Troubleshoot Remote Desktop and Terminal Services Client

This page deals with Remote Desktop troubleshooting. You can find other network troubleshooting resources here:

	This article describes how to change the port that Remote Desktop listens on.
	This article describes how to remove entries from the Remote Desktop Connection Computer box.
	In Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), to run the Remote Desktop Sharing feature of Windows NetMeeting when Windows Firewall is turned on, you have to configure Windows Firewall by following the steps in this article.
	This step-by-step article describes how to gain access to local files when you are using a Remote Desktop session to a Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 host computer.
	This article describes how to change the port number that the Remote Desktop client connects to. You may have to do this if the remote computer has had the "listening" port for Terminal Services or Remote Desktop connections changed from the default port. The default port is 3389.
	This article describes how to configure the Remote Desktop feature in Windows XP. This feature allows remote control of your Windows XP Professional-based computer from another computer running Windows XP Professional or an earlier version of Windows.
	With the Remote Desktop Web Connection, you can start a remote desktop connection from your Web browser. To do so, point your browser to a server that is configured with Remote Desktop Web Connection, download an ActiveX control, and then connect to a Windows XP-based server with Remote Desktop. Client computers may also connect to a Microsoft Windows 2000-based server or to a server that is running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition.
	Remote Desktop is a new feature in Windows XP Professional that allows you to connect to your computer remotely and work as though you are sitting at the console. This article describes how to disable Remote Desktop by using the computer's local group policy. Note: Remote Desktop is not available in Windows XP Home Edition.

	By default, when you try to print from a program that is running on a computer that you are connected to with a Remote Desktop connection, you can gain access to printers that are available to the remote Windows XP Professional-based computer. You can make a local printer (for example, a printer that is on the client computer) available for printing. This article describes how to make a local printer available for printing while you use the Remote Desktop feature.
	This article describes how to turn on Remote Desktop automatic logon. By default, this version of Windows XP is configured to prompt each user to enter a password when connecting through the Remote Desktop client. This behaviour holds true even when a correct user name and password are entered in the Remote Desktop Connection box before logon. This article describes how to alter this behaviour.
	Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP machines with Remote Desktop enabled do not advertise their existence in the browse list by default. This article will help you to change this behaviour.
	In Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, to run the Remote Desktop Sharing feature of Windows NetMeeting when Windows Firewall is turned on, you have to configure Windows Firewall by following the steps in this article. Note: The Windows XP SP2 features and components are included in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005.
	Users can connect remotely to a Terminal Services session that is running on a Windows XP Professional-based server. However, in Windows XP Professional you cannot create a shadow session, where a local user and a remote user can control the same session. This article describes how to use Windows Server 2003 to create a configuration in which two users can control the same session on a Windows XP Professional-based computer.

	This article describes options to administer computers that are running Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows XP, or Microsoft Windows 2000. Additionally, this article discusses how to download the Windows Server 2003 Administration Tools Pack (Adminpak). This article also discusses the various compatibility issues that occur when you remotely administer Windows 2000-based computers from Windows XP-based computers and from Windows Server 2003-based computers and vice versa.
	Increasingly, users of wireless mobile devices require access to the functionality of their desktop computers. Windows XP and Windows 2000 permit you to do this. By using the Handheld PC or the Pocket PC, you can connect to an application server and run programs just as if you were sitting at the server computer itself. Connections to application servers can be made across wireless local area networks (LANs), or across the Internet by using virtual private networking (VPN).
	By default, Microsoft Windows XP Remote Desktop and Terminal Services use all available network interfaces to listen for Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) requests. As a security option, you may want to limit this to a specific network interface. This article describes how to configure the listening interfaces on a Windows XP-based computer.
	When a remote desktop session to a Microsoft Windows XP Professional computer is started, the console session of the target computer appears as though it has restarted and the active session has been disconnected. This is not the case. The console session is now being displayed remotely on another computer as the remote desktop session.
	This article describes a design change in Remote Desktop Protocol version 5.2.
	If you install Remote Desktop by using Microsoft Installer (MSI), MSI installs the Mstsc.exe, and Mstscax.dll files in the System32 folder, but if you uninstall Remote Desktop by using MSI, you cannot remove the Mstscax.dll file.
	When you connect to a Windows XP-based computer by using the Remote Desktop Connection, the Windows XP theme (Luna) is not displayed as expected. The option to configure this theme is unavailable on the Display tab.
