Remote Desktop login fails, no error message

[kudegras]

So,
I've got a WinXP desktop that i recently updated to SP3... though the problem existed before I did this. RDC was working fine a couple months ago, with a dyndns account and my router setup, and I was accessing it fine while out of town for months. But recently I cannot login, remotely, or even from the same network.

What happens is...
When I click Connect... it grays out and tries to connect for less than a second, then stops. No error message. It just kind of blips and leaves me with the same dialogue window. I click again and again and it repeats.

I do get the appropriate error messages when I turn off RDC on the host and then try connecting. So it seems like the connection is reaching the desktop host, but just not responding correctly. I have tried with two different client computers with the same result. The client is WinXPSP2, RDC 6.0. RDC 5.1 did not work either. I looked at Event Viewer and didn't find anything (at least nothing with a correlating time stamp).

I really want to have this accessible when I'm out of town.

I saw mention of a RDC problem related to graphics drivers... but I didnt find the actual thread... is their problem similar to mine? I have a Nvidia GF 7900GS.

 

[RebateMonger]

What happens when you locally try to telnet to the XP box?

"telnet xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx 3389"

Does the box XP box respond, or fail to answer? A response will result in a blank DOS screen for a bit. A complete failure to respond will be obvious in the DOS screen.

The "normal" cause of this problem is a local firewall (XP's or a third-party) that isn't set up to allow TCP Port 3389 inbound connections. Sometimes these things just magically change and neet to be reset.

 

[kudegras]

When I telnet in as you describe in a command window, the XP box kind of responds... I'm not sure what a normal response is, but for me the command window clears and leaves a cursor. The cursor moves when I type... but doesnt actually display anything besides the cursor. No actual letters appear. Then it eventually dumps back to the DOS command prompt. Sometimes it dumps back sooner than others while I'm mashing keys...

I just tried toggling the Windows Firewall RDC setting, and there was no difference... I also tried turning of Windows Firewall entirely, no improvement either.

 

[Bashbelly]

make sure remote procedure call service is running as local host (or a valid network log in). Ive seen plenty of machines sometimes get screwed up by using a temporary system account that no longer works that breaks RPC after installing SP3. Just set it to something that works and reboot.

 

[kudegras]

Ok, I'll have to try that service thing next week. Got pulled outta town.

I want to add that I have a little webserver running thru IIS on that XP box, and I can view that little website just fine remotely. Not sure if that has any bearing on the RDC problem.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: kudegras
When I telnet in as you describe in a command window, the XP box kind of responds... I'm not sure what a normal response is, but for me the command window clears and leaves a cursor. The cursor moves when I type... but doesnt actually display anything besides the cursor. No actual letters appear.

That's the normal response when RDP is answering and no firewalls are blocking it. There appears to be no inbound firewall blocking RDP on your system.

 

[vexingv]

hmm...i'm going to bump this thread as i'm having the same problem on 2 systems that i recently formatted and installed w. SP3; i can't seem to figure out what is wrong (rdc is on and listening properly).

 

[ihyagp]

Known issue w/ newer nvidia drivers. http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_174.74.html - latest version I've found without the problem.

 

[QuixoticOne]

Someone here suggested that there are problems in the default settings of certain registry entries
that can cause such a problem, and that the extent of the problem can depend indirectly upon the graphics / printer drivers in use. It seems that editing the registry is the most direct solution, and changing GPU driver is a less direct / desirable one.

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2215989&enterthread=y

 

[vexingv]

Originally posted by: ihyagp
Known issue w/ newer nvidia drivers. http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_174.74.html - latest version I've found without the problem.

late last night on a whim i decided to uninstall the 175.19 whql drivers i had (tried newer betas when i formatted the system, but had DPC spikes) and RDC worked using the new 177.83 drivers, which enable physx and is supported by 8 series cards and up. i'll try 174.74 drivers for the system with a 7600gt. this problem drove me crazy as i had no idea what was wrong.

 

[ihyagp]

Its fixed in 177.83? Good to know. No reason to go back then.