RDP from Windows 11 to old Windows Home Server (based on Widnows Server 2003) "Internal Error"

Question

I did spend a few weeks searching the forums looking for answers but I had no luck.

This is not about connecting to a Windows 11 system but connecting FROM a Windows 11 system to an OLD version of Windows Server.

All of my old Windows 10 PC and my Mac can still connect an RDP session to my old Windows Home Server (based on Windows Server 2003). But as of a few months ago my Windows 11 systems started getting an internal error when they try to RDP to the old Server.

No doubt it is some security configuration disabling some old communications method used by 2003 but as all of this is just on my internal network I would like to get it working again.

I have two Windows 11 workstations one is an Intel and the other is an ARM version and both are Windows 11 Pro and both can not connect via RDP anymore.

As soon as you try you get an "internal error" as soon as it tries to make the connection and even before it asks you to enter credentials.

Hopefully this is a well understood issue with an easy fix. Thank you.

Answer 1

Might try from PowerShell from both source and target (using target address in both)

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "192.168.49.142" -CommonTCPPort "RDP" -InformationLevel "Detailed"

Answer 2

This is what I was able to get back.

I can make network connections from the Windows 10 systems to the old system. It is just something in the new RDP in windows 11 that is causing me to get this error.

                                                                                                                        ComputerName            : 10.0.2.200
RemoteAddress           : 10.0.2.200
RemotePort              : 3389
NameResolutionResults   : 10.0.2.200
                          BITSTOP
MatchingIPsecRules      :
NetworkIsolationContext : Internet
IsAdmin                 : False
InterfaceAlias          : Ethernet 2
SourceAddress           : 10.0.2.100
NetRoute (NextHop)      : 0.0.0.0
TcpTestSucceeded        : True

Answer 3

Some option mentioned here.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/recovery-options-in-windows-31ce2444-7de3-818c-d626-e3b5a3024da5#WindowsVersion=Windows_11

--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--

Answer 4

I think I found the problem... Windows 11 RDP by default when opening an RDP connections sends:

Remote Desktop Protocol
    Routing Token/Cookie: Cookie: mstshash=DESKTOP-T
    Type: RDP Negotiation Request (0x01)
    Flags: 0x00
    Length: 8
    requestedProtocols: 0x0000000b, TLS security supported, CredSSP supported, CredSSP with Early User Authorization Result PDU supported

Where as on Windows 10 it sends: Remote Desktop Protocol Type: RDP Negotiation Request (0x01) Flags: 0x00 Length: 8 requestedProtocols: 0x0000000b, TLS security supported, CredSSP supported, CredSSP with Early User Authorization Result PDU supported

No routing token is sent on Windows 10... That is a feature that has been used for load balancing on RDP since Windows Server 2008 but normally started server side. I am trying to connect to an older version of Windows that has no support for routing tokens so the RDP request is causing an error. I can't find a way to tell Windows 11 to stop sending routing tokens when it sends a request to connect.

Answer 5

Any progress on the issue?
I have exactly the same problem. Windows 11 Pro - Internal error - when trying to connect to Windows Home Server v1.0 (Server 2003). No problem though from Windows 10 Pro & Home editions.