The article illustrates five commonly-used methods to turn on Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10 computer as below.
Video guide on how to open Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 10:
Way 1: Open it in Start Menu.
Click the bottom-left Start button to display the menu, expand All apps, open Windows Accessories and tap Remote Desktop Connection.
Way 2: Launch it by searching.
Type remote in the search box on taskbar, and choose Remote Desktop Connection from the items.
Way 3: Turn it on via Run.
Press Windows+R to show Run, input mstsc and hit OK.
Way 4: Open the app via CMD.
Start Command Prompt, type mstsc.exe and press Enter.
Way 5: Turn it on via Windows PowerShell.
Access Windows PowerShell, input mstsc and click Enter.
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There are multiple causes of the Windows 10 Remote Desktop not working error. And when the error occurs, there is an error message saying that “Remote Desktop can't connect to the remote computer for one of these reasons”. The following are three reasons:
- Remote access to the server is not enabled.
- The remote computer is turned off.
- The remote computer is not available on the network.
So what are the detail causes of the error? I have listed some of the most common causes below:
- Internet connection is not stable.
- Login credentials are not matching.
- RDP is not working after updating Windows.
- Antivirus or Firewall problem.
- Network Profile problem.
How to Fix the Windows 10 Remote Desktop Not Working Error?
After you have known the causes of the Windows 10 Remote Desktop not working error, you maybe wonder how to fix the error. Then keep reading, and you can find several useful methods.
Method 1: Change Firewall Settings
The first method you should take to fix the Windows 10 Remote Desktop not working error is to change the Firewall settings. Here is the tutorial:
Step 1: Type allow an app through windows firewall in the search box and then click the best match one.
Step 2: Click Change settings on the top right corner.
Step 3: Find Remote Desktop and then check the box under the Private tab. Click OK to save changes.
Step 4: Close the window and then the Remote Desktop connection not working error should be fixed.
Method 2: Allow Remote Desktop Connections If Not Allowed
If the Remote Desktop connections are not allowed in your Windows, then the Windows 10 Remote Desktop not working error will occur.
Follow the instructions to allow Remote Desktop connections:
Step 1: Press the Win key and the I key at the same time to open Settings.
Step 2: Click Update & Security and then go to the For developers section.
Step 3: Find Change settings to allow remote connections to this computer in the right panel and then click Show settings next to it.
Step 4: Check the box next to Allow Remote Assistance Connections to this Computer. Click Apply and OK to save changes.
Method 3: Remove Your Remote Desktop Credentials
When your Remote Desktop credentials are not matching, then the Windows 10 Remote Desktop not working error will occur if you try to connect to another remote computer. Therefore, you should try to reset your Remote Desktop credentials.
Step 1: Type Remote Desktop connection in the search box and click the best match one.
Step 2: Type in the remote computer’s IP address. If there are any credentials saved for this specific computer, you will be given the option to either edit or delete.
Step 3: Click delete to remove the credentials.
Step 4: Retry connect the remote computer and then check if the error is gone.
Method 4: Add the Remote Computer’s IP Address to Your Hosts File
You can also try to add the remote computer’s IP address to your hosts file to fix the Windows 10 Remote Desktop not working error. Here is the tutorial:
Step 1: Type cmd in the search box and then right-click Command Prompt to choose Run as administrator. Click Yes.
Step 2: Type cd C:/Windows/System32/Drivers/etc in the Command Prompt window and then press the Enter key.
Step 3: Type notepad hosts in the window and then press the Enter key to open the hosts file in notepad.
Step 4: Add the remote computer’s IP address to the end of the file. Click File and then choose Save. Click Close.
Step 5: Try to connect remote computer again and then check if the error is gone.
Method 5: Make Changes to the Registry Editor
You can fix the Windows 10 Remote Desktop not working error by making changes to the Registry Editor. Here is the way to make changes:
Step 1: Press the Win key and the R key at the same time to open the Run box.
Step 2: Type regedit in the box and then click OK. Click Yes to open Registry Editor.
Step 3: Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Terminal Server Client.
Step 4: Right-click the empty space on the right side and then choose New > DWORD [32-bit] Value. Name it RDGClientTransport.
Step 5: Double-click this new key to open its Properties. Set Value data to 1 and click OK to save changes.
Step 6: Try to connect the remote computer one more time and check if the error still exists.
Method 6: Change Network Properties
If your network has been set up as Public, then the Windows 10 Remote Desktop not working error may occur. Thus, you can change the network from Public to Private. Follow the instructions below the change network properties:
Step 1: Open Settings and then click Network & Internet.
