NPU not detected in Microsoft Remote session using OpenVINO

[bmhydar]

When running OpenVINO on an Intel laptop via Microsoft Remote, the NPU is not showing up or being detected.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Connect to the Intel laptop using Microsoft Remote Desktop.
2. Run OpenVINO's inference engine with the expected hardware settings for the NPU.
3. Observe that the NPU is not detected in the available devices.

**Expected Behavior:
The NPU should be detected even in a remote session.

Environment:

• OpenVINO Version: 2025.1.0-18001-c4218377714
• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro 24H2
• Hardware: Intel(R) Core(TM) Ultra 7 155U 1.70 GHz
• Remote Access Tool: Microsoft Remote Desktop

Additional Context:
I was advised to raise this issue on GitHub. Any guidance or troubleshooting tips would be appreciated.

[brmarkus]

Do you have a chance to check natively (without remote access) whether the NPU gets detected? Maybe something in the installation is missing, or outdated, or blocking?
Does e.g. the MS-Windows Task-Manager shows the NPU besides CPU, GPU, network and storage devices, like the following?

[Bheema-Shanker-Neyigapula]

Hi @bmhydar

Possible Solutions:

1. Check Local Access to NPU
   Ensure that the NPU works when you are physically using the laptop without a remote desktop session. This will help confirm that the hardware is functioning correctly.

2. Ensure Correct OpenVINO Installation
   Double-check that OpenVINO is properly installed on the system and that all required components (like the Inference Engine and the hardware plugin for the NPU) are set up.

   Run the following command to verify that OpenVINO is detecting the NPU locally:

   python -m openvino.inference_engine --device NPU
   

3. Use Local Sessions Instead of Remote Desktop
   Some hardware accelerators, like NPUs, might not be passed through properly in a remote session. Test using the laptop directly (not through Remote Desktop).

4. Configure Remote Desktop for GPU/Device Redirection
   In some cases, remote desktop protocols do not pass through specific hardware resources like NPUs or GPUs. If you must use remote desktop:

• Ensure that the remote desktop session is configured to allow access to the hardware.
• Consider using Hyper-V RemoteFX or Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) with hardware acceleration if supported by your environment.

5. Check Remote Desktop Device Redirection Settings
   Ensure that hardware acceleration is properly redirected through the remote desktop session. You can do this by enabling or configuring the RemoteFX settings in the RDP configuration, though not all remote sessions may support NPU passthrough.

6. Try a Different Remote Protocol
   Use alternative remote desktop protocols like VNC or TeamViewer, which may allow better access to local hardware resources.

Please let me know if any of these steps work or if you encounter further issues! 🙏