Default Printer Settings Failing to Persist Across Sessions on Windows Server 2022 Terminal Services

Hi George Wilson,

I’m following up to check whether the issue has been resolved. Feel free to reply if you need further information. If the information provided was helpful, please click "Accept Answer" to help others in the community. Thank you!

Hi George Wilson,

What you’re seeing is a common behavior in Windows Server 2022 Remote Desktop Services, where user profiles and session policies can override manually set defaults. By design, the system may reset the default printer at logon if Group Policy or session redirection settings are in play.

Here are a few steps that usually resolve the problem:

• Check Group Policy settings under User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Printers. Ensure “Always use the default printer” is enabled.
• If printer redirection is active, confirm that the Canon device is mapped correctly and not being overridden by session defaults.
• Verify that the print server drivers are up to date and consistent across all servers in the farm.
• Consider using a logon script or Intune/Group Policy Preferences to enforce the Canon printer as default at each session start.
• If roaming profiles are in use, confirm that the printer settings are being saved and not discarded at logoff.

I hope this gives you a clear path forward. If you find this answer helpful, please consider clicking Accept Answer so others can benefit too.

Jason.

On Remote Desktop Session Host (Terminal Services), the default printer in a user’s session is controlled by how the RD Session Host handles the client’s default printer, not just by what is set inside the session.

Use the Remote Desktop printer default policy to stop the default from being overridden by the client printer:

1. Configure the RD Session Host policy (via MDM/Intune or equivalent CSP consumer) that maps to TS_CLIENT_DEFAULT_M:
   • Enable the policy so that the default printer is the printer specified on the remote computer (the session), not the client default.
   • With this enabled, the RD Session Host will no longer automatically set the client’s default printer as the default printer in the session.
2. After the policy is applied and the server or session is refreshed, set the Canon iRA c3520i as the default printer inside the user’s session. Because the RD Session Host is no longer overriding the default with the client default printer at logon, the Canon default should persist across sessions.

If the policy is disabled, the RD Session Host will continue to map the client default printer and set it as the default on each connection, which matches the behavior being reported (default changing back every day).

References:

• Policy CSP - ADMX_TerminalServer