How to use RemoteFx to Redirect USB Devices in Windows

Scenario

RemoteFx is an upgraded version of Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). From RDP 8.0, RemoteFx can be used to redirect local USB devices to a remote desktop through the RDP data channel, ensuring that the CVM can use these USB devices.

This document uses the following environment versions as examples to describe how to enable the RemoteFx USB redirection feature of RDP to redirect USB devices to a CVM.

• Client: Windows 10
• Server: Windows Server 2016

Use Limits

Because RDP 8.0 and later versions support the RemoteFx USB redirection feature, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019 all support this feature. If the operating system of your local PC has one of these versions, you do not need to install the RDP 8.0 update patch. If your local PC has Windows 7 or Windows Vista, please go to Microsoft official website to get and install the RDP 8.0 update patch.

Directions

Configuring the server

1. Logging in to a Windows instance using the RDP file (recommended).
2. On the desktop, click  and select Server Manager to open Server Manager.
3. In the “Server Manager” window, click Add roles and features, as shown in the following figure:
   
4. In the pop-up “Add Roles and Features Wizard” window, click Next to go to the “Select installation type” page.
5. On the “Select installation type” page, select Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
6. On the “Select destination server” page, keep the default configurations and click Next.
7. On the “Select server roles” page, select Remote Desktop Services and click Next, as shown in the following figure:
   
8. Keep the default configurations and click Next for 2 times.
9. On the “Select role services” page, select Remote Desktop Session Host, Remote Desktop Connection Broker, and Remote Desktop Licensing. In the pop-up window, click Add Features, as shown in the following figure:
   
10. Click Next.
11. Click Install.
12. After the installation is completed, restart the CVM.
13. On the desktop, click , enter gpedit.msc, and press Enter to open “Local Group Policy Editor”.
14. In the leftside navigation tree, choose Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Device and Resource Redirection, and double-click Do not allow supported Plug and Play device redirection, as shown in the following figure:
    
15. In the pop-up window, select Disabled and click OK, as shown in the following figure:
    
16. Restart the CVM.

Configuring the client

1. On the local PC, right-click  and choose Run to open the “Run” dialog box, as shown in the following figure:
2. In the “Run” dialog box, enter gpedit.msc and click OK to open “Local Group Policy Editor”.
3. In the leftside navigation tree, choose Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Connection Client > RemoteFx USB Redirection and double-click Allow RDP redirection of other supported RemoteFx USB devices, as shown in the following figure:
   
4. In the pop-up window, select Enabled and set the RemoteFx USB redirection access permission to Administrators and Users, as shown in the following figure:
   
5. Click OK.
6. Restart the local PC.

Verifying the configuration result

1. On your local PC, insert a USB device, right-click  and choose Run to open the “Run” dialog box.
2. In the “Run” dialog box, enter mstsc and press Enter to open the remote desktop connection dialog box, as shown in the following figure:
   
3. Enter the Windows server’s public IP address in Computer, and then click Options.
4. On the Local Resources tab page, click More under “Local devices and resources”, as shown in the following figure:
   
5. In the pop-up window, expand Other supported RemoteFx USB devices, select the inserted USB device, and click OK.
   
6. Click Connect.
7. In the pop-up Windows Security window, enter the instance’s admin account and password, as shown in the following figure:
   
8. Click OK to log in to the Windows instance.
   If  appears on the Windows instance operation page, the configuration was successful.
   

Relevant Operations

Windows RDP provides optimized connection for standard USB devices. Devices such as drivers and cameras can be mapped directly without enabling the RemoteFx feature. The RemoteFX USB redirection feature is required for less commonly used USB devices. The following table lists the redirection methods for these USB devices.