Remote Desktop oddity

[disord3r]

I have a VPN connection to my work site which allows me to use Remote Desktop to connect to a number of servers, including my own workstation. I don't have any issues in doing this except with my own workstation. It runs XP Pro.

The issue is that I can connect just fine... once. I log in, I see all the apps/windows just as they were when I locked my computer, do whatever it is I need to do, and then I do Start > Disconnect (to again leave the user logged in and all my apps/windows open). The next time I attempt to connect to my workstation, everything appears to go fine until the point when the remote desktop would be displayed. My local desktop disappears, the RPD client goes full-screen, and just when it seems like it should be drawing the remote desktop to my screen, it simply closes without an error.

No amount of troubleshooting from my home PC/network (disconnecting/reconnecting the VPN, logging out/in, rebooting) will let me back into the remote workstation. Attempting to connect using my notebook from the same network as my home desktop produces the same results.

The next day rolls around and I get to work to find my computer running and locked just as I had left it the last time I was physically there. I log in and see all my apps/windows are still as I left them when I disconnected from the first RDP session. If I reboot the computer, I will then immediately be able to make remote connections from home over the VPN.

I find it highly annoying that I get one shot only to do whatever I need to do from my home PC. What in the world is going on, and how can I fix it?


Thanks in advance.
- Kevin

 

[linney]

See if the workaround in this thread is applicable?

Problem connecting with Remote Desktop
thread779-1320377

 

[disord3r]

I will check the state of NLA when I return to work Monday morning, but I don't think this is quite the same issue. The only time that a user is not logged in on my workstation at work is when it is powered off, so the circumstatnces are a little differnet.

Regardless, I will try it out.

 

[HalComps]

u defently have IP PROTOCOL enabled yes? i no its a silly question, but when disconnecting ur VPN it might be messing up IP protocol and resetting it. just check it incase. hope u get it sorted soon gl

 

[disord3r]

linney - NLA is already running, and has been for quite some time. It's startup is set to manual though, so I set it to automatic anyway.

HalComps - I also thought it might have been my VPN client causing the problem. When I do sucessfully connect via RDP, disconnect, and then IMMEDIATELY try to reconnect (without disconnecting/reconnecting the VPN) I already cannot get back in. It's as if there's some setting on my computer that will not allow more than one session, but I know this is not the case.

Maybe it has to do with the way I'm disconnecting after my first session. I have rebooted my work computer today, and when I go home for lunch, I will do some further testing. Not sure what to test though.

 

[linney]

At the completion of your first session, just before you disconnect from the Remote Work machine, are you able to remotely reboot that machine and then see if you can connect to it a second time?

See Shutdown /? from a Command Prompt.

 

[disord3r]

I haven't tried that yet, but I don't see why not. Reboot is the only thing that seems to bring it back to life, so I would assume that rebooting as an exit from my first session would probably be fine.

Also, when I can no longer get in, I did attempt to do remotely shut down the PC with the reboot switch over the VPN, and it wouldn't let me - It gives me "Access Denied". I can still open shares and hit UNC paths and admin shares on this computer remotely across the VPN, I just can't open RDP again or remotely reboot it. /:

I'm about to leave work, and I'm goint to reboot on my way out and mess around with that tonight.