

  2. On the Terminal Services page, click Next.

  3. On the Select Role Services page, select the Terminal Server check box, and then click Next.

Note

If you are installing the Terminal Server role service on a domain controller, you will receive a warning message because installing the Terminal Server role service on a domain controller is not recommended. For more information, see "Installing Terminal Server on a Domain Controller" in the Terminal Server Help in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=109277).

  1. On the Uninstall and Reinstall Applications for Compatibility page, click Next.

  2. On the Specify Authentication Method for Terminal Server page, select the appropriate authentication method for the terminal server, and then click Next. For more information about authentication methods, see "Configure the Network Level Authentication Setting for a Terminal Server" in the Terminal Server Help in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=109280).

  3. On the Specify Licensing Mode page, select the appropriate licensing mode for the terminal server, and then click Next. For more information about licensing modes, see "Specify the Terminal Services Licensing Mode" in the Terminal Services Configuration Help in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=101638).

  4. On the Select User Groups Allowed Access To This Terminal Server page, add the users or user groups that you want to be able to remotely connect to this terminal server, and then click Next. For more information, see "Configure the Remote Desktop User Group" in the Terminal Server Help in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=109278).

  5. On the Confirm Installation Selections page, verify that the Terminal Server role service will be installed, and then click Install.

  6. On the Installation Progress page, installation progress will be noted.

  7. On the Installation Results page, you are prompted to restart the server to finish the installation process. Click Close, and then click Yes to restart the server.

  8. If you are prompted that other programs are still running, do either of the following:

    • To close the programs manually and restart the server later, click Cancel.

    • To automatically close the programs and restart the server, click Restart now.

  9. After the server restarts and you log on to the computer, the remaining steps of the installation will finish. When the Installation Results page appears, confirm that the installation of Terminal Server succeeded.

    You can also confirm that Terminal Server is installed by following these steps:

    1. Start Server Manager.

    2. Under Roles Summary, click Terminal Services.

    3. Under System Services, confirm that Terminal Services has a status of Running.

    4. Under Role Services, confirm that Terminal Server has a status of Installed.

Install the Terminal Server role service (when Terminal Services is already installed)

You can use the following procedure to install the Terminal Server role service when Terminal Services is already installed on the computer.

Important

The installation of the Terminal Server role service requires the computer to be restarted.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, on the terminal server that you plan to configure, is the minimum required to complete this procedure.

To install the Terminal Server role service when Terminal Services is already installed

  1. Open Server Manager. To open Server Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.

  2. In the left pane, expand Roles.

  3. Right-click Terminal Services, and then click Add Role Services.

  4. On the Select Role Services page, select the Terminal Server check box, and then click Next.

Note

If you are installing the Terminal Server role service on a domain controller, you will receive a warning message because installing the Terminal Server role service on a domain controller is not recommended. For more information, see "Installing Terminal Server on a Domain Controller" in the Terminal Server Help in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=109277).

  1. On the Uninstall and Reinstall Applications for Compatibility page, click Next.

  2. On the Specify Authentication Method for Terminal Server page, select the appropriate authentication method for the terminal server, and then click Next. For more information about authentication methods, see "Configure the Network Level Authentication Setting for a Terminal Server" in the Terminal Server Help in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=109280).

  3. On the Specify Licensing Mode page, select the appropriate licensing mode for the terminal server, and then click Next. For more information about licensing modes, see "Specify the Terminal Services Licensing Mode" in the Terminal Services Configuration Help in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=101638).

  4. On the Select User Groups Allowed Access To This Terminal Server page, add the users or user groups that you want to be able to remotely connect to this terminal server, and then click Next. For more information, see "Configure the Remote Desktop User Group" in the Terminal Server Help in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=109278).

  5. On the Confirm Installation Selections page, verify that the Terminal Server role service will be installed, and then click Install.

  6. On the Installation Progress page, installation progress will be noted.

  7. On the Installation Results page, you are prompted to restart the server to finish the installation process. Click Close, and then click Yes to restart the server.

  8. If you are prompted that other programs are still running, do either of the following:

    • To close the programs manually and restart the server later, click Cancel.

    • To automatically close the programs and restart the server, click Restart now.

  9. After the server restarts and you log on to the computer, the remaining steps of the installation will finish. When the Installation Results page appears, confirm that the installation of Terminal Server succeeded.

    You can also confirm that Terminal Server is installed by following these steps:

    1. Start Server Manager.

    2. Under Roles Summary, click Terminal Services.

    3. Under SystemServices, confirm that Terminal Services has a status of Running.

    4. Under Role Services, confirm that Terminal Server has a status of Installed.

Installing programs

Install programs on the terminal server after you have installed the Terminal Server role service. If you install the Terminal Server role service on a computer that already has programs installed, some of the existing programs may not work correctly in a multiple user environment.

Some programs may require minor setup modifications to run correctly on a terminal server.

Before you install a program on the terminal server, type change user /install at the command prompt to place the system in install mode. After the program is installed, type change user /execute at the command prompt to return the system to execute mode.

Note

If you install a program from an .msi package, you do not have to run these commands to switch the system in and out of install mode. Instead, you can run the .msi package or associated Setup file directly.

If you have programs that are related to each other or have dependencies on each other, we recommend that you install the programs on the same terminal server. For example, we recommend that you install Microsoft Office as a suite instead of installing individual Office programs on separate terminal servers.

You should consider putting individual programs on separate terminal servers in the following circumstances:

  • The program has compatibility issues that may affect other programs.

  • A single program and the number of associated users may fill server capacity.

Configuring remote connection settings

By default, remote connections are enabled after you install the Terminal Server role service. You can use the following procedure to add users and groups that need to connect to the terminal server, and to verify or to change remote connection settings.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, on the terminal server that you plan to configure, is the minimum required to complete this procedure.

To configure remote connection settings

  1. Start the System tool. To start the System tool, use either of the following methods:

    • Click Start, and then click Control Panel. In Control Panel, double-click System.

    • Click Start, click Run, type control system and then click OK.

  2. Under Tasks, click Remote Settings.

  3. In the System Properties dialog box, on the Remote tab, click either of the following, depending on your environment:

    • Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop   By default, this option is enabled. Use this option if users will access the terminal server from any client computers that are running a version of the RDC client that does not support Network Level Authentication.

    • **Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication   **Use this option if all client computers that will access the terminal server are running a version of the RDC client that supports Network Level Authentication. If a client that does not support Network Level Authentication tries to connect, they will receive an authentication error message.

    For more information about the two options, click the Help me choose link on the Remote tab.

  4. Click Select Users to add the users and groups that need to connect to the terminal server by using Remote Desktop. The users and groups that you add are added to the Remote Desktop Users group.

    Members of the local Administrators group can connect even if they are not listed.

    If you select Don't allow connections to this computer on the Remote tab, no users will be able to connect remotely to this computer, even if they are members of the Remote Desktop Users group.

To determine whether a computer is running a version of the RDC client that supports Network Level Authentication, start the RDC client, click the icon in the upper-left corner of the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, and then click About. Look for the phrase "Network Level Authentication supported" in the About Remote Desktop Connection dialog box.

Additional references

For information about other new features in Terminal Services, see What's New in Terminal Services for Windows Server 2008.