Cannot Connect to RDS Server after Server restart or Update

If you cannot connect to RDS Server, maybe after Server restart or Windows Update on your computer, then this post may help you. RDS or Remote Desktop Services is a platform of choice providing secure mobile and remote desktop access. Errors might occur with RDS due to corrupted or damaged Windows files installed while updating Windows.

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

Make sure the remote computer is turned on and connected to the network, and that remote access is enabled.

Why can’t Windows connect with RDS Servers?

There isn’t any specific reason why this error may occur. However, many users faced this error after updating to Windows 11 22H2 version. Some other reasons this error may occur are:

Corrupt update files
Critical services not running properly
Misconfigured network settings

Cannot Connect to RDS Server after Server restart or Windows Update

If you cannot connect to Remote Desktop Server (RDS) after Server restart or Windows Update, here are some troubleshooting steps you can take:

Check Internet Connection
Check the status of the RDP protocol on a remote computer
Modify Registry to unfreeze RDP connection
Restart Remote Desktop Services
Roll back Windows Upgrade/Update

Now let us see these in detail.

1] Check Internet Connection

Before starting with different methods to fix this issue, check your internet connection. A weak or unstable internet connection can also be responsible for your device’s inability to connect to the RDS server. You can visit any connection checking website to check your internet connection.

2] Check the status of the RDP protocol on a remote computer

RDP Protocol has a registry entry that allows you to enable RDP Protocol which is important for the Remote Desktop app to make a connection. Do make sure to take a backup of the registry before making any change.

Type Regedit in the Run prompt (Win +R), and press the Enter key. Then navigate to the following path.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server.

Double click on the DWORD fDenyTSConnections and change the value to 0 to enable RDP.

3] Modify Registry to unfreeze RDP connection

If the RDS connection is trying to connect over UDP and not over TCP, it can cause the RDS server to malfunction. To fix this, add the following registry setting, and the Remote Desktop Connection will work. Here’s how:

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type regedit and hit Enter.
Navigate to the following path:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services\Client

Right-click in the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Rename the value as fClientDisableUDP.
Now right-click on the newly created value and select Modify.
Set the Value Data as 1 and click on Ok to save the changes.
Restart your device and check if the RDS server starts running.

4] Restart Remote Desktop Services

If the error still isn’t fixed, restart Remote Desktop Services. Doing so will establish a new connection to the servers. Here’s how you can do it:

Click on Start, search Services, and open it.
Scroll down and search for Remote Desktop Services.
Right-click on the service and select Restart.

Fix: Your computer can’t connect to the remote computer

5] Roll back Windows Update/Upgrade

If the issue has occurred after Windows Updates, then maybe you could consider uninstalling the Update. To uninstall an update, follow these steps:

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type appwiz.cpl and hit Enter.
In the Uninstall or view a program page click on View Installed Updates.
Right-click on the recently installed update and select Uninstall.

If it has occurred after you installed a Feature Update, then this post will show you how to rollback the Feature Update.

Read: An internal error has occurred error for Remote Desktop Connection

Why is Remote desktop not connecting?

A weak internet connection is the most common reason a remote desktop is not connecting. You can ping a Telnet client and PsPing from your local machine to check the connectivity of the remote computer. However, a Firewall can also block the servers sometimes.

Troubleshoot: Remote Desktop connection issues & errors on Windows 11/10

How do I add a Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 11/10?

To add a Remote Desktop Connection in Windows 11/10, go to Computer Management and navigate to the local users and groups. Then expand the option and scroll down to the remote desktop Users. Further, right-click and perform steps to add users.

Fix: Your Credentials did not work in Remote Desktop on Windows.