With the rapid popularization of remote office and virtual desktop, more and more enterprises and developers are starting to use Windows cloud computers to deploy office desktops, test environments, program running platforms, etc. However, when collaborating with multiple people, many users have a typical question: Does Windows cloud computer support multiple users to log in and use it at the same time?

　　Design principle of remote desktop of Windows system

　　To understand "can multiple people log in", we must first understand what the Windows system defines as "login".

　　1. Single-user desktop session model

　　The Windows standard desktop system is based on a single-user session model by default, which means that there can only be one valid desktop session for local or remote login. If another user connects remotely, the original user will be forced to log off or switch. Two users are not allowed to log in remotely at the same time and retain their own sessions. This restriction stems from Microsoft's authorization policy and system kernel architecture. It is not technically impossible to achieve, but it is not officially supported.

　　2. Windows Server multi-session support

　　Only Windows Server series systems support multiple users to log in concurrently after matching remote desktop services. But note that by default, only 2 concurrent RDP sessions are supported. If more than 2 concurrent logins are required, you need to purchase an RDS CAL license, install the RDS role, configure the session host, and authorize the server before you can implement multiple concurrent sessions. Therefore, ordinary cloud computers (usually running the desktop version) do not have the ability to legally support multiple users logging in at the same time.

　　Do Windows cloud computers allow multiple people to log in at the same time?

　　1. Common situation: single session limit

　　The operating system provided by most Windows cloud computer service providers under the default configuration is Windows 10/11 Enterprise or Pro, which only allows one remote desktop connection at a time. When multiple people try to log in, prompts such as "Someone has logged in, do you want to force log out" will appear. This is due to the policy of Microsoft Remote Desktop Service to limit concurrent users in the desktop version.

　　2. Risk of illegal cracking of the concurrent mechanism

　　Some so-called "unlocking Windows remote concurrent connections" solutions are circulated on the Internet, such as modifying the termsrv.dll file, applying third-party patches, etc. But please note that this is a violation of the Microsoft licensing agreement. Many patches come from unknown sources and may carry Trojan viruses. Once the system is upgraded, it will automatically revert to single-session mode, affecting stability. In short, although "forced concurrent login" can be achieved technically, it is not advisable at the commercial and security levels.

　　Analysis of common demands for multi-user login

　　Let's take a look at why users want to implement multi-person login on a cloud computer and what are the actual scenarios behind it?

　　1. Reduce costs and share resources with multiple users. For example, a development team does not want to open a cloud computer for each person, but shares a machine to run multiple projects or test environments. This is a demand from the perspective of cost control.

　　2. Collaborative office or remote guidance. Administrators want to remotely guide subordinates to operate on cloud computers, or two people remotely debug the same environment together.

　　3. Automated tasks/idling accounts run simultaneously. Some users want multiple accounts to remotely log in to the machine, collect data, and run script tasks in time. These requirements all belong to the category of multi-session concurrent access, but they all face operating system and authorization restrictions.

　　Solutions and legal alternatives

　　Although standard Windows cloud computers do not support multiple concurrent logins, the following methods can be used to circumvent restrictions or achieve goals.

　　Solution 1: Switch to Windows Server + RDS licensing mode

　　If you really need multiple users to log in at the same time, select Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 when selecting a cloud host, install the Remote Desktop Session Host role, configure the remote desktop licensing service, legally purchase RDS CAL authorization, set up a separate account for each user, and support concurrent access. This solution is compliant and stable, suitable for long-term use by enterprises, but the cost is high (especially RDS CAL authorization is expensive).

　　Solution 2: Use remote collaboration tools to achieve "virtual multi-person desktop sharing"

　　If it is just temporary assistance or sharing the same screen, it is recommended to use AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Chrome Remote Desktop, and Windows remote assistance functions. These tools allow multiple users to "watch and control" the same desktop at the same time, but the focus of the operation is still one user, which is suitable for remote guidance or shared control, rather than independent operation by multiple users.

　　Solution 3: Open multiple virtual desktop containers on a cloud computer (not recommended)

　　Experienced engineers may think of using Hyper-V or VMware to open multiple virtual machines inside the cloud computer, and log in to one account for each virtual machine. However, this method consumes a lot of resources, and cloud service providers may disable virtualization functions. It cannot fundamentally solve the problem of "legal concurrency", and the concurrency and stability are far lower than the native solution.

　　FAQ

　　Q1: Can I log in remotely at the same time if I open multiple Windows user accounts?

　　A: No. Even if you create multiple local accounts, the Windows desktop version (10/11) only allows one remote login session, and it cannot be concurrent.

　　Q2: I saw a tutorial online that can modify the system dll to achieve concurrent login. Is it reliable?

　　A: The risk is extremely high, it violates the authorization agreement, and it may cause system crashes and security vulnerabilities. It is not recommended for enterprise users.

　　Q3: After deploying RDS using Windows Server, can 5 people log in at the same time?

　　A: Yes, as long as you have legally purchased 5 RDS CAL user licenses and correctly configured the remote desktop role.

　　Q4: Is there a desktop system that does not require authorization and can be logged in by multiple people?

　　A: Some Linux distributions (such as Ubuntu + VNC or X2Go) support multiple people at the same time, but the experience is quite different from Windows and is not suitable for Office office needs.