General Remote Desktop connection troubleshooting
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- 12/23/2021
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In this article
Use these steps when a Remote Desktop client can't connect to a remote desktop but doesn't provide messages or other symptoms that would help identify the cause.
Question
Creator
Topic
March 22, 2008 at 7:58 am #2245173
Remote Desktop does not connect after a restart
Locked
by balintn · about 13 years, 11 months ago
Hi,
I have been using remote desktop for months in a specific configuration, but after restarting the remote machine via remote desktop, I can not connect to it again. The same holds if I try the “normal way”, or if I try to connect to the console.
The remote machine is a Windows 2003 Server, the desktop is a Windows XP SP2.
Regars,
BalintNTopic is locked This conversation is currently closed to new comments.
Creator
Topic
How to resolve common problems with Windows Remote Desktop
Janne Ruostemaa
staff
Troubleshooting Updated on 2021-03-30 72
If you have problems using Remote Desktop [RDP] with your Windows server, there are a couple of things you can fix. This troubleshooting guide aims to help rule out some of the most common causes for poor functionality.
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20 Replies
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Pimiento
OP
Jun 18, 2012 at 13:55 UTC
1st Post
Can you ping the server?
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Serrano
OP
Jun 18, 2012 at 14:05 UTC
Yes, the server I am trying to RDP to is alive and responds to ping. I am actually connected to it over VNC but I need to be able to RDP to it as well for other reasons. Not sure why I can't yet.
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Jalapeno
OP
Jun 18, 2012 at 14:05 UTC
Just a shot in the dark, have you verified DNS is correct? what about an ipconfig /flushdns?
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Mace
OP
Jun 18, 2012 at 14:10 UTC
What has changed? If nothing obvious then I'd suspect the AV having an update that changed port/connection definitions.
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Serrano
OP
Jun 18, 2012 at 14:10 UTC
Justin,
Make sure you have RDP enabled in the Remote options tab of Computer Properties. Also, make sure the appropriate user accounts are added there. See screenshot below.
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OP
Jun 18, 2012 at 14:11 UTC
telnet w/ host name and/or IP address to see if it's listening on 3389?
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Poblano
OP
Jun 18, 2012 at 14:15 UTC
It probably has to do with the AV client and such. If you can ping the server and DNS looks good, that's where I would head, otherwise use VNC. Use UltraVNC, it's more secure than the regular VNC. At least you can set it up to use AD user and password for Ultra,
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Serrano
OP
Jun 18, 2012 at 15:09 UTC
If you can load the registry remotely do so and check here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server
Look for[right hand pane] fDenyTSConnection
It must be set to a 0[zero]not a 1.
You must also be in the Remote Desktop Operators group.
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Poblano
OP
Jun 18, 2012 at 15:21 UTC
Is the Windows Firewall enabled and no exception for Remote Desktop enabled?
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Poblano
OP
Jun 18, 2012 at 19:43 UTC
Joe you read my mind!
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Mace
OP
Jun 18, 2012 at 22:31 UTC
Target server OS version? Source server OS version?
Couple thoughts:
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Configure Network Level Authentication for Remote Desktop Services Connections
//technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732713.aspx -
Description of the Credential Security Support Provider [CredSSP] in Windows XP Service Pack 3
//support.microsoft.com/kb/951608
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Pimiento
OP
Jun 19, 2012 at 03:32 UTC
Just check if the the user who loged on lastlty is disabled. If that is the case you have to Login using a another account
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Serrano
OP
Best Answer
Jun 19, 2012 at 08:15 UTC
Thanks guys!
This was resolved by restarting the server after doing all my checks.
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Jalapeno
OP
Apr 17, 2014 at 17:15 UTC
I can only access either of my 3 RDS Hosts directly by name [now that they're all part of the Farm and load balancing is working] by using the following commandmstsc -v: servername /admin
If I use that command I can directly remote control either of the 3 by name or IP without any issue. If I try to login directly by name or IP without that command I receive the following error, 'sometimes':
"Remote desktop connection the connection cannot be completed because the remote computer that was reached is not the one you specified..."
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Pimiento
OP
May 11, 2015 at 18:24 UTC
1st Post
A server restart worked for me too, thanks Justin
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Anaheim
OP
May 5, 2016 at 11:01 UTC
Same here, restart worked
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn2FB1P_Mn8
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Serrano
OP
Nov 17, 2016 at 05:47 UTC
Another Solution would be that worked for me:
Check if the remote desktop service is running under services most of the cases it gets struck at Stopping service.
the solution for such rouge scenario is to kill the service by getting the PID of the service.
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Jalapeno
OP
Nov 18, 2016 at 21:58 UTC
ITPT: If you are unable to restart the computer manually/physically, and it is not responding to anything you're doing, go into your Domain Controller under an elevated account, go to cmd, type shutdown /i and then add the computer you want to restart to the list. Choose whether or not you want to warn your users, add a reason, and a comment, and then click OK.
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Pimiento
OP
Mar 13, 2017 at 15:18 UTC
1st Post
Thank yo Josh D.
That was it - thanks for this tip. Along this there's another thing i noticed. Once you install RDS Role and other sub-roles, and then decide to uninstall it, Windows will disable all remote desktop connections, and so you need to re-enable it once again in System > Advanced Options [per Josh, screenshot].
Thanks
seb.
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Pimiento
OP
Feb 12, 2018 at 18:49 UTC
Lib Seb4286 RDS [Remote Desktop Services] should be intalled, just have the intallation media Ready, ando got to Role Based....
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