Configure Temporary Folders for a Terminal Server

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

By default, Terminal Services creates a separate temporary folder on the terminal server for each active session that a user maintains on the terminal server. The temporary folder is created on the terminal server in a Temp folder under the user’s profile folder and is named with the "sessionid." This temporary folder is used to store individual temporary files.

To reclaim disk space, the temporary folder is deleted when the user logs off from a session.

Use the following procedure to configure temporary folders on the terminal server.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at Local and Domain Default Groups (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477).

To configure temporary folders on the terminal server

  1. Open Terminal Services Configuration. To open Terminal Services Configuration, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Terminal Services, and then click Terminal Services Configuration.

  2. Under General, double-click either Delete temporary folders on exit or Use temporary folders per session.

  3. On the General tab of the Properties dialog box, make the appropriate selection for your environment for the Delete temporary folders on exit and the Use temporary folders per session check boxes.

    If you clear the Use temporary folders per session check box, a user's temporary files for all sessions on the terminal server are stored in a common Temp folder under the user’s profile folder on the terminal server.

You can also configure temporary folders on the terminal server by using the Do not delete temp folder upon exit and the Do not use temporary folders per session Group Policy settings. These Group Policy settings are located in Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Terminal Services\Terminal Server\Temporary folders and can be configured by using either the Local Group Policy Editor or the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). Note that the Group Policy setting will take precedence over the setting configured in Terminal Services Configuration.

For more information about Group Policy settings for Terminal Services, see the Terminal Services Technical Reference (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Linkid=89673).

Additional references