Remote desktop can't find the computer "name of my computer". This might mean that "name of my computer" does not belong to the specified network.

Question

Hello everyone,

I am having this issue that is really frustrating. I keep getting the message: "Remote desktop can't find the computer "name of my computer". This might mean that "name of my computer" does not belong to the specified network. Verify the computer name and domain that you are trying to connect to" whenever I try to connect my laptop to my work PC via the remote desktop connection.

I checked on the Windows Defender Firewall panel under System and Security in the Control Panel and I found that it works when I am connected to the Domain network via ethernet cable at my office. However, it doesn't work through the private or the public network when I connect through wifi at both the office and at my home. It also doesn't work when I am connected directly to the modem at home so I know it's not the ethernet connection cause it would work at home too if that was the case.

The thing is it was working just fine a month ago so this problem just started happening. If anybody knows the fix to this, please let me know!

Answer 1

Hello, how are you?

Welcome to the Microsoft Community!

My name is Paloma B., I'm an independent advisor, I'm here to help you in the best possible way.

This is an open community, whenever you need you can share the problem so that possible repairs are suggested.

Could you give more information about the problem, please?

Are you trying to access a local computer on your network?

Please check that remote access is not blocked on the destination computer.

1. Press Windows, type computer, on the right side click on the properties option;
2. On your system information screen, click Advanced system settings on the left menu;
3. Access the Remote tab;
4. Check the option Allow remote connections to this computer;
5. Click OK;
6. Try to access this computer again.

I await news.

If these procedures helped you in any way, please click on "I solved my problem" and also mark as an answer, so you can help others users.

We will always be available for whatever you need!

Answer 2

Hello,

I am trying to connect my laptop to my work PC. My work PC is the remote desktop and it has it enabled. It was working a couple weeks ago but now it doesn't. I want to be able to connect through wifi to the remote desktop but I can't.

Answer 3

Thank you for the informations.

In this case, the problem is probably at the destination.

As it is an external access, there are several possibilities, mainly if in your work environment you have some type of internet firewall, he may have asked for the configuration, or even if there is some specific direction for the computer through the IP of your internet, sometimes the external IP changes if it is not fixed, the correct thing would be to analyze the work environment to identify the problem.

In a way, was there anyone at work who could do these checks?

I await news.

If these procedures helped you in any way, please click on "I solved my problem" and also mark as an answer, so you can help others users.

We will always be available for whatever you need!

Answer 4

I asked others who had their remote desktop enabled and they were able to use theirs no problem. I was able to use it no problem a few weeks ago. 

One thing I just did was I tried pinging my remote desktop from my laptop but I always got the message "Destination host unreachable".

I also tried logging into the remote desktop with the IP address in the computer line but I got the message: 

"Remote Desktop can't connect to the remote computer for one of these 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

Make sure the remote computer is turned on and connected to the network, and that remote access is enabled."

I know that it's not #1 or #2 so it may be #3 or something else.

Answer 5

Thank you for the informations.

As other people managed to access it, this seems to me to be some block with your external ip.

Just to exemplify a configuration I already did in a company, I worked with an Internet Firewall, so I made a configuration where I allowed access by ip, if the employee's internet ip changed he would not be able to access it anymore, in this case I you would need to access the firewall and update its IP to release connections again.

I await news.

If these procedures helped you in any way, please click on "I solved my problem" and also mark as an answer, so you can help others users.

We will always be available for whatever you need!