windows 2000 TS + clients black screen (never connects)

[jdl508]

Hello, I have a windows 2000 SP3 server running TS in app mode. The clients are all Windows 2000 pro and reside over a WAN link. I have a problem where (just example) 8 users can try and logon but 4 of those get a black Terminal Services screen and just sit there. Also it seems to only happen on these particular boxes. I have rebooted the server which sometimes remedies 1-2 machines after reinstalling the client. What am I missing here? I have 8 users training but should have 50 users on this server as soon as this pilot team works everything out with the app. They get to the app through straight forward published desktop but I dont think this gets that far when it has problems. Any help is greatly appreciated.
thanks
jdl

 

[JohnTcolo]

This is a Citrix Forum, not Terminal Services. Do you have Citrix running at all?

 

[jdl508]

I understand that this is a citrix forum but since they are built upon the same core product I thought this may be a better place to look for advice rather than windows 2000 server. To answer your question no I don not have citrix running on this particular server.

 

[jamor1999]

I've had this problem, except the screen wasn't black, just frozen. Most of the time, if a slow connection wasn't to blame, the user profile might be too large to load.

Do you notice that it's generally the same users on the same servers that have this problem? If so,pick one user to test with and try renaming his/her profile directory under c:\documents and settings.

If you have roaming profiles, you will need to do the above as well as rename the profile directory for the user on the server where it is hosted.

And don't forget to check the event log, you never know what you might find.

 

[jdl508]

thanks jamor1999 for the reply. I don't think it is a profile issue because the user never gets to logon. When the user clicks the terminal services icon they get a logon prompt because I am publishing the desktop. The ones having the problem never get the logon prompt it just sits and hangs. the screen doesnt even turn blue as if it was trying.

 

[jamor1999]

That is so strange. It sounds like a terminal services licensing problem. Do any of your users recall seeing a message stating that their temporary license would expire in so many days? No other error messages I'm assuming.

Check your TS licensing server to make sure that you don't just have the 90 temp licenses. If that's the case, then we found the culprit.

 

[jamor1999]

btw, if you're not sure how to check the ts license server, log onto any domain controller and open the administrative tools and look for terminal services licensing.

 

[Ogi]

Hi,

Also, has the user got Local Admin rights? If not, log in as the administrator of that PC, create the connection to your TS Server and get the user to log in? Does it work? If so, log out from both, log in as the user on the PC and then try your TS Client, does that work? If so, it's fixed!

Please report back!
Carl.

 

[jdl508]

Well Im sure its not a license issue because all of the clients are windows 2000 pro (builtin TS CALS) And the users do have local PC administrator writes but not local admin on the TS. For the time being though I have given everyone full control on that machine and seems to have resolved some issues. This problem is very intermittant. very strange. thanks for the replies

 

[tp66]

Straight from MS FAQ Citrix-Terminal services

Q. Sometimes I connect to my terminal server I receive a black screen.

A. This typically occurs if there is a device between the client and the server that is receiving packets but not passing them on. One way around this problem is to change the MTU size for the network adapter that is being used as a terminal server connection to clients.

Ethernet uses a maximum MTU size of 1500. You can start with 500 and then slowly move up until you notice the problem to find the correct value to set

Check it out Jdl508

Later my Friend