VNC blank screen problem

[BrokenVisage]

For about a week now this remote job site we have has had issues with the Internet. They are using a Comcast cable modem to get access and can actually get an IP address and surf the web for a while. To try and help from where I'm at 2 hours away I use VNC to connect to her computer and it works, however I only get a blank screen to show, meanwhile I can move my pointer all around and she sees it clearly yet I see nothing. I made an exception in the firewall and everything, all 4 tech guys here have given this their best shot and we are clueless. She even brought the PC here when there was a meeting yesterday, we looked at it and everything seemed fine. Comcast had been out there twice, once to replace a damaged modem from this storm they had, and another time to try and fix the problems I stated. But because it's a 'business PC' they couldn't touch it and just left the disk and some stupid instructions for the sales manager there to install. So she can connect to the Internet, can't log into a Citrix server we have here (the main reason for me having to go out and fix it), and a VNC connection that doesn't show me her screen. I have until 5:00 to fix it here or risk getting lost traveling to East Bumblefuck tomorrow, please help.

 

[Zontor]

Which VNC client? Which compression setting?
Have you uninstalled/reinstalled VNC? Have you tried another VNC client to connect to the remote computer (realVNC, TightVNC, etc)? Worth a shot....

 

[BrokenVisage]

Client is RealVNC, and yes we tried Ultra and Tight VNC as well as remote desktop, all tries yield the same blank screen. We had them uninstall and reinstall too, didn't do anything.

 

[Joemonkey]

Is it a windows PC? Tried using remote assistance instead of VNC?

 

[BrokenVisage]

Yeah, its Windows XPSP2 with all the updates as current as yesterday. We tried to get her to send a remote assistance email but it never came through, I'm thinking shes just too bone-headed even with our slower then a sundial instructions though.

 

[sykopath79]

This sounds a lot like the problem I have with a VNC connection due to having previously logged in via Remote Desktop. I suspect the reason why the two clash has to do with the fact that RDP uses a virtual display adapter for the remote session, and VNC has no idea what to do to display its output, preventing simultaneous remote sessions via RDP and VNC. You would think that simply logging out of the RDP session would let VNC do its job again, but in my experience this is not so. I can never VNC into my home machine after RDPing into it without a full reboot of the host machine.

 

[Zontor]

Originally posted by: sykopath79
This sounds a lot like the problem I have with a VNC connection due to having previously logged in via Remote Desktop. I suspect the reason why the two clash has to do with the fact that RDP uses a virtual display adapter for the remote session, and VNC has no idea what to do to display its output, preventing simultaneous remote sessions via RDP and VNC. You would think that simply logging out of the RDP session would let VNC do its job again, but in my experience this is not so. I can never VNC into my home machine after RDPing into it without a full reboot of the host machine.

Hmm..I run both RDP and VNC all the time at work and home (sometimes at the same time) and haven't had an issue....but it is worth a try given that otherwise he'll end up doing a road trip....

 

[Zontor]

I did find this w/a 5 second google search:

Until 4.1 comes out (I'm patiently waiting), the only way to recover
>your
>VNC session usage is to RDP into the XP box, bring up a prompt, and enter
>"TSCON 0 /DEST:console", This will kick you out of your RDP Session, and
>now you can VNC again...

 

[BrokenVisage]

Originally posted by: Zontor
I did find this w/a 5 second google search:

Until 4.1 comes out (I'm patiently waiting), the only way to recover
>your
>VNC session usage is to RDP into the XP box, bring up a prompt, and enter
>"TSCON 0 /DEST:console", This will kick you out of your RDP Session, and
>now you can VNC again...

I tried that command line too after Googling and got that access denied error.

 

[Joemonkey]

Originally posted by: BrokenVisage
Yeah, its Windows XPSP2 with all the updates as current as yesterday. We tried to get her to send a remote assistance email but it never came through, I'm thinking shes just too bone-headed even with our slower then a sundial instructions though.

can you use windows messenger, and her use windows messenger, and do an "ask for remote assistance" that way?

 

[BrokenVisage]

Thanks guys, Comcast came out and replacing the modem apparently fixed it.

 

[sunase]

>>>"TSCON 0 /DEST:console", This will kick you out of your RDP Session, and

>I tried that command line too after Googling and got that access denied error.

The only time I saw access denied was typing that on the local computer. The correct place to type it is on the remote computer's command line (through remote desktop). Maybe yours was a different access denied, but just for the record. ^^