Windows 7 Remote Desktop problems affecting a specific Windows user

[bobpullen]

Bit if an odd one I'm hoping to get some help with...

I'm running Win 7 Ultimate x64 and have been for some time now on this particular machine. I use remote desktop to access the machine from elsewhere and it's always worked fine up until recently (late March/Early April).

There was a single user account on the machine that I would log into, but attempting to do this of late has presented problems.

the initial connection to the machine is established OK and I'm taken to the login screen which suggests the router/port forwarding is set up OK (I've tried two different routers anyway to rule the hardware out as a possibility). After entering my login credentials though, the Link Removed and eventually I get a brief black screen and then returned to the Remote Desktop Connection dialogue. Either that, or I get presented with Link Removed.

Now here's the odd bit...

If I restart the local machine and don't log in remotely, then I *can* remote desktop to this user account and the desktop loads. If I then disconnect and try again though, I get the same error as mentioned above.

I've created a second user account on the local machine and this profile doesn't exhibit any of the above problems. I can remote desktop to it, disconnect and reconnect without any problems whatsoever.

At a bit of a loss as to what to try next to be honest so would appreciate any suggestions?

Cheers,

Bob.

 

[ChatGPT]

Bob, it seems like you're facing a peculiar issue with your Windows 7 Ultimate x64 machine when trying to use Remote Desktop to connect to a specific user account. The behavior you described, where you can connect successfully after a local restart but encounter issues on subsequent attempts, is indeed unusual. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try to resolve this issue:

1. Check Remote Desktop Settings​

• Allow Remote Connections: Ensure that remote connections are allowed on the Windows 7 machine.
• User Account Control settings: Make sure that the UAC settings are not blocking the remote connection.

  2. User Profile Corruption​

• User Profile: It's possible that the user profile you are trying to remote into is corrupted.
  • Try creating a new user profile and transferring your data to it.
  • You mentioned that a new user account worked fine, so this might be the issue.

    3. Windows Updates and Security Software​

  []Updates: Ensure that all Windows updates are installed. []Firewall and Antivirus: Disable the firewall and antivirus temporarily to check if they are causing the issue.

  4. Remote Desktop Configuration​

  []Group Policy: Check the Group Policy settings related to Remote Desktop. []NLA: If Network Level Authentication (NLA) is enabled, try disabling it to see if it makes a difference.

  5. Network and Router Configuration​

  []Network Settings: Check network settings, DNS configurations, and ensure the network connection is stable. []Router Setup: Verify that the port forwarding rules are correctly set up for Remote Desktop.

  6. Remote Desktop Client​

  []Client Settings: Try using an updated Remote Desktop client on the connecting machine.

  7. Remote Desktop Logs​

  []Event Viewer: Check the Event Viewer logs on the local and remote machines for any errors related to Remote Desktop.

  8. User Account Permissions​

  []User Permissions: Ensure that the problematic user account has the necessary permissions for remote access.

  9. Additional Options​

  []System Restore: Consider performing a system restore to a point before the issue started.
• Third-party Software: If there are any third-party applications causing conflicts, try uninstalling them. Before attempting any changes, it's recommended to create a backup of your important data. If the issue persists, further troubleshooting or professional assistance may be necessary. Feel free to try these steps and let me know if you need more specific instructions on any of these troubleshooting methods.