Author Topic: (SOLVED) Remote Desktop cannot be enabled, Windows 7 Professional. (Read 36375 times)

Steevo · « **on:** October 23, 2015, 05:16:28 pm »

I am trying to enable remote desktop on my Windows 7 system.
I am setting up a site to site vpn and I need it to be able to get to my router here from the other site.

For some reason, even though I have turned on RDC, checked all the services in services.msc (some do not allow me to start them) I cannot connect to the system, and the problem is clearly this particular computer.
I turned off the firewall, no difference.

I have forwarded a port through my router and set the RDC port to that port.
I used a remote ping service from here, and it reports that port is closed.
http://ping.eu/port-chk/

So to test, I turned on RDC on the default port on my old notebook computer, XP, and on the router I forwarded the default port 3389 to that computer. The port check site says that port is open. I changed the port to test to 3388 and the port is closed. Duh, I didn't forward that one. So the port test works.

The problem is the windows 7 professional system. Something is preventing RDC from working.

Any ideas for steps to isolate this problem?

I did remove KB2984972 which added an additional security setting, but that did not solve this problem.

Julian · « **Reply #1 on:** October 23, 2015, 07:56:49 pm »

what version of windows 7? here is a command you can type into command prompt that will pull it up for you.

Code: [Select]

wmic os get version,caption,servicepackmajorversion

Steevo · « **Reply #2 on:** October 23, 2015, 08:52:13 pm »

wmic os get version,caption,servicepackmajorversion
Caption ServicePackMajorVersion Version
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 1 6.1.7601
That is not a home version which lacks remote desktop, which I am sure you were checking. I knew that.

I did uninstall KB2984972 which added a security setting to RDC. No difference.

Steevo · « **Reply #3 on:** October 23, 2015, 08:54:29 pm »

Quote from: Steevo on October 23, 2015, 08:52:13 pm

wmic os get version,caption,servicepackmajorversion
Caption ServicePackMajorVersion Version
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 1 6.1.7601

That is not a home version which lacks remote desktop, which I am sure you were checking. I knew that.

I did uninstall KB2984972 which added a security setting to RDC. No difference.

I think I clicked the wrong button, I got a duplicate post.

Steevo · « **Reply #4 on:** October 25, 2015, 09:18:12 am »

Windows 7 Professional.

Steevo · « **Reply #5 on:** October 27, 2015, 08:47:41 am »

So Julian, any ideas?

Shane · « **Reply #6 on:** October 27, 2015, 09:31:41 am »

Have you thought about using the free version of teamviewer? That way you dont need to do any port forwarding. I dumped remote desktop after I started using it because I didnt have to mess with the port forwarding any more lol

Shane

Steevo · « **Reply #7 on:** October 27, 2015, 10:24:44 am »

No, but of course I could. But I am trying to figure out a system problem instead of a workaround.

Steevo · « **Reply #8 on:** October 27, 2015, 08:20:07 pm »

Got any ideas how to isolate this problem?

Steevo · « **Reply #9 on:** November 01, 2015, 06:20:37 pm »

I went through a few of the steps listed. No difference.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Boggin · « **Reply #10 on:** November 02, 2015, 06:11:56 am »

When you aren't able to start those services, do you get an error message and which services are they ?

Steevo · « **Reply #11 on:** November 02, 2015, 07:52:53 am »

Remote Desktop Services is set for automatic startup
The logon tab says local service
Allow to interact with desktop

When I click start,

Popup says
Windows could not start the remote desktop services service on local computer
Error 1079 the account specified for this service is different from the account specified
for other services running on the same process.

Remote desktop services user mode port redirector is set for automatic startup
The logon tab says local service
Allow to interact with desktop

When I click start,

Popup says
Windows could not start the remote desktop services usermode port redirector service on local computer
Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start.

Boggin · « **Reply #12 on:** November 02, 2015, 08:04:41 am »

That's handy, MS has a Fixit for the 1079 error. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2478117

As for the Dependencies error, that may be related to the 1079 error as that service may be a dependency of the port director.

You can check this by right clicking on that one, select Properties and then click on Dependencies.

Steevo · « **Reply #13 on:** November 02, 2015, 08:13:28 am »

Well, thanks.
That fixit is running now. I will report back.

I ran the fixit and rebooted.
Both errors remain, same message.

I tried to connect with rdc on my local network.
"Cannot connect to the remote computer"

I tried changing to an invalid private IP and the message is the same.

Boggin · « **Reply #14 on:** November 02, 2015, 10:01:03 am »

I've just been checking my services and the Remote Access and Desktop services are set to Manual.

All but the Remote Desktop Service when I double click on them, under the Log On tab, each are showing as Local System Account.

The Remote Desktop Service is set for Network Service in the This account box - does this tally with yours ?

Steevo · « **Reply #15 on:** November 02, 2015, 10:07:22 am »

Mine says local service.
I wonder if that's the problem?

I just changed it to Network Service, did check name, blanked the PW boxes, and got a message that NT authority had been granted logon rights.
I will test again from the other computer on a local address.

I just tried. Same message, cannot connect to the remote computer. I have not rebooted this one.

Boggin · « **Reply #16 on:** November 02, 2015, 10:12:27 am »

Let's up that was it.

How is anyone supposed to know what the password is ?

Do you still get the 1068 error for that other service - can't seem to find that one on mine.

Steevo · « **Reply #17 on:** November 02, 2015, 10:27:57 am »

I was able to start Remote Desktop Services. No more error message.

The Remote Desktop Services Usermode port redirector is now started too.

Both errors are gone. But I still cannot connect.

I just checked remotely with
http://ping.eu/port-chk/
and that port is still closed.
I verified the port is forwarded on the router.

It appears things are looking up. I appreciate your looking at yours so I can compare. I only have an old XP system to compare to, and I am not sure how valid that would be. Prolly the same.

Boggin · « **Reply #18 on:** November 02, 2015, 10:36:39 am »

I've never gone into Remote Desktop connectivity so I'm unable to help with that.

Can you remote connect from the XP machine to the Win 7 one ?

Steevo · « **Reply #19 on:** November 02, 2015, 10:43:28 am »

No, I still cannot connect to this Windows 7 machine from the XP one. I have used that XP machine to connect to RDC remotely many times.
The problem is with the windows 7 machine.

Boggin · « **Reply #20 on:** November 02, 2015, 10:46:28 am »

What AV program are you using on the Win 7 machine ?

Steevo · « **Reply #21 on:** November 02, 2015, 11:12:12 am »

Microsoft security essentials.

Steevo · « **Reply #22 on:** November 02, 2015, 01:02:19 pm »

I should say, there were two services that had errors and would not start.
One was "remote Desktop Connection" and it was set for local user.
I changed it to Network Service and was able to start it, and the error message disappeared from the other service that would not start.

I turned the windows firewall off on the windows 7 machine and I was immediately able to connect from the laptop.
I turned it back on and I could not.

So things are looking up here!

I looked at the firewall rules and there is a rule for RDC including the port that I have configured for RDC. It appears to be correct.
But the windows firewall closes that port when enabled, which I am presently testing with the
http://ping.eu/port-chk/
Online tool.

So I am working on the firewall rule. It seems to be OK but I can't connect when the firewall is on.
I ended up deleting the correct rule and creating another one just the same.

Boggin · « **Reply #23 on:** November 02, 2015, 01:46:43 pm »

Is this how you've done it http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-open-a-port-in-the-windows-7-firewall.html

Steevo · « **Reply #24 on:** November 02, 2015, 01:55:20 pm »

Yeah. There was already an appropriate rule there but it was not working.
I deleted the rule and re-created it just the same.
It is working now.