Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10  

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    Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10

    Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10

    How to Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10
    Published by Category: Virtualization
    16 Jun 2020
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10


    Hyper-V enables running virtualized computer systems on top of a physical host. These virtualized systems (aka: guests) can be used and managed just as if they were physical computer systems, however they exist in a virtualized and isolated environment.

    You can give a virtual machine access to a computer's local resources, like a removable USB flash drive, when you use Virtual Connection Manager (VMConnect). To make this happen, turn on Enhanced Session Mode on the Hyper-V host, use VMConnect to connect to the virtual machine, and before you connect, choose the local resource that you want to use.

    Enhanced session mode provides the following new capabilities for Virtual Machine Connection sessions:
    • Display Configuration (dynamically re-size window)
    • Audio redirection
    • Printer redirection
    • Full clipboard support (improved over limited prior-generation clipboard support)
    • Smart Card support
    • USB Device redirection
    • Drive redirection
    • Redirection for supported Plug and Play devices

    This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off Hyper-V enhanced session mode for your account and/or all accounts in Windows 10.

    You must be signed in to an administrator account to be able to turn on or off enhanced session mode.

    To be able to use a computer's local resources on a virtual machine:

    * The Hyper-V host (ex: your PC) must have Enhanced session mode policy and Enhanced session mode settings turned on.
    * The Hyper-V virtual machine (guest) must have Remote Desktop Services enabled and run Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 as the guest operating system.
    * Enhanced session mode isn't available for generation 1 (unless Windows 10 Pro, Education, or Enterprise) virtual machines or for virtual machines that run non-Windows operating systems.



    Contents

    • Option One: To Turn On or Off Enhanced Session Mode Policy for All Users in Hyper-V Settings
    • Option Two: To Turn On or Off Enhanced Session Mode Policy for All Users in PowerShell
    • Option Three: To Turn On or Off Enhanced Session Mode for Your Account in Hyper-V Settings



    EXAMPLE: Virtual Connection Manager (VMConnect) for Enhanced Session
    Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10-hyper-v_enhanced_session.jpg
    Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10-enhanced_session.png





    OPTION ONE

    To Turn On or Off Enhanced Session Mode Policy for All Users in Hyper-V Settings


    1 Open Hyper-V Manager.

    2 Select the Hyper-V host (ex: "BRINK-DESKTOP") in the left pane you want to turn on or off enhanced session mode for, and click/tap on Hyper-V Settings in the right Actions pane. (see screenshot below)

    Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10-hyper-v_settings.png

    3 Click/tap on Enhanced Session Mode Policy under Server in the left pane, check (on - default) or uncheck (off) Allow enhanced session mode on the right, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

    Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10-hyper-v_enhanced_session_mode_policy.png

    4 If turned on, users will now be able to use Option Three below to turn on or off enhanced session mode for their account.

    5 When finished, you can close Hyper-V Manager if you like.






    OPTION TWO

    To Turn On or Off Enhanced Session Mode Policy for All Users in PowerShell


    1 Open an elevated PowerShell.

    2 Do step 3 (status), step 4 (turn on), or step 5 (turn off) below for what you would like to do.


     3. To See Current Status of Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode for All Users

    A) Copy and paste the command below into the elevated PowerShell, press Enter, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)

    Get-VMHost | fl -Property EnableEnhancedSessionMode

    True = Turned on (default)

    False = Turned off

    Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10-enhanced_session_mode_status_powershell.png


     4. To Turn On Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode for All Users

    This is the default setting.

    A) Copy and paste the command below into the elevated PowerShell, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

    Set-VMhost -EnableEnhancedSessionMode $True

    Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10-enhanced_session_mode_on_powershell.png

    B) Users will now be able to use Option Three below to turn on or off enhanced session mode for their account.

    C) Go to step 6 below.


     5. To Turn Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode for All Users

    A) Copy and paste the command below into the elevated PowerShell, press Enter, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)

    Set-VMhost -EnableEnhancedSessionMode $False

    Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10-enhanced_session_mode_off_powershell.png


    6 When finished, you can close PowerShell if you like.






    OPTION THREE

    To Turn On or Off Enhanced Session Mode for Your Account in Hyper-V Settings


    1 Open Hyper-V Manager.

    2 Select the Hyper-V host (ex: "BRINK-DESKTOP") in the left pane you want to turn on or off enhanced session mode for, and click/tap on Hyper-V Settings in the right Actions pane. (see screenshot below)

    Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10-hyper-v_settings.png

    3 Do step 4 (turn on) or step 5 (turn off) below for what you would like to do.


     4. To Turn On Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode for Your Account

    This is the default setting.

    A) If you haven't already, you will first need to turn on Hyper-V enhanced session mode policy for all users using either Option One or Option Two above.

    B) Click/tap on Enhanced Session Mode under User in the left pane, check Allow enhanced session mode on the right, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below step 5)


     5. To Turn Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode for Only Your Account

    A) Click/tap on Enhanced Session Mode under User in the left pane, uncheck Allow enhanced session mode on the right, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)

    Turn On or Off Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode in Windows 10-hyper-v_enhanced_session_mode.png


    6 When finished, you can close Hyper-V Manager if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn






  1. Posts : 18
    Windows 10
       #1

    I've done all this and it's still greyed out when I connect to the vm, under: Tools>Enhanced Session. I've enabled Guest services, disabled secure boot, turned on Remote Desktop Services on the host and on the vm, and tried creating different vm's with different configs: Gen1 Gen2 etc, but I can't seem to get it enabled. I'm using W10 Pro with a Mint KDE vm.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Hello gijoe, :)

    I'm afraid that you will need to be using generation 2 virtual machines that run a Windows operating system to access a computer's local resources with enhanced session mode.

    Enhanced session mode isn't available for generation 1 virtual machines or for virtual machines that run non-Windows operating systems.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 15,426
    Windows10
       #3

    Brink said:


    Enhanced session mode isn't available for generation 1 virtual machines or for virtual machines that run non-Windows operating systems.
    This is not entirely true. I have 10 Pro installed as a generation 1 vm and it uses enhanced mode. 10 Home cannot. I believe the difference is because Pro can act as an rdp server.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Ah, you're right on that.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 15,426
    Windows10
       #5

    Brink said:
    Ah, you're right on that.
    Perhaps you should amend the tutorial?

    Edit: I see you have already done that - silly me for thinking otherwise!

    Edit 2: I think it also applies to Education, Enterprise and equivalent Windows 8 versions (and I am guessing here), various Windows server versions?
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #6

      My Computers


  7. Posts : 15,426
    Windows10
       #7

    Brink said:
    I added a second edit - crossed in the post.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Verified for Windows 10 Pro, Education, and Enterprise VMs. :)
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 15,426
    Windows10
       #9

    Brink said:
    Verified for Windows 10 Pro, Education, and Enterprise VMs. :)
    That was fast - that covers the main bases. It would probably have been easier to say it works for Windows 10 except Home version !
      My Computer


 

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