Enable enhanced shell experience for RemoteApp
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
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 enables an enhanced shell experience for RemoteApp sessions, offering support for default file associations, Run/RunOnce registry keys, and more. This policy setting applies only to RemoteApp sessions and does not apply to Remote Desktop sessions. If you enable or do not configure this policy setting, RemoteApp sessions on RD Session Host servers will have the enhanced shell experience. If you disable this policy setting, RemoteApp sessions will not have the enhanced shell experience and will use the legacy shell behavior. This may be needed if compatibility issues arise in published RemoteApp programs.
Registry
HKLM
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services Value name: UseShellAppRuntimeRemoteApp
Enabled: UseShellAppRuntimeRemoteApp = 1
Disabled: UseShellAppRuntimeRemoteApp = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/RemoteDesktopServices/TS_SERVER_REMOTEAPP_USE_SHELLAPPRUNTIME 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: Enable enhanced shell experience for RemoteApp
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services]
"UseShellAppRuntimeRemoteApp"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable enhanced shell experience for RemoteApp
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'UseShellAppRuntimeRemoteApp' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/RemoteDesktopServices/TS_SERVER_REMOTEAPP_USE_SHELLAPPRUNTIME
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable enhanced shell experience for RemoteApp
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services' -Name 'UseShellAppRuntimeRemoteApp' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable enhanced shell experience for RemoteApp
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'UseShellAppRuntimeRemoteApp' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable enhanced shell experience for RemoteApp
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
# 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: Enable enhanced shell experience for RemoteApp
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services' -Name 'UseShellAppRuntimeRemoteApp' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable enhanced shell experience for RemoteApp
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'UseShellAppRuntimeRemoteApp' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.