Chrome only works on the first session for multi-session logins

Question

I haven't found anything looking like a good answer to my problem, so I'll articulate my own question:

On a Terminal-/Remote Desktop Server (2012 R2), we have a problem running Chrome where there are multiple sessions for the same user. (e.g. a shared "Front Desk" AD user where 2 or 3 people at work may be logged into 4 or 5 RDP sessions with the same user account)

The first launch of Chrome works fine for whichever session opens it. None of the other sessions can use Chrome, however, at least not until the initially launched program instance is closed.

I found an explanation followed by a very unsexy suggestion in the Chromium forums (https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=160676), so I'm trying to ask here instead in hope that there is a better and more intuitive solution to the problem.

Thank you!

Answer 1

I don't see your log or any other trace clue. One of my guess chrome's user data directory was locked by the chrome opened.

You might try open the chrome from cmd with this command:

chrome.exe --user-data-dir="C:\temp\user1"

It is starting chrome with a new user data directory.

Answer 2

Workaround details for this issue are here:

https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=160676