The system administrator has limited the computers you can log on with

If you receive an error when connecting to the Remote desktop that says, The system administrator has limited the computers you can log on with, then this post will help you resolve the problem and figure a way out to connect using the remote desktop feature.

The system administrator has limited the computers you can log on with. Try logging on at a different computer. If the problem continues, contact your system administrator or technical support

Why does this error occur?

This error appears when a user in Active Directory is restricted from connecting to a set of computers or can only connect to a computer when allowed. However, if you are not part of Active Directory and still getting this error, you need to ask the IT admin to allow you.

The system administrator has limited the computers you can log on with

Here are two suggestions you can use to fix the problem:

1. Add computer name to Logon Workstations
2. Change or Update the Group Policy of Remote Desktop Session Host

You will need an Administrator account to execute these sugestions.

1] Add computer name to Logon Workstations

You will need to allow the user to connect to the computer you are trying to connect via remote desktop, i.e., unless the user has permission, they cannot connect to that PC. To do this, the administrator must edit your user object using Active Directory Users and Computers or another Active Directory admin tool.

• Open Windows Terminal, type dsa.msc, and press Enter.
• It will open the ADUC  or Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in
• Use AD search to find the user account you want to restrict and open its properties.
• Then go to the Account tab and click the “Log On To” button.
• Check if the user can log in to all domain computers or specific ones.
• The administrator must add the PC name to the list if it’s specific.
• To find the computer name of your PC, you can use the Windows Terminal and execute a command-set computername
• Add this to the allowed list, and you should be able to connect.

2] Change or Update the Group Policy of the Remote Desktop Session Host

• Open Local Group Policy Editor
• Navigate to the following path

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Connections

• Find the “Allow users to connect remotely by using Remote Desktop Services” policy.
• Please set it to enabled.
• Restart PC or force update the group policy, and then the user can log on to the remote desktop.

While the error may sound complicated, the resolution is straightforward. You can ask your IT admin to add you to the allowed list of computers you want to access remotely or change the group policy to allow users to access the Remote Desktop feature. The latter must be used when not part of the Active directory. I hope the post was easy to follow and you were able to manage the error.

Read: Your credentials did not work in Remote Desktop on Windows

How do I enable Remote Desktop on my PC?

You can enable Remote Desktop on your PC by going to Settings > System > Remote Desktop and toggling on the Remote Desktop feature. It will allow you to connect to and use this PC from another device using the remote desktop app. You will also need to allow a set of users who can access the PC from anywhere.

How do I fix the Remote desktop connection error?

Apart from permission and setting issues, ensure the PC you are trying to connect is available over the internet or on the local network. It is one of the reasons users fail to connect to the computer. It can be because the PC is turned off, the computer is on another network, or unavailable on the internet.