Limit maximum color depth
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Remote Session Environment Description
This policy setting allows you to specify the maximum color resolution (color depth) for Remote Desktop Services connections. You can use this policy setting to set a limit on the color depth of any connection that uses RDP. Limiting the color depth can improve connection performance, particularly over slow links, and reduce server load. If you enable this policy setting, the color depth that you specify is the maximum color depth allowed for a user's RDP connection. The actual color depth for the connection is determined by the color support available on the client computer. If you select Client Compatible, the highest color depth supported by the client will be used. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the color depth for connections is not specified at the Group Policy level. Note: 1. Setting the color depth to 24 bits is only supported on Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP Professional. 2. The value specified in this policy setting is not applied to connections from client computers that are using at least Remote Desktop Protocol 8.0 (computers running at least Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012). The 32-bit color depth format is always used for these connections. 3. For connections from client computers that are using Remote Desktop Protocol 7.1 or earlier versions that are connecting to computers running at least Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012, the minimum of the following values is used as the color depth format: a. Value specified by this policy setting b. Maximum color depth supported by the client c. Value requested by the client If the client does not support at least 16 bits, the connection is terminated.
Registry
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_TerminalServer/TS_COLORDEPTH Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Limit maximum color depth
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services]
"ColorDepth"=dword:000003e7More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Limit maximum color depth
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ColorDepth' -Value 999 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_TerminalServer/TS_COLORDEPTH
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="TS_Color_Depth" value="999"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Limit maximum color depth
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services' -Name 'ColorDepth' -Expected 999 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Limit maximum color depth
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ColorDepth' -Value 999 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Limit maximum color depth
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Limit maximum color depth
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services' -Name 'ColorDepth' -Expected 999 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Limit maximum color depth
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ColorDepth' -Value 999 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.