Fix: remote desktop cannot connect to the remote computer for one of these reasons

The error "Remote Desktop cannot connect to the remote computer for one of these reasons" can occur for many reasons, including incorrect credentials, connection problems, or using the HTTP / UDP protocol. The error message gives three of the following reasons:

1. Remote access to the server is not enabled
2. The remote computer is turned off
3. The remote computer is not available on the network

Fix: Remote Desktop can’t connect to the remote computer for one of these reasons

Remote desktop is a very handy feature that allows you to connect to and use other computers running Windows without having to be physically in front of that computer. The computer you want to connect to can be located in any part of the world and you can access and use it if you have the correct credentials and the required software. A working Internet connection is required on both systems for a successful connection. In this article we will cover a common problem of Remote Desktop not being able to connect to the remote connection, i.e. the causes of the problem, as well as solutions you can use to fix the error for good.

What causes remote desktop connections to fail in Windows??

Although there are a number of reasons Remote Desktop Connection can fail on Windows, the most common cause is that there is an unstable Internet connection or the credentials do not match. Apart from these reasons, there are some other known causes for the interruption of remote desktop functionality in Windows 10. These are:

• RDP doesn’t work after Windows Update: The Remote Desktop feature may not work properly after you update or refresh Windows. Well, it happens because the update may have corrupted the RDP functionality of Windows and requires manual intervention to fix the problem.
• Antivirus / firewall issue: when you install an antivirus program, sometimes some of the RDP features in Windows are blocked due to which you cannot successfully connect to a Windows remote computer.
• Network profile problem: if you have a public network profile or network group in Windows, in most cases the remote desktop features will be blocked.

You can follow some of the following solutions to get your RDP working properly in Windows.

Solution 1: Change / optimize your firewall settings

This thing is a must if you have problems with RDP. In most cases your firewall blocks some incoming and outgoing connections by default. Unfortunately, if you have a strict firewall policy in place, you will not be able to connect to a remote computer.

If the remote desktop feature has been blocked or not allowed by the Windows firewall, you need to allow it. To do this, follow the instructions below:

1. Open the Start menu and type "Allow app through Windows Firewall" without quotes.
2. Click the first choice it contains.
3. Next, click Change settings in the top right corner of the window that appears.
   

   Allowing RDP in the Windows firewall

4. There you will see a list of applications or functions that were allowed or not allowed in Windows Firewall.
5. Scroll down until you see Remote Desktop and select the checkbox in front of it (Private).
   

   Enable Remote Desktop in the firewall

6. Close the window and you can allow Remote Desktop through Windows Firewall.

Solution 2: Allow remote desktop connections if it is not allowed

You also need to check whether the remote desktop connections are allowed in your Windows or not. If this functionality is blocked, remote desktop connections will not work even if you allow remote desktop through the firewall. Follow the steps below to check this:

1. Enter "Allow Remote Desktop Connections" in the Start menu.
2. Then click on the first selection.
3. A window will appear. Scroll down until you see the Remote Desktop heading. Before "Change settings to allow remote connections to this computer," click "Show settings".

   Allow RDP connections

4. Make sure that the "Allow remote support connections to this computer" option is enabled. Click Apply and then OK to close the window.

Solution 3: Reset your Remote Desktop credentials

If you have saved the credentials for a certain remote computer and try to connect to another remote computer, most of the time you will get an error message because the credentials do not match. This is because you have saved the Remote Desktop credentials and the other computer you are connecting to has different credentials.

Perform the following actions to reset or remove RDP credentials in Windows 10:

1. Type Remote Desktop Connection in the Start menu.
2. Then click on the first selection, which is "Remote desktop".
3. Enter the IP address of the computer. If there are credentials stored for this particular computer, you can either edit or delete them
4. Click Delete to remove the credentials.
   

   Delete saved credentials

Solution 4: Add the IP address of the remote computer to your Hosts file

Another option is to add the IP address of the remote computer to your hosts file. Some users experience problems when they try to connect to a remote computer whose IP address is not included in their Hosts file. To do this, proceed as follows:

1. Press Windows key + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) from the list to open a command prompt with elevated privileges.
2. Type the following command in cmd: cd C: / Windows / System32 / Drivers / etc.
3. Next, type the following command: notepad hosts
4. 

   Edit the Hosts file

5. After opening the Hosts file in the editor, add the IP address of the remote computer to the end of the file. When you are finished, click the Close button and click Save when prompted to save your changes.

Solution 5: Add the RDGClientTransport key

Some users were able to fix their problem with Remote Desktop Connections in Windows with a registry tweak. You need to create a new DWORD key in the Windows registry that forces RDP to use RPC / HTTP connections instead of HTTP / UDP. To add the key

1. Press Windows + R to open the run
2. Type regedit and press the Enter key.
3. Next, navigate to the following path in the registry editor by pasting it into the address bar: HKEY_CURRENT_USER / SoftwareMicrosoft / Terminal Server Client
4. Right-click there on the right side of the window, click New → DWORD (32-bit value) and name it RDGClientTransport.

   Adding a RDGClientTransport key

5. Then double click on this new key that was created to open its properties. Now you will see an option to set value data. Set it to 1. Then click OK and close the Windows registry.

Solution 6: Change the network properties

In some cases, the error may be triggered due to the network being set up as public. Therefore, in this step, we will change it to private. For this:

1. Press "Windows" + "I" to open the settings.
2. Click on the "network and internet" option and select "status".

   Network and internet option selection

3. Click on the option "Change connection properties.

   Selection of "Change compound properties

4. Select the option "Private.

   Select "Private

5. Check if the problem persists.