Enabling Webcam on RDS

This will show you what you need to do in order to enable webcam access on an RDS server.

NOTE: Using a webcam on RDS will result in significant CPU usage (30%+ in my case). You should recommend that users instead use their webcams from their local computers.

The setup is actually easy but I ran into some issues that you'll see below.

My configuration:


  • Server 2016 RD gateway
  • Server 2016 RD Session host
  • Windows 10 1809 workstation
  • VMware 5.5 hosting both VMs
  • Built in laptop webcam and Logitech C270 webcam

Enabling:

  1. If you are using an RD Gateway, make sure that redirection is enabled for the collection (not 100% sure this is required). No further gateway config is required.
  2. On the workstations, or on a GPO applied to workstations, enable the setting below:
    1. Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Remote Desktop Services/Remote Desktop Connection Client/RemoteFX USB Device Redirection/Allow RDP redirection of other supported RemoteFX USB devices from this computer.
      1. Select Admins only, or Admins and Users
  3. Reboot the computer
  4. Open MSTSC.exe and make sure that you are redirecting RemoteFX usb devices. If you don't see this, reboot again and make sure that you don't have any other MSTSC windows open.
  5. Log into the RDS server and the webcam should work(give it 10-15 seconds to redirect before testing). 
  6. If it does not work, make sure that the privacy settings are allowing access to the webcam
    1. Open Settings
    2. Click on Privacy
    3. Click on Camera
    4. Enable "Allow apps to access your camera"

If it doesn't immediately work, check to see if you have a printer icon on the blue bar. Select the device that you want to redirect.
I tested the webcam by going to the first "webcam test" site that I found on google. 

Issues I ran into

My testing PC did not work at all. I never got the "Other supported RemoteFX USB Devices" option on MSTSC no matter what I tried (the production PC worked fine). 

The webcam worked fine for the user but when we disconnected we lost the "Other supported RemoteFX USB Devices" setting on MSTSC. I had to reboot to get it back.

Comments

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  2. Hey Andy, great writeup.

    I tried installing a webcam for one of my users and I checkboxed the option that you have highlighted and changed the GPO to allow for "Other supported RemoteFX USB Devices" but when in the RDS it still does not work.

    Our gateway is built on the VMWare platform and I was wondering if you knew of any commands that would supersede GPO that could come from VMWare. This is a longshot, of course.

    Thank you for the great writeup on a very relevant issue for me.

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  3. CAMERA PRIVACY SETTING ON RDS SERVER!!!! I could never get remote video working for my RDS server and you are the first walkthrough that mentioned this key point. Once it was turned on, it worked like a charm!

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