Step 2: Go to the Status tab and then click Change connection properties in the right panel.
Step 3: Choose Private under Network profile.
Step 4: Retry to connect the remote computer and then see if the error still persists.
From this post, you can know the causes of the Windows 10 Remote Desktop not working error. Besides, you can find the methods to fix the error. If you cannot connect the remote computer, then you can try the methods mentioned above.
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Author Sonya has been engaged in editing for a long time and likes to share useful methods to get rid of the common problems of Windows computers, such as Windows Update error. And she aims to help more people to protect their data. What’s more, she offers some useful ways to convert audio and video file formats. By the way, she likes to travel, watch movies and listen to music.
by Ivan Jenic
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Updated: Mar 3, 2022
- Remote Desktop is a very useful feature, which allows us to control our computer from another device.
- Some factors can cause Remote Desktop to stop working but read the article below to find plenty of solutions.
- We wrote a lot more about Remote Desktop Connection so it would be useful for you to bookmark the page.
- If you experienced any other Windows 10 errors you have to check out our Windows 10 errors hub.
Remote Desktop is a very useful Windows 10 feature, which allows us to control our computer from another device.
Of course, it requires an internet connection to work, so if your computer is not properly connected to the internet, you won’t be able to use this feature.
However, even some other factors could cause Remote Desktop to stop working, and we’re going to talk about these issues and solutions for them in this article.
Speaking of issues, many users reported the following problems:
- Remote Desktop can’t connect to the remote computer for one of these reasons Windows 10
- Sometimes you might get this error message on your PC. If you encounter this problem, be sure to try all the solutions from this article.
- Windows 10 RDP client not working
- Sometimes RDP client won’t work at all on your PC. This can be due to your system configuration. To fix that, make sure that you’re using a private network.
- RDP this computer can’t connect to the remote computer
- This is another common problem with RDP. To fix this issue, be sure to check both your antivirus and firewall.
- Remote Desktop not working after Windows 10 upgrade
- Sometimes issues with Remote Desktop can occur after installing a Windows update. To fix the issue, simply remove the update and the problem will be fixed.
- Unable to connect to remote PC, please verify Remote Desktop is enabled
- This is another common problem with Remote Desktop. However, you should be able to fix the problem using one of our solutions.
- Windows 10 Remote Desktop credentials did not work
- If you encounter this error on your PC, you might be able to fix it simply by removing your saved credentials.
- Remote Desktop cannot connect error, certificate expired invalid, in the time allotted
- There are various errors that can appear while trying to use the Remote Desktop feature. However, you should be able to fix them using one of our solutions.
- Remote Desktop won’t connect over the Internet
- This is another problem related to the Remote Desktop feature. If Remote Desktop can’t connect, be sure to check your firewall and antivirus settings.
The remote desktop can’t connect to the remote computer for one of these reasons:
- Remote access to the server is not enabled
- The remote computer is turned off
- The remote computer is not available on the network
These can be caused by a limited network connection, not enough memory, and wrong firewall settings.
So, if you can’t connect to Remote Desktop in Windows 10, make sure your computer doesn’t have any of the above-mentioned issues.
How do I solve problems with Remote Desktop in Windows 10?
1. Check your internet connection
As I said, the Internet is required for Remote Desktop to connect with another device. So, check if everything is okay with your internet connection.
If you determine that you have some problems connecting to the internet, check out our articles about Internet problems and Limited internet connection in Windows 10, and you might find the solution.
2. Check if remote connections are allowed
- Go to Search, type remote settings, and open Allow Remote connections to your computer.
- Check Allow remote connections to this computer and click OK to save changes.
Just like you need to allow Remote Desktop through the Firewall, you also need to allow remote connections on your computer, if you’re using this feature for the first time.
Remote connections are now enabled, and you should try to connect again. We also noticed another possible issue that could prevent using Remote Desktop.
If the computer you want to connect to remotely is in the Sleep or Hibernate mode, the connection won’t be possible, so check if the computer is ‘awake,’ and then try to connect again.
3. Remove your credentials from Remote Desktop
- Press Windows Key + S and enter remote desktop. Click on Remote Desktop Connection from the menu.
- When Remote Desktop Connection window opens, go to Advanced tab and click on Settings.
- Now click on Delete Credentials.
According to users, sometimes Remote Desktop won’t connect due to problems with your credentials. However, you can fix that issue simply by removing the saved credentials.
After deleting your credentials, check if the problem still persists. Many users reported that this solution fixed the problem for them, so be sure to try it out.