	This article discusses how the use of animation on a computer can affect the performance of either the Remote Desktop Connection or the former Terminal Services Client.
	After you click ClearType under Use the following method to smooth the edges of screen fonts during a Remote Desktop session, this setting has no effect on the session.
	After you install the Remote Desktop Connection 6.0 client update (update 925876), you may experience one or more of the following symptoms: Remote Desktop Connection 6.0 prompts you for credentials before you establish a remote desktop connection. Remote Desktop Connection 6.0 prompts you to accept the identity of the server if the identity of the server cannot be verified. You may be unable to use a smart card to log on to Remote Desktop Connection 6.0, even though you could use a smart card to log on to Remote Desktop Connection 5.x.
	After you use Remote Desktop Client Control (Mstscax.dll) to make a remote desktop connection from a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer, the remote desktop session fails. This problem occurs after you apply Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) on a client computer. For example, when you try to connect to a Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003 R2-based computer that has Remote Desktop for Administration installed, you receive the following error message: Remote Admin Connection Remote Admin Web Connection ActiveX Control could not be installed. A connection cannot be made without a working installed version of the control. Please contact the server administrator.
	When you try to connect to a remote computer by using Remote Desktop on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition, you may receive the following error message: The remote computer disconnected the session because of an error in licensing protocol.
	When you are using Remote Desktop and connect to a Windows XP Professional computer, the Log Off and Shutdown commands are missing from the Start menu.
	When you attempt to connect to a computer by using Remote Desktop Connection, you may receive the following message: Remote Desktop Disconnected The specified remote computer could not be found. Verify that you have typed the computer name or IP address, and then try connecting again.
	If you use audio redirection when you are using remote desktop connection, the sound may periodically become garbled or scratchy, but at other times may sound fine.
	This article describes how Microsoft Windows XP Professional functions when you use a remote desktop connection.
	Remote Desktop Connection does not permit loopback connections to ports that it is not listening on. Therefore, port forwarders do not work correctly.
	When you try to use a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer to establish a remote desktop connection to a Windows XP-based computer that has the remote desktop connection installed, the connection may not succeed, and the client computer may receive the following error message: The client could not establish a connection to the remote computer. The most likely causes for this error are: Remote connections might not be enabled at the remote computer. The maximum number of connections was exceeded at the remote computer. A network error occurred while establishing the connection.

	When attempting to establish a Remote Desktop connection to connect to another computer, you may receive the following error message: You cannot initiate a Remote Desktop Connection because the Windows logon software on the remote computer has been replaced by incompatible software path to Graphical Identification and Authentication file To correct this problem, please have the administrator of the remote computer contact the program vendor for a version that is compatible with Windows.
	If you are not an administrator and try to use the Remote Desktop Connection tool, you may receive the following error message: The local policy of this system does not permit you to logon interactively.
	All the information that is passed from the client to the server in a Remote Desktop or Terminal Services session is not encrypted.
	When you are connected to another computer by using Remote Desktop Connection and try to paste copied information between the local computer and the remote computer, the Paste command may be unavailable. Also, if you try to paste the copied information, you may receive the following error message: Cannot copy file: Cannot read from the source file or disk. Or The local computer is low on memory. Close some programs, and then connect to the remote computer again.
	This article describes a hotfix that lets you control whether Windows XP or Windows 2000 users in your organization can save passwords in a Remote Desktop Connection session to a terminal server.
	When you use the "Start a program" feature in Remote Desktop Connection, an unexpected program may start. Note: To use this feature, start Remote Desktop Connection, click Options, click the Programs tab, and then click to select the Start the following program on connection check box.
	When you use the Remote Desktop Connection to log on to a Microsoft Windows XP Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) 5.1-based or RDP 5.2-based client, and then you connect to a Windows XP-based remote host, audio redirection may not occur.
	When you use Remote Desktop Connection or the Terminal Services Client version 4.0 or 5.0 to connect to another Windows-based computer from a computer that is not running Windows Server 2003, your local printers may not be redirected. As a result, your local printers are not available in the remote desktop or terminal services session. For example, if your Windows XP-based computer has a multifunction print device using a DOT4 port, it may not be redirected in a remote desktop session to a Windows 2000- or Windows Server 2003-based computer.
