Policy

Limit maximum color depth

Windows 11 25H2

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Policy overview

Key metadata and intent for this policy.

ClassComputer
CategoryWindows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Remote Session Environment
Supported onWindows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP

Supported OS tags: Windows7, WindowsServer2003, WindowsServer2008, WindowsVista, WindowsXP

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.

Internal name
TS_COLORDEPTH
Policy ID
c3bfc9c2307c
Elements
1

Registry values

How enabled and disabled states update the registry.

No explicit registry values are set for enabled or disabled states.

Policy elements

Inputs and configuration options exposed by this policy.

ElementTypeRegistry mappingConstraints & behavior
Color Depth
ID TS_Color_Depth
enum
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services\ColorDepth
Type REG_DWORD
Options: Client Compatible (999), 15 bit (2), 16 bit (3), 24 bit (4), 32 bit (5)

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