Occassionally Remote Desktop won't allow incoming connections...

[Guest Taed Wynnell]

On one of our frequently-used Windows Server 2003 SP 2 servers, on a few

occasions, we've seen that Remote Desktop won't allow incoming connections

from any client machine until we reboot it. We'd like to figure out why.

 

When this happens, we can log into it directly on the head, just not

remotely with Remote Desktop Connection.

 

When I try to connect to it currently using Remote Desktop Connection, I

get:

Remote Desktop Disconnected

The connection was terminated because of a network error. Please try

connecting to the remote computer again.

or

Remote Desktop Disconnected

This computer can't connect to the remote computer.

I get a different, but similar, error if I use the /CONSOLE option.

 

I've looked through the various Event Logs, but have found nothing of

interest.

 

Using PSLOGGEDON, I can see that no one else is logged on. Using PSSERVICE,

I can see that the TermService service is running, but apparently, I can't

restart it because it's one of those special services.

 

I searched the Microsoft Knowledge Base, but didn't find anything that was

an issue with Win2003 SP 2.

 

I was able to PSEXEC to it and:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32>netstat -anob

TCP 0.0.0.0:3389 0.0.0.0:0 LISTENING

1552

TermService

[svchost.exe]

which shows that the service is really listening at the right port.

 

So, the service seems to be running fine, but won't accept any incoming

connections. Does anyone have any theories as to why?

 

(Thanks in advance!)

[Guest TP]

Re: Occassionally Remote Desktop won't allow incoming connections...

 

Hi,

 

Was the server restarted (or attempted to be) prior to this

happening? For example, after a windows update or via a

nightly scheduled task?

 

Please look through the System and Application event logs for

signs of what happened prior to TS not working. For example,

look for Source: USER32 Event ID: 1073. You can get an

idea of when TS stopped working by looking at the Security

log for the logon events (Event ID: 528, Logon Type:10),

System log for printer autocreate/delete messages, etc.

 

Related questions: Does the server work fine for weeks,

no restarts, no updates applied, no software adds/changes,

and then TS just stops working? Is it ever abrupt, for example,

people logged into it fine all day and then all of sudden no one

new can connect? Or is it more like no one has logged into it

for a while (maybe days), and then when someone trys it does

not work?

 

What licensing mode is this server in? You can check this by

opening up Terminal Services Configuration (tscc.msc) and

clicking on Server Settings on the left.

 

When this happens are you able to logon to the console and

connect to localhost using Remote Desktop?

 

Thanks.

 

-TP

 

Taed Wynnell wrote:

> On one of our frequently-used Windows Server 2003 SP 2 servers, on a

> few occasions, we've seen that Remote Desktop won't allow incoming

> connections from any client machine until we reboot it. We'd like to

> figure out why.

>

> When this happens, we can log into it directly on the head, just not

> remotely with Remote Desktop Connection.

>

> When I try to connect to it currently using Remote Desktop

> Connection, I get:

> Remote Desktop Disconnected

> The connection was terminated because of a network error. Please

> try connecting to the remote computer again.

> or

> Remote Desktop Disconnected

> This computer can't connect to the remote computer.

> I get a different, but similar, error if I use the /CONSOLE option.

>

> I've looked through the various Event Logs, but have found nothing of

> interest.

>

> Using PSLOGGEDON, I can see that no one else is logged on. Using

> PSSERVICE, I can see that the TermService service is running, but

> apparently, I can't restart it because it's one of those special

> services.

>

> I searched the Microsoft Knowledge Base, but didn't find anything

> that was an issue with Win2003 SP 2.

>

> I was able to PSEXEC to it and:

> C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32>netstat -anob

> TCP 0.0.0.0:3389 0.0.0.0:0 LISTENING

> 1552

> TermService

> [svchost.exe]

> which shows that the service is really listening at the right port.

>

> So, the service seems to be running fine, but won't accept any

> incoming connections. Does anyone have any theories as to why?

>

> (Thanks in advance!)