Ellie

By Ellie Twitter / Last Updated December 13, 2022

How do I get my microphone to work through Remote Desktop?

 

I'm trying to provide remote support to one of my clients via Remote Desktop (RDP), but only find the microphone is not working, which is quite inconvenient. Are there any suggestions that could help me get my microphone to work through Remote Desktop?"

- Question from Alex

More feedback from other users includes that they are able to connect to a Windows 10 Pro Creators update host using RDP, and they can see the “Remote Sound” icon in the tray and it shows when audio is playing with the volume bar, however, the hosts sound is not transmitted to the RDP session.

Why is RDP microphone redirection not working?

RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) has been really helpful for people who work at home. With RDP, people can access and transfer important files on their office computers or provide remote support for their clients. But sometimes, problems such as remote desktop no sound may happen. This problem probably is caused by RDP microphone redirection not working.

So what causes the RDP microphone redirection not working windows 10 issue? Here in this post, the top four possible causes are listed. It may be because of Remote Desktop Connection settings. If Remote audio playback is set to “Do not play” or Remote audio recording is set to “Do not record”, then RDP microphone redirection may not work correctly. It may also be caused by improper Group Policy setting, Registry setting, and Services setting.

How to solve RDP microphone redirection not working issue?

The four possible causes of RDP microphone redirection not working issue has been discussed above. Here in this part, solutions to this issue will be given to help you troubleshoot it. You could follow the solutions listed below to check the settings on both the Client and the Server.

Solution 1. Verify Remote Desktop Connection settings

Step 1. Search for Remote Desktop Connection in the Search box. And then open it.

Remote Desktop Connection

Step 2. In the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, click Show Options.

Show Options

Step 3. Click the Local Resources tab, and then click Settings under Remote Audio.

Local Resources

Step 4. For Remote audio playback, select Play on this computer (for remote audio to play on local machine). For Remote audio recording, select Record from this computer (for the local mic to be used on the remote machine. Then click OK.

Remote Audio Playback Recording

Solution 2. Check Registry setting

Step 1. Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog box and then type in “regedit” and hit OK to open Registry Editor.

Run Box Regedit

Step 2. Navigate here: Computer > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > Terminal Server > WinStations > RDP-Tcp

RDP Tcp

Step 3. On the right pane, click on fDisableAudioCapture to change its value data. In Windows 7 Enterprise Edition, this value data is set to 1 by default. Therefore, Audio Recording Redirection is not available. You need to set the value to 0. Then click on OK.

Disable Audio Capture

Audio Value Data

Solution 3. Check Group Policy setting

Step 1. Invoke the Run dialog box. Type in “gpedit.msc” and press OK. This will open up the Local Group Policy Editor window.

Local Group Policy Editor Window

Step 2. Navigate here: Computer configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Device and Resource Redirection

Device and Resource Redirection

Step 3. On the right pane, double click Allow audio recording redirection and set it to Enable. Then click OK.

Allow Audio Recording Redirection

Solution 4. Check Services setting

Step 1. Invoke the Run dialog box. Type in “services.msc” and hit OK.

Services.msc

Step 2. In the Services window, double click Remote Desktop Services UserMode Port Redirector to check its status.

Remote Desktop Services Usermode Port Redirector

Step 3. Change the Startup type to Automatic.

Redirector Startup Type

The most convenient free RDP alternative

Sometimes you may encounter a lot of problems like RDP microphone redirection not working when remotely connect to another computer. You may want to have an easy-to-operate remote control software. You are recommended to download an alternative, AnyViewer. It can easily connect to remote computers without changing various settings on your computer.  As long as you can access the Internet, AnyViewer can be used normally. Follow the steps below to establish a remote connection right away.

Download Freeware Win PCs & Servers
Secure Download

Step 1. Download, install, and launch AnyViewer on both computers.

Step 2. Go to Log in, and then click Sign up. (If you already have signed up on its official website, you can log in directly.)

Log in AnyViewer

Step 3. Fill in the signup information.

Sign Up for AnyViewer

Step 4. Then you can see you successfully logged in to AnyViewer. Your device will automatically be assigned to the account you've logged in to.

Free Editions

Step 5. Log in to the same AnyViewer account on the two devices, then click One-click control to achieve unattended remote access.

Connect to My Devices

 Note: If you want to assign more devices to achieve unattended remote access, then you can upgrade your account to a Professional or Enterprise plan. Also, you can connect to another computer in privacy mode, which means you can black the screen and block the mouse and keyboard of the remote computer.

Pro Edition

Conclusion

This post primarily introduces four causes of RDP microphone redirection not working problem and gives their respective solutions. If you're facing this Remote Desktop no sound problem right now, check out this post to troubleshoot it.