Disconnect remote session on lock for legacy authentication
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Vista
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Security Description
This policy setting allows you to configure the user experience when the Remote Desktop session is locked by the user or by a policy. You can specify whether the remote session will show the remote lock screen or disconnect when the remote session is locked. Disconnecting the remote session ensures that a remote session cannot be left on the lock screen and cannot reconnect automatically due to loss of network connectivity. This policy applies only when using legacy authentication to authenticate to the remote PC. Legacy authentication is limited to username and password, or certificates like smartcards. Legacy authentication doesn't leverage the Microsoft identity platform, such as Microsoft Entra ID. Legacy authentication includes the NTLM, CredSSP, RDSTLS, TLS, and RDP basic authentication protocols. If you enable this policy setting, Remote Desktop connections using legacy authentication will disconnect the remote session when the remote session is locked. Users can reconnect when they're ready and re-enter their credentials when prompted. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Remote Desktop connections using legacy authentication will show the remote lock screen when the remote session is locked. Users can unlock the remote session using their username and password, or certificates.
Registry
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services Value name: fDisconnectOnLockLegacy
Enabled: fDisconnectOnLockLegacy = 1
Disabled: fDisconnectOnLockLegacy = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/RemoteDesktopServices/DisconnectOnLockLegacyAuthn 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: Disconnect remote session on lock for legacy authentication
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Vista
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services]
"fDisconnectOnLockLegacy"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Disconnect remote session on lock for legacy authentication
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'fDisconnectOnLockLegacy' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/RemoteDesktopServices/DisconnectOnLockLegacyAuthn
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Disconnect remote session on lock for legacy authentication
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services' -Name 'fDisconnectOnLockLegacy' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Disconnect remote session on lock for legacy authentication
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'fDisconnectOnLockLegacy' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Disconnect remote session on lock for legacy authentication
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
# 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: Disconnect remote session on lock for legacy authentication
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services' -Name 'fDisconnectOnLockLegacy' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Disconnect remote session on lock for legacy authentication
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'fDisconnectOnLockLegacy' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.