How to enable USB Redirection in Windows 10 [closed]

Question

My OS is Windows 7 and I have a remote host Windows 8.1 that I can use RDP to redirect local usb device to windows 8.1. But the redirect USB doesn't work in windows 10 host. How can I enable it in windows 10?

Answer 1

I too have had problems using RemoteFX USB Redirection on a Windows 7 Client to a remote host on Azure running Windows 10, while the same machine configuration would successfully redirect USB to a Windows 8.1 Azure VM.

To be clear I've not had issues with the USB redirection for common devices (Flash drives, Printers, etc) that are supported with the vanilla setup of Remote Desktop. This type of USB redirection, for example, allowing me to see a Flash drive that I plug in to my Windows 7 client is working perfectly for me as I can see it in Explorer in the Azure VM.

A comparison of standard RDP redirection and RemoteFX redirection is detailed in this blog entry.

My particular USB redirection problem relates to the classes of devices not handled by the basic RDP high-level redirection, and for that I've enabled RemoteFX USB redirection on previous releases of Windows. When this is functioning correctly the computer icon () appears in the Remote Desktop title bar allowing me to select which device should be redirected to the VM.

^{Titlebar when RemoteFX USB Redirection is working}

Following the instructions on numerous web resources for enabling RemoteFX USB redirection worked for me for earlier OS versions (i.e. Windows 8.1 on a Azure VM), but would not work for any Windows 10 VM I created. The titlebar stubbornly remained without the RemoteFX USB redirection feature.

^{Titlebar when RemoteFX USB Redirection was not working}

I finally stumbled across this thread which solved my problem.

It seems there is one more step needed on a Windows 10 host compared to previous OS versions and that is:

1. Run gpedit.msc on the target VM (the target windows 10 Virtual Machine) to start the Group Policy Editor. gpedit.msc can be typed in from a run dialog (use WinKey+R) if you have administrator access, or start an elevated CMD.EXE and type gpedit.msc from the command line.

2. Locate the item Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Windows Components \ Remote Desktop Services \ Remote Desktop Session Host \ Device and Resource Redirection\ Do not allow supported Plug and Play device redirection from the treeview of the Group Policy Editor.

3. Bizarrely set this item to Disabled.

4. Run gpupdate /force from an elevated command prompt.

5. At least disconnect RDP session and connect again, if this does not work reboot target VM.