Cannot connect to Windows 8.1 with Remote Desktop.

Question

I just updated from 8 Pro to 8.1 Pro on a machine I use as an "entertainment center" which I call "Theater".  In my office I use 7 and I want to access the 8.1 machine using the Office 7 machine.  I successfully use the Office 7 machine to establish RD with two other 7 machines on my network.  I have set up the 8.1 using the MS online help file. I can see the Theater machine on the network, can access the public files no problem, but when I try to access using Remote Desktop I get an error message:  "Remote Desktop can't connect to the remote computer for one of these reasons:...."

The reasons are:

1)  Remote access to the server is not enabled.  (It IS - using the methods in the MS help file)

2)  The remote computer is turned off.  ( It IS ON!)

3)  The remote compute is not available on the network.  (It IS - I can see it and I can interact with it)

I have checked and set users on the 8.1, made sure the firewall will allow Remote Desktop, made sure port 3389 is allowed through the firewall, and checked services and Group Policy settings - everything should be in order to allow the connection.  No matter what I have done it still fails.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks

CJ Henderson

Answer 1

My mstsc or RDP Win8 app got stuck in the "initializing" phase... After reading this thread, I noticed, that my WiFi network location type had changed to "public" and the firewall denied access for RDP connections on public networks.

I followed these instructions: http://www.wincert.net/tips/microsoft-windows/windows-8/3342-how-to-change-network-location-type-in-windows-8

to change the WiFi location type back to "private"

hope this helps anyone =)

Answer 2

I have the same problem on a brand new machine. I noticed that the Remote Desktop Service (and others weren't running as they are on another 8.1 machine. I tried manually starting it and the process terminated. Not sure how to proceed.

Answer 3

I don't know if this has any bearing on the problem but every time I try to connect using RD I get a Service Control Manager error in the Event Viewer saying that the Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol Service has failed to start because the account specified for this service is different from the account specified for other services running in the same process. I get the same message for the Remote Access Connection Manager when I click Remote Access Preferences in Network and Sharing Centre. I can't start them manually in Services either.

Am I correct in believing that RD needs these in order to work? If so then I think this might be the problem. Hopefully Chuck you have the same issues and I haven't hijacked your thread but in my case at least it would seem that in upgrading to Win 8.1 some accounts were changed and not others so various RD services and components no longer work together and Remote Desktop fails.

How do I go about changing accounts so they can all work together? Could someone from MS help?

Thanks

I was having the same problem as mentioned in the previous posts, and tried everything mentioned (and then some).  Then I used the 8.1 app TeamViewer.  I'm guessing this is the replacement/alternative for Remote Desktop.  I loaded it on my W7 laptops (2), and now I can remote to all of my laptops in my homegroup network (2 W7, 2 W8.1).  It has more options, versatility, and functionality than Remote Desktop, and the file transfer option is blazingly fast.  If anyone in the previous posts uses it, please share your comments.  Thanks!

Answer 4

I don't know if this has any bearing on the problem but every time I try to connect using RD I get a Service Control Manager error in the Event Viewer saying that the Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol Service has failed to start because the account specified for this service is different from the account specified for other services running in the same process. I get the same message for the Remote Access Connection Manager when I click Remote Access Preferences in Network and Sharing Centre. I can't start them manually in Services either.

Am I correct in believing that RD needs these in order to work? If so then I think this might be the problem. Hopefully Chuck you have the same issues and I haven't hijacked your thread but in my case at least it would seem that in upgrading to Win 8.1 some accounts were changed and not others so various RD services and components no longer work together and Remote Desktop fails.

How do I go about changing accounts so they can all work together? Could someone from MS help?

Thanks

Answer 5

Thanks,

Nice to know I am not alone on this.  Let's hope a MS-MVP can find a solution for us.

Chuck