Troubleshooting a remote desktop connection involves understanding the
role of both the
distant network host and the local client computer.
Key question: do we have the perfect world where both operating
systems are Windows 7? Or is one of the connections Vista,
XP, or even a member of the Windows server family?
Topics for Windows Remote Desktop Connection Problems
The situation is that you leave a Windows 7 machine running and wander
to another Windows 7 machine on the same network. You want to
check the email, or find an address in your contacts list. It's a
long walk back to the other machine so you decide to Remote Desktop.
Fingers crossed that you have configured your own host machine to accept
Remote Desktop connections from the client. This where you check:
Start Orb, Control Panel, System and Security, System, Remote Settings
(Left menu), Allow Desktop (Section), Allow connections from computers
You can fine-tune the configuration by specifying users, or restricting
the type of remote computer.
A Backdoor Registry Hack - fDenyTSConnections
There is a 'backdoor' registry hack whereby you can set Remote
Desktop to allow connections. Let us imagine that you cannot
remote desktop because on the host the radio button in the above screenshot is set
to: Don't allow connections to this computer. My zany technique
involves
editing the registry of the target machine. My idea succeeds or fails
on the ability of regedit to Connect to network registry.
Now our mission is to change the value of fDenyTSConnections from =1 to =0. Open regedit, File Menu, Connect Network Registry. Naturally, you have to connect to the correct registry
hive on the target machine, HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server, now find the Reg_DWord called fDenyTSConnections and set the value = 0 (zero)
Unfortunately, you have to reboot the target machine before the fDenyTSConnections setting takes effect. There must be service that you could start and stop but I have not found which one that is. Instead I use the
following PowerShell command.
Guy
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The situation is that you have configured the host (remote / network)
computer to allow connections. Now you want to launch the Remote
Desktop Connection on the local client.
To access mstsc.exe, click on the Windows Start Orb and in the Search dialog box, type
Remote Desktop.
Double Click on Remote Desktop Connection - See screenshot.
Type the name of the computer that you wish to access. I also
advise you to examine the Options before you click 'Connect'.
Installing the program mstsc.exe rarely gives problems. Thus
troubleshooting focuses on network connectivity and
permissions. Once you get a basic remote desktop connection, there is potential
for a whole set of new problems, for example, features such as printing
or Aero Graphics don't work.
Basic Troubleshooting Techniques to Get a Connection
Editions of Windows 7 The host computer, the distant one that you connect to, must be Windows
7 Professional, Business or Ultimate. However, the client can be
running the home premium edition. The host could also be Vista, XP
or even a Windows Server.
Hostname Problems - Remote Desktop cannot find computer... Try connecting to an IP address rather than a computer name. Use
ping to test the network connection, if there is a problem check the
Host records at the DNS server.
If you have selected Network Level Authentication then you must type the
full computer name at the client. For example mycomputer.local and not
plain mycomputer. If in doubt, try ping mycomputer. The surest
alternative is to check in the Control Panel, System and Security, System:
Full computer name.
Enter Your Credentials Make the connection to the host with a username that has previously
logged on at that computer. Check in the Control Panel of the host
machine to see that the user has
permission to use remote desktop.
Firewalls Disable the firewalls on both the local and remote computer. All
other experts castigate me for this technique, but I do it to remove one
variable and to free my mind; turning off the firewalls forces me to
focus on other sources of configuration mistakes.
SolarWinds Firewall Browser
Here is an utility where you can review firewall settings such as
access control lists (ACL), or troubleshoot problems with network
address translation (NAT).
Other reasons to download this SolarWinds Firewall Browser include
managing requests to change your firewall settings, and testing firewall
rules before you go live.
Problems Once You Make a Remote Desktop Connection
For problems relating to local resources, or Flip 3D, then check the
Options button (see above), then examine the six tabs that you see in
the screenshot to the right.
Aero Graphics For a reason that I cannot fathom the
'Experience' defaults to the slowest connection 'Modem', thus if you
have a high speed connection you miss out on Aero Graphics effects
unless you select 'LAN'.
Printers As usual, printers give their fair share of
problems. My advice is to go to the 'Local Resources' tab and
experiment with, and without, the tick in the Printers box.
Save Credentials I like to reduce hassle by saving
credentials in the General tab. While it's not a problem in a
HomeGroup, if the computers belong to a domain then you need to change
this group policy.
Logon as an administrator.
Click the Start orb, in the 'Search' box type: gpedit.msc.
Navigate to the Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates,
System, and then Credentials Delegation.
In the right pane, double-click Allow Saved Credentials with
NTLM-only Server Authentication, click Enabled, and then click Show.
In the Show Contents dialog box, click Add, type the name of
the remote computer (server) in this format: TERMSRV\<computername>
It maybe worth reading the help notes; for example, make sure you
capitalize TERMSRV. Also, you could try using the asterisk * as a
wildcard as in: TERMSRV\*
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In addition to its use for an ordinary user to connect to a client
desktop, the same remote connection technology can also be used for an
administrator to connect to a Windows server.
Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows 7 allows
administrators to remotely manage roles and features, which are
installed on a member of the Windows Server family. However,
you have to be running the Enterprise, Professional, or Ultimate
editions of Windows 7 to successfully install this add-on to manage the
servers.
Make sure that are at the Windows 7 computer, download the
Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 MSU package from
the Microsoft Download Center.
Open the RSAT package and install it.
Click on the Start Orb, Control Panel, and then click Programs. In the Programs and Features area, click Turn Windows features
on or off.
In the Windows Features dialog box, expand Remote Server
Administration Tools. Select the remote management tools that you
want to install.
Summary of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Remote Desktop Connection
The first step in troubleshooting is to check that the distant network
computer is setup to allow remote desktop connections. On the client
computer test with ping that you can contact the target machine. Once
you can make a basic connection examine each tab in the Options.
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