	You may experience a problem when you try to install Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) on a remote computer by using the Remote Desktop feature. If you are disconnected from the remote computer during the installation, you may be unable to reconnect to the remote computer. After this occurs, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms: You may not be able to restart the remote computer and complete the installation of Windows XP SP1. When you type your user name and password to reconnect to the remote computer, you are immediately disconnected, and you may receive one or both of the following error messages: Remote Desktop Disconnected The Remote connection has timed out. Please try connecting to the remote computer again. Or Remote Desktop Disconnected The client could not establish a connection to the remote computer. The most likely causes for this error are: 1) Remote connections might not be enabled at the remote computer. 2) The maximum number of connections was exceeded at the remote computer. 3) A network error occurred while establishing the connection. When you log on to the remote computer locally, you may receive one or more instances of the following error message: csrss.exe - Unable To Locate Component This application has failed to start because winsrv was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.
	When you use Remote Desktop Connection to connect to a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP, and you change the time zone setting by using Date and Time Properties on the remote computer, the time zone changes that you made are not saved on the remote computer when you log off from Remote Desktop Connection.
	If you toggle Full-Screen mode in the Remote Desktop Connection (RDP) client software by using the CTRL+ALT+BREAK key combination, the RDP client software leaks memory. The client desktop is not refreshed correctly, or you receive an "Out of Memory" error message. For example, the desktop wallpaper may not be repainted, and icons may not be shown correctly. When you quit the RDP client software, the memory is released and the computer works correctly. You can toggle the view mode from 10 to 70 (or more) times before the problem occurs.
	When you connect to a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 computer through a remote desktop connection on a Microsoft Windows XP client computer, you may receive the following error message: Unable to create or access your My Documents folder. Your connection settings will not be automatically saved on exit.
	In Microsoft Windows XP, after you apply the "Hide these specified drives in My Computer" local policy or Group Policy computer setting, the specified drives do not appear in Windows Explorer. However, if you create a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) session from the Windows XP-based computer to a Windows Server 2003-based computer that is running Terminal Services and select the option to automatically connect the local drives when you establish the RDP session, the drives that you specified in the policy as hidden are visible in the remote session.
	If you use Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection (version 5.1 or later of the Terminal Services client) to connect to a server that is running Terminal Services, you may notice that the movement of the mouse pointer is not smooth. The mouse pointer may move with a jerky motion. This problem is most noticeable when you use a painting program such as Microsoft Paint or the drawing tools in a Microsoft Office program.
	This article describes the "Connect to Console" mode for use with a Remote Desktop connection. The Adminpak.msi file that is available for Windows XP is commonly used to remotely run administrative tasks on Microsoft Windows 2000-based and Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based computers and domains. The Adminpak.msi file includes a version from the Tsmmc.msc file that is called Remote Desktops. This tool (formerly known as Terminal Services Connections) is available as an MMC snap-in.
	When you establish a Remote Desktop connection to a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, the writing pad and the character pad are not available in Tablet PC Input Panel. Only the on-screen keyboard is available.
	When you use the Remote Desktop Connection client to connect to a Terminal Services session from another computer, you have the ability to bring sound to the client computer by selecting an option on the Local Resources tab of the Remote Desktop Connection Options dialog box. For most programs this functionality works, but the .mid or MIDI sound files do not play through the sound redirection.
	When you connect by using the Remote Desktop Web Connection for the first time, you may be prompted to install the Microsoft Terminal Services Control (RC2) ActiveX control. This problem occurs because the ActiveX control is incorrectly marked as RC2.
	When users who belong to a trusted Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Kerberos realm try to reconnect to a disconnected remote desktop session on a Microsoft Windows XP-based or Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based computer, they may receive the following error message: The user DOMAIN\username is currently logged on to this computer. Only the current user or an administrator can log on to this computer. DOMAIN\username is the Windows account to which the MIT Kerberos realm user principal is mapped. Additionally, the remote Windows computer may be locked. In this case, only the local administrator or users in the Administrators group can unlock the Windows computer. Note: Users in a Windows domain do not experience this problem when they reconnect to a disconnected remote desktop session on Windows XP-based or Windows Server 2003-based computers.