4. Turn off custom scaling
- Open the
- If custom scaling is turned on, you should see A custom scale factor is set message. Click on Turn off custom scaling and sign out.
If Remote Desktop won’t connect, the problem might be related to custom scaling. Many users use custom scaling on larger monitors, but sometimes this feature can cause problems with Remote Desktop.
Once you sign back in, the scaling should be set to default and all problems with Remote Desktop will be resolved. Many users reported that this solution worked for them, so we strongly recommend you try it out.
- Go to Search, type firewall and open Windows Defender Firewall.
- Go to Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall.
- Click on Change Settings.
- Find Remote Desktop, check it, and click OK to save changes.
Windows Firewall is also one of the most common causes of Remote Desktop problems. If Remote Desktop is blocked by Firewall, you won’t be able to connect it with another device.
Now try to connect your computers via Remote Desktop, and it should work.
Remote Desktop is not enabled in Firewall by default, so if you’re running Remote Desktop for the first time, allowing it through Windows Firewall is a must.
In addition to your firewall, it’s important to check if your antivirus isn’t blocking the Remote Desktop feature.
Sometimes antivirus can interfere with your system and prevent this feature from working properly. In some cases, you might have to uninstall your antivirus in order to fix this issue.
If you’re looking for a new antivirus that is compatible with Remote Desktop, we suggest that you consider changing your antivirus software that works great with Windows 10, so it won’t interfere with other processes and apps thus creating problems.
6. Make changes to your registry
- Press Windows Key + R and enter regedit. Press Enter or click OK to start
- In the left pane, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftTerminal Server Client key. In the right pane, right click the empty space and choose New > DWORD [32-bit] Value. Enter RDGClientTransport as the name of the new DWORD.
- Double click newly created RDGClientTransport DWORD to open its properties. Set Value data to 1 and click on OK to save changes.
According to users, you might be able to fix this problem by making one small change to your registry.
After making these changes, check if the problem still persists. This might be a slightly advanced solution, but many users reported that it worked for them, so you might want to try it out.
7. Add the IP address and server name to the hosts file
Several users reported that they were unable to use Remote Desktop due to their host’s file.
According to them, to fix the issue, you need to manually add the IP address and the server name to the host’s file on your PC.
To do that, navigate to This directory and edit the hosts file with Notepad.:
C:WindowsSystem32Driversetc
Keep in mind that the host’s file is a system file, so if you want to modify it, you’ll need administrative privileges.
For more information on how to modify your host’s file and gain administrative privileges, we strongly recommend checking Access denied when editing the host’s file article.
Once you make changes to your host’s file, the issue with Remote Desktop should be resolved.
8. Check if 3389 port is enabled
If Remote Desktop won’t connect, the problem might be your firewall. Your firewall can block certain ports in order to protect your PC, but sometimes your firewall can block certain ports by mistake.
For example, port 3389 is used by Remote Desktop, and if your firewall is blocking this port, you won’t be able to use this feature at all.
If this port is enabled, but the issue still appears, try disabling and enabling your firewall. Sometimes a quick firewall reset can fix the problem, so you might want to try that.
- Can’t reset the firewall? Check out this complete guide on how to do that!
9. Change your connection from Public to Private
- Click the network icon in the bottom right corner of your
- Click on your network connection name.
- Select Private as your network profile.
In order to protect your PC, remote connections are disabled if you’re using a public connection. After doing that, the problem with Remote Desktop should be completely resolved.
Also, if none of the solutions worked, you can use Mikogo to solve the connectivity problems. With this remote desktop software, you get complete security and control of your PC.
Remote Desktop not working over VPN
Remote desktop not connecting through VPN cases are more frequent than you can imagine.
While the potential culprits can be diverse ranging from connectivity issues [ports, network adapters, and so on] to communication and protocols, it’s likely that the issue is caused by an incorrect setup.
Whether the VPN disconnects when Remote Desktop is activated or the Remote Desktop fails with VPN connected, getting the two of them to collaborate harmoniously is essential.
Here are some quick tips to consider:
- Allow Remote Desktop connections on the server PC
- Create a VPN server using your router
- Set up a VPN connection on the client PC
- Connect to the server PC
If you want to find out how to set up a VPN with Remote Desktop Connection on Windows 10/11, we got your back. So don’t be shy to explore the topic and follow the presented instructions step by step.
That’s about it, we hope at least some of these solutions helped you with connection problems with Remote Desktop in Windows 10.
If you have any comments or questions, just reach out to the comment section below, and we’ll try to assist you further.
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This article covers:Topics:
- Remote Desktop Connection
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