Increase Windows XP Pro Remote Desktop rdp Connection color depth from 16 to 24 bit

JustaGuy

Renowned Member
Jan 1, 2010
324
2
83
I've been settling for 16-bit color depth for awhile and whenever I would look up instructions on how to increase it, there would be a reference to a group policy setting that didn't exist in mine.

These instructions would say to run gpedit.msc and navigate to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Terminal Services and change the Limit Color Depth setting to allow for over 16-bits.

I found a fix for it, and just wanted to post it in case anyone else runs into the same problem.

This thanks to a post on a Sun blog located here:
http://blogs.sun.com/ThinkThin/entry/24_bit_rdp_under_windows

In summary you change a registry key located here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp
It's the ColorDepth key whose default value is 3, and you just change it to 4 to enable 24-bit color.

You still have to set the appropriate connection options in your client, but now at least when you tell it to use 24-bit it can.
 

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