	After you install Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) on a computer that is running Windows XP, you cannot connect to a remote computer by using the remote desktop connection tool. Additionally, you receive the following error message: The remote computer has ended the connection
	If you try to connect to a remote computer, you cannot log on to the remote computer. This symptom occurs in any one of the following scenarios: You try to connect to a remote Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based computer by using a Terminal Services session. You try to connect to a remote Windows Server 2003-based computer by using a Remote Desktop Connection session. You try to connect to a remote Microsoft Windows XP Professional-based computer by using a Remote Desktop Connection session. When you offer remote assistance to a Windows XP Client, you are unable to connect after the user accepts the offer. Although you cannot connect, you receive the following messages: Please wait Loading your personal settings And Please wait Applying your personal settings And Please wait Saving your settings The remote computer processes your logon request. However, the remote computer never completes your logon request, and you are subsequently logged off the remote computer.
	Consider the following scenario: You use the Remote Desktop utility (Mstsc.exe) on a Microsoft Windows XP-based client computer to connect to a Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based host computer. On the Local Resources tab of the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, you select Serial ports under Connect automatically to these local devices when logged on to the remote computer. In this scenario, the client computer may leak memory when the serial port receives data.
	In the following situation On a client computer, in Microsoft Internet Explorer, type the following address in the Address bar: http://servername/tsweb Make sure that Full-screen is selected as the screen size. Click Connect to connect to a terminal server on which Remote Desktop Web Connection is installed. Minimize or restore the window. An additional item appears the taskbar. This item has a warning icon and the title "Remote Desktop Web Connection (servername)". This item is created only when you use the Full-screen mode as the screen size. Even though this item does not seem to contain anything, if you close it, you disconnect the current Terminal Services session and the initial connection page (/Tsweb/default.htm) is displayed.
	When you use the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect to a remote computer, the Default.rdp file is created on the client computer. This article discusses the connection settings that are stored in the Default.rdp file.
	When you as a remote user log on to a remote session by using Remote Desktop, the icons and the taskbar on the remote computer still reflect your settings even after you log off and a local user logs on.
	When you try to shut down a Windows XP-based workstation remotely, you may receive the following error message: Device Not Ready This error message may occur if you connect to the remote computer by using the Remote Desktop Connection software, you log off the remote computer, and you later try to use a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) transport utility such as Shutdown.exe to shut down the remote computer. When this problem occurs, you receive the error message and the remote computer does not shut down.
	After an administrator uses Remote Desktop, a user who is not an administrator may receive the following error message when the user tries to log on locally: You do not have access to logon to this session. If the user clicks OK and then types the logon credentials again, the user can log on.
	Consider the following scenario: You are using a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer that uses the English (United States) keyboard layout as the default keyboard layout. You install a new keyboard layout on the computer in addition to the default keyboard layout. For example, you install the Dvorak (United States) keyboard layout. You use Remote Desktop Connection to connect to this Windows XP-based computer from another computer. In this scenario, the default keyboard layout changes to a Dvorak (United States) keyboard layout on the Windows XP-based computer.
	When you minimize your full-screen Remote Desktop connection, it may immediately and automatically maximize back to a full screen.
	When you start the Remote Desktop Connection client, you may find that the window size is the same as the remote desktop size, not full screen as expected; however, the Maximize button indicates the window is in the maximized state. If you click the Maximize button, the window does not enter full-screen mode as expected; instead, the window is restored to a size slightly smaller than the remote desktop size.
	When you are using Microsoft Windows XP Professional and you join a workgroup, the Logon User interface is displayed (that is created from Logonui.exe). However, when you connect to the computer using a Remote Desktop client, if no user is specified, the classic Windows logon screen is displayed. This issue also occurs if you use the Autologon feature of the Remote Desktop client, and if either the user name or the password are incorrect. If you log on successfully, the Logon User interface is displayed.
	This article describes the features of the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) 5.1 client, which is included in Windows XP. These features are available when the client connects to a Windows XP remote host by using the Remote Desktop Connection.
	In Windows XP, there are several keyboard shortcuts. For example, by using the Windows key combined with the L key, (Windows+L), the current user session should be locked similar to the Lock Computer functionality which you can use when you press CTRL+ALT+END. Or, by using the Windows key combined with the D key, (Windows+D), you can minimize all open windows within a session. These key combinations work when using the Windows XP Remote Desktop Client and connecting to another Windows XP-based or Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based computer; however, these key combinations do not work when connecting to a Windows NT 4.0 terminal server even when using the Windows XP Remote Desktop Connection client. The Windows+D key combination works on Windows 2000 Server-based computers; the Windows+L combination does not work on Windows 2000 Server-based computers.
