Connecting to a computer remotely is convenient when it works, and annoying when it doesnt. If your remote desktop connection is failing, youd want to know what to try to fix it. Show
In this article, well show you how straightforward it is to trouble-shoot and fix failed remote desktop connections, based on the most common causes for a variety of Windows operating systems. How to Fix Remote Desktop Connection Not Working?There are plenty of reasons for failing to connect to a remote desktop expired certificates, blocked firewalls, issues on the client the list goes on. Here well look at how to fix one common cause of insufficient permissions. Please refer to other sections in this article for more fixes. To assign permissions to users to access the remote desktop from the remote server, do the following:
How to Fix Remote Desktop Connection Not Working on Windows 10?Check that the Windows Defender Firewall service allows remote desktop traffic:
How to Fix Remote Desktop Connection Not Working on Windows 8?Check that the firewall service on Windows Server 2016 allows remote traffic:
How to Fix Remote Desktop Connection Not Working on Wi-Fi?For a successful remote desktop connection through Wi-Fi, try the following:
Allow the following services through the firewall for private and public networks by checking both boxes:
How to Fix Remote Desktop Connection Not Working After Windows 10 Update?If youre unable to connect to a remote desktop connection following the windows 10 20H2 update, try the following:
To check a computer is accepting remote desktop requests from other network computers, do the following:
How to Fix Remote Desktop Connection Not Working Through VPN?If youre not able to connect to a remote desktop via VPN, try the following:
How to Fix Remote Desktop Connection Not Working From Outside Network?For a successful remote desktop connection from outside the network, ensure the port is mapped. Note: This is an outline; steps will differ slightly from router to router. The specific steps for your router should be available online. Ensure you have the following before mapping the port:
Once the port is mapped, youll be able to connect to the host PC from outside your local network by connecting to the public IP address of your router. At any time, your Internet Service Provider can assign you a new IP address, causing problems with remote connections. As a workaround, consider using Dynamic DNS, which allows for connections using a domain name as opposed to an IP address. How to Fix Remote Desktop Connection Not Working With No Error Message?To troubleshoot a failed remote desktop connection when no error message is present, try the following: Check whether the remote desktop connection on a local computer is being blocked by a Group Policy Object:
To check whether a GPO is blocking remote desktop connections on a remote computer, do the following:
To modify a blocking Group Policy Object, use one of the following methods:
In Group Policy Management, navigate to the organizational unit where the blocking policy is applied to the affected PCs then delete the policy from the organizational unit. Additional FAQsHow Do I Reinstall RDP?To reinstall remote desktop Windows 10, do the following: 1. Select Start then right-click Computer > Properties. 2. Select the Remote Desktop tab > Advanced > Allow. 3. Select OK, close the windows, and restart your computer. RDP will reinstall itself. How Do I Enable a Remote Desktop Connection?To grant permission to the accounts that need to connect remotely, do the following: 1. Select Start > Control Panel. 2. Select System and Security. 3. Under the Systems tab, select Allow remote access. 4. From the Remote tab in the Remote Desktop section, click on Select Users. 5. From the System Properties box, select Add. 6. Enter the information for an account[s] you need to add, click OK when complete. How Do I Reset Remote Desktop Connection?To initiate a remote desktop restart, do the following: 1. Open a command prompt. 2. Type: shutdown /r /t 0. 3. Hit enter. How Do I Fix a Remote Desktop Connection Error?Below outline two common route causes for RDP connection errors. The steps in solving them may vary slightly depending on your operating system. Problem 1: Incorrect Authentication and Encryption Settings. You will receive either of the following error messages: · Because of a security error, the client could not connect to the Terminal Server. After making sure that you are logged on to the network, try connecting to the server again. · Remote desktop disconnected. Because of a security error, the client could not connect to the remote computer. Verify that you are logged onto the network and then try connecting again. To resolve the problem, configure authentication and encryption by following these steps: 1. Click on Start, point to Administrative Tools then Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration. 2. From Connections, right-click the connection name > Properties. 3. From the Properties dialog box on the General tab in Security layer, select the security method. 4. Via Encryption level select the level you want. Problem 2: Limited Remote Desktop Service Session Connections or Remote Desktop Sessions. When trying to make a remote desktop connection to a remote desktop server running Windows Server 2008 R2, you may see the following error messages: · Try connecting again. If the problem continues, contact the owner of the remote computer or your network administrator. · This computer cant connect to the remote computer. · Remote Desktop Disconnected. To resolve the problem, try the following methods: Check the Remote Desktop is enabled: 1. To start the System tool, click on Start > Control Panel > System > OK. 2. Under Control Panel Home, select Remote settings. 3. Select the Remote tab. 4. Depending on your security requirements, select one of the options under Remote Desktop: · Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop (less secure). · Allow connections from computers only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (more secure). Check the remote desktop services limit. Verify the limit number of connections policy for remote desktop services: 1. Start the Group Policy snap-in. 2. Open the Local Security Policy or applicable Group Policy. 3. Navigate to Local Computer Policy>Computer. Configuration>Administrative Templates>Windows Components>Remote Desktop Services>Remote Desktop Session Host>Connections Limit number of connections. 4. SelectEnabled. 5. Type the maximum number of connections to allow in the RD Maximum Connections allowed then OK. Check RDP-TCP properties. To configure the number of simultaneous remote connections allowed per connection, do the following: 1. From the remote desktop session host, click on Start, point to Administrative Tools, thenRemote Desktop Services. 2. Under Connections, right-click the connection name > Properties. 3. From the Network Adapter tab select Maximum connections. 4. Enter the number of simultaneous connections allowed for a connection, then OK. To add users and groups to the remote desktop users group, using Local Users and Groups snap-in, do the following: 1. Click Start, > Administrative Tools > Computer Management. 2. From the console tree, select Local Users and Groups. 3. Double-click the Groups folder. 4. Double-click Remote Desktop Users > Add. 5. To specify search location, click Locations in the Search Users dialog box. 6. To specify objects to be searched, select Object Types. 7. Type the name you wish to add in the Enter the object names to select (examples)box. 8. To locate the name, select Check Names > Ok. Why Is Remote Desktop Connection Not Working?There could be several different reasons why a remote desktop connection doesnt work. When error messages arent provided, its a matter of troubleshooting to find the cause. To help you figure out what the problem could be, here are two of the most common types: Network Failure A remote desktop connection can be unsuccessful when there are no communication paths. You can try to connect from a client thats been successful in the past to figure out whether the cause is the network, Windows server, or an individual client. DNS Issues If a change was made to a hosts IP address, a client will have problems connecting until the DNS resolver cache expires. Follow the steps below to clear the cache: 1. Open a command prompt window. 2. Enter the command: IPConfig /FlushDNS. 3. Now check with the Preferred network adapter that the correct DNS server is being used. If the server details listed are incorrect, you can specify by entering the properties of the computers IP address or by configuring it to use a DHCP server. How Do I Change a Remote Desktop Connection?To change a remote desktop connection from Windows 10, do the following: 1. From the Start menu > All Programs > Accessories. 2. Select Remote Desktop Connection. 3. As required, change the computer name, IP address, or port number. 4. Select Connect. ·In a menu window on your computer, youll now see the remote computers desktop. Successful Remote ConnectionsBeing able to connect to another computer remotely has become an essential tool for working remotely. Now that weve provided some of the possible causes for a failed remote desktop connection, wed like to know what you tried to solve it. Were you able to connect successfully? Let us know in the comment section below. |