When you connect to a work computer or server with Remote Desktop, your local printer should appear inside the session so remote documents print on your desk. If it's missing, or appears but jobs vanish, the issue is printer redirection, the feature that passes your printer through the connection. It must be allowed in your Remote Desktop app, on the remote computer and by any policies in between. This guide checks each, starting with the setting most often switched off by accident.
What you might be seeing
- Your local printer is missing from the remote session
- A redirected printer appears but jobs don't print
- Printing from the session is very slow or garbled
- The wrong printer is the default inside the session
Common causes
- Redirection off in the client
- If the Printers option under local resources is unticked, no printers are passed through.
- Host policy blocks redirection
- The remote computer or its domain policy can prevent client printers from being redirected.
- Driver problems
- Redirected printers use a universal driver by default, and output breaks when it or a mismatched driver fails.
- Local printer problem
- A printer that doesn't work on your own computer won't work through Remote Desktop either.
How to fix it, step by step
Work through these in order and test a print after each one. Most people are done within the first few steps.
Confirm the printer works locally
Before connecting, print a test page on your own computer from Printers & scanners. If that fails, fix local printing first, because Remote Desktop only passes along a working printer. Also make sure the printer is actually installed on your computer, not just reachable on the network, since only installed printers can be redirected.
Turn on printer redirection in Remote Desktop Connection
Open Remote Desktop Connection and click Show Options. On the Local Resources tab, under Local devices and resources, make sure Printers is ticked. Go back to the General tab and click Save so the setting sticks, then click Connect. If you use a saved connection file, open it for editing and save it the same way.
Sign out and reconnect, don't just disconnect
Redirected printers are created when you sign in to the remote computer. If you only closed the window last time, your old session may still be running without them. Inside the session, sign out from the Start menu, then connect again. Open Printers & scanners in the session and look for your printer's name followed by redirected and a number.
Pick the redirected printer when printing
In the remote app's print dialog, choose the entry with redirected in its name, not a printer installed on the remote computer with a similar name. To make it the default in the session, set it as default on your own computer before connecting, since Remote Desktop normally carries your local default through unless a policy prevents it.
Check settings in other Remote Desktop apps
If you connect from a Mac, tablet or phone, printer options live in that app's connection settings, usually in a devices or local resources section with a Printers option. Some mobile apps don't support printer redirection at all. In that case, save the document as a PDF in the session, transfer it to your device and print it there.
Check the host's printer redirection policy
On the remote computer, an administrator can open
gpedit.msc(Pro and higher editions) and go to Computer Configuration › Administrative Templates › Windows Components › Remote Desktop Services › Remote Desktop Session Host › Printer Redirection. Do not allow client printer redirection should be Not configured or Disabled. Rungpupdate /forceafterwards and reconnect. On managed networks, this decision belongs to the administrator.Use a matching driver on the remote computer
If the printer appears but output is garbled or missing features, the universal Easy Print driver may not suit it. An administrator can install the same driver your computer uses on the remote computer, from Windows Update or the manufacturer's official website, and set Use Remote Desktop Easy Print printer driver first to Disabled in the same policy folder. Sign out and reconnect so the session uses the matching driver.
How to keep it from happening again
- Keep Printers ticked and saved in your connection settings
- Sign out of remote sessions instead of just closing the window
- Keep your local printer driver up to date
- Use a PDF workaround for occasional prints from unsupported apps
Common questions
Can I print to a printer at the remote office instead?
Yes. If that printer is installed on the remote computer, it appears in the print dialog alongside your redirected printers. The output comes out at the remote location, not where you are, so double-check which one you've selected before printing anything you need in your hands.
Why is printing through Remote Desktop so slow?
Every job travels across your internet connection, and graphics or photos make large files. Print smaller page ranges, avoid high-quality settings for drafts, or save a PDF in the session, copy it to your own computer through a redirected drive or the clipboard, and print it locally.
Does Remote Desktop printing work with Windows Home?
Windows Home can connect to other computers with Remote Desktop and redirect its printers, but it can't host Remote Desktop sessions itself. The remote computer needs a Pro, Enterprise or server edition. The policy editor used to change redirection rules isn't included in Home editions either.
This guide is general information written for common home and office printers. Menus and button names vary between models, so check your printer’s manual where a step differs. Printer Problems Solved is independent and not affiliated with any printer manufacturer. See our disclaimer.