	After you connect to the console session on a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer by using the Remote Desktop client, screen updates may be delayed, and the computer may seem to be unresponsive. Right-clicking the desktop can force delayed updates to appear.
	When you use the Remote Desktops Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in on a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer, when a screen saver is activated in a remote session, the mouse pointer is not displayed in any other remote desktop connection that you have running in this Remote Desktops console.
	When you try to connect to a Windows XP-based computer by using the Remote Desktop tool, you may receive the following error message: Unable to log you on because of an account restriction.
	The Mstsc Help and Support topic incorrectly states that you can use the /console switch to connect to the console session (session 0) of a specified Microsoft Windows 2000 Server-based computer. Note: Mstsc.exe is the Remote Desktop Connection tool which was the Terminal Services client in earlier versions of Windows.
	The Terminal Services Advanced Client software (or Microsoft Internet Explorer if it is hosting the Terminal Services Advanced Client ActiveX control) may experience a general protection fault if you have set the FilterQueueType registry key to 7.
	When you establish a Remote Desktop or Terminal Services connection to a Windows XP-based computer that is running Terminal Services and that has multiple monitors, you may not see your program if the program was last displayed on a non-primary monitor. When this occurs, you may be able to see a program that is running on the taskbar, but you may be unable to see the program after you restore or maximize it.
	Consider the following scenario: You configure the screensaver time-out value on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP Professional. For example, you configure the time-out value to five minutes. You log on to the Windows XP Professional-based computer by using Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) with a different user account. The RDC session uses the screen saver time-out value from the default profile. By default, the screen saver time-out value from the default profile is 600 seconds, or 10 minutes. You log on locally to the computer that is running Windows XP Professional. In this scenario, the screen saver time-out value that you configured is not used. Instead, the screen saver time-out value from the default profile is used. For example, the screensaver does not start after five minutes of inactivity. Instead, the screensaver starts after 10 minutes of inactivity.
	Consider the following scenario. On a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP, you use Remote Desktop Connection to connect to a terminal server. Then, you configure the client computer to use an input language that differs from the default input language. In this scenario, the Log On to Windows dialog box in the Remote Desktop window incorrectly appears to use the client computer's default input language. Therefore, you may enter an incorrect password.
	This article describes incompatibilities that may occur on client computers that are running Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, or Microsoft Windows Server 2003 when you modify specific security settings and user rights assignments in Windows NT 4.0 domains, in Windows 2000 domains, and in Windows Server 2003 domains. Note: These settings can impact the behaviour of Remote Desktop Connections.
	This article describes how to install individual server administration tools from the following Administration Packs: Microsoft Windows 2000 Administration Pack (Adminpak.msi) on Windows 2000-based computers Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Administration Tools Pack (Adminpak.msi) on Microsoft Windows XP-based computers and on Windows Server 2003-based computers Note: You can install Windows Server 2003 Administration Tools Pack only on Windows XP-based computers and Windows Server 2003-based computers. FeCERTConsole - Certification Authority FeClusterConsole - Cluster Administrator FeCMAKConsole - Connection Manager Administration Kit FeDHCPConsole - DHCP FeDFSConsole - Distributed File System (DFS) FeDNSConsole - DNS FeIASConsole - Internet Authentication Service FeIISConsole - Internet Services Manager FeACSConsole - QoS Admission Control FeRSConsole - Remote Storage FeRRASConsole - Routing and Remote Access FeTAPIConsole - Telephony FeTSClientConsole * Terminal Services Client FeTSMgrConsole * Terminal Services Tools FeWINSConsole - WINS FeADTools - Active Directory Tools
	When you use Terminal Services to start an unattended setup on a remote computer, after setup finishes, you may still see only the logon prompt and you may not be able to see the screen of the remote computer.
	After a Terminal Server client loses the connection to a Terminal Server, the session on the Terminal Server may not transition to a disconnected state, instead, it may remain active even though the client is physically disconnected from the Terminal Server. If the client logs back in to the same Terminal Server, a totally new session may be established, and the original session may still remain active.
	You modify the InitinalKeyboardIndicators value in an effort to turn the NUMLOCK key on for a particular user, but when that user logs on to the Terminal Server, the NUMLOCK key is off.