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How to Disable Remote Desktop Protocol (Microsoft RDP)

If you not using or don’t want the remote desktop feature, you can turn it off. Follow these steps to disable remote desktop (Microsoft rdp) in Windows.

The remote desktop protocol feature is present in Windows for a long time now. In case you don’t know, the remote desktop protocol or shortly known as Microsoft RDP lets you connect to and manage another computer over a network with a graphical user interface. As you can guess, the ability to connect to another computer over the network to manage it like you are physically at that computer is very useful in a lot of situations. For example, if you are running a home server, you can use the RDP to manage it over the network.

Like any remote desktop service, Windows RDP uses client-server technology. That is, the recipient should have the Microsoft RDP server enabled and running while the connecting user should have the client RDP enabled and running.

Though the remote desktop protocol is useful, if you are not using it, it is better to disable it. That way, you can be sure that there are no unauthorized connections or any issues with possible vulnerabilities.

In this quick and simple Windows guide, let me show you the steps to disable remote desktop protocol (disable RDP) in Windows 10. These methods will also work in Windows 7 and 8 too.

Jump to:

Disable remote desktop in Windows 10 Settings

The Windows 10 Settings app allows you to disable RDP with a single click. Here is how to find the remote desktop option in the Settings app and disable it.

  1. Use the “Windows key + I” shortcut to open the Windows 10 Settings.
  2. Click on the “System” option in the main window.
  3. Select the “Remote desktop” tab on the sidebar on the System page.
  4. Turn off the “Enable remote desktop” option.
  5. Close the Settings app.
  6. Restart Windows 10.
disable remote desktop
disable remote desktop (rdp)

That is all. With the above steps, you have turned off the remote desktop feature in Windows 10 via the Settings app. You can do the reverse to enable remote desktop in Windows 10.

Disable remote desktop in registry

The remote desktop feature can be disabled from the Windows Registry Editor. All you have to do is modify the fDenyTSConnections value. Here is how you can do it.

1. On Windows, open the Registry Editor. To do that execute the “regedit” Run command or search for “Registry Editor” in the start menu.

2. Paste the following path in the editor’s address bar and press the Enter key. This action will take you to the relevant registry folder.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurRentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\

3. Double-click on the “fDenyTSConnections” value. You will see this value to the right side of the registry window.

4. Set the Value Data to “0” from 1. Click on the “Ok” button to save changes.

5. Close the registry editor and restart Windows 10.

With that, you’ve disabled the Microsoft RDP from the Registry Editor. After restarting, the changes will be applied. If you want to enable remote desktop back, change the Value Data from 0 to “1”.

Command to disable remote desktop in Windows

Use the below command to disable remote desktop RDP in Windows.

1. Open the Start menu.

2. Search for “Command Prompt” and right-click on the Command Prompt result.

3. select the “Run as administrator” option from the context menu. This action will open the Command Prompt as admin.

4. Execute the below command to disable remote desktop in Windows.

Reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurRentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server”  /v fDenyTSConnections /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

5. Finally, close the Command Prompt window and restart the system.

That is all. It is that simple to disable remote desktop protocol in Windows. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible.

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