Solved: Inability to Login via RDP -- One solution found.

A Windows 2003 Server Standard machine runs ISA Server 2006 in front of a
LAN. The only interface to the machine was through Remote Desktop. After
installing the recent batch of Microsoft Updates and rebooting the machine,
it was not possible to to log into the machine via RDP.

I was able to load the Computer Management snap-in on a Windows XP
workstation and connect to the server, but there were no unusual errors in
the event log except these, generated when I had attempted to establish RDP
sessions:

Event ID: 1036
Event Source: TermService
Terminal Server session creation failed. The relevant status code
was 0x2740.

and, from an earlier attempt a couple of days before:

Event ID: 20189
Event Source: RemoteAccess
The user <username> connected from <ipaddress> but failed an
authentication
attempt due to the following reason: The current server
configuration supports
only local user accounts.

Other attempts to connect via RDP generated no errors at all.

I opened up the rack, moved a table into the closet and hooked up a mouse,
keyboard, and monitor to the machine and was able to log on. I reviewed
every setting in Local Security Policy, Services, Terminal Services
Configuration, Routing and Remote Access, and ISA Server 2006, but
everything was correct. Believe me, I spent hours on this.

Finally, slapped my self on the forehead and opened up the System Control
Panel Applet and clicked on the Remote tab. There, I removed all users (two
administrators) from the Remote Desktop Group, and disabled Remote Desktop.
After rebooting the machine, I re-enabled Remote Desktop and added the
administrators back into the group.

It worked.

A Google search shows that other people have had this problem after
restarting a Windows Server 2003 machine from an RDP session. Others have
suggested disabling IPSec, rebuilding the connection in Terminal Services
Configuration, and making sure the correct port is configured in the
registry. None of those solutions worked for me. This one, however, did.

David Dickinson
eveningstar at die-spammer-die mvps dot org

Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com


"David Dickinson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>A Windows 2003 Server Standard machine runs ISA Server 2006 in front of a
>LAN. The only interface to the machine was through Remote Desktop. After
>installing the recent batch of Microsoft Updates and rebooting the machine,
>it was not possible to to log into the machine via RDP.
>
> I was able to load the Computer Management snap-in on a Windows XP
> workstation and connect to the server, but there were no unusual errors in
> the event log except these, generated when I had attempted to establish
> RDP sessions:
>
> Event ID: 1036
> Event Source: TermService
> Terminal Server session creation failed. The relevant status code
> was 0x2740.
>
> and, from an earlier attempt a couple of days before:
>
> Event ID: 20189
> Event Source: RemoteAccess
> The user <username> connected from <ipaddress> but failed an
> authentication
> attempt due to the following reason: The current server
> configuration supports
> only local user accounts.
>
> Other attempts to connect via RDP generated no errors at all.
>
> I opened up the rack, moved a table into the closet and hooked up a mouse,
> keyboard, and monitor to the machine and was able to log on. I reviewed
> every setting in Local Security Policy, Services, Terminal Services
> Configuration, Routing and Remote Access, and ISA Server 2006, but
> everything was correct. Believe me, I spent hours on this.
>
> Finally, slapped my self on the forehead and opened up the System Control
> Panel Applet and clicked on the Remote tab. There, I removed all users
> (two administrators) from the Remote Desktop Group, and disabled Remote
> Desktop. After rebooting the machine, I re-enabled Remote Desktop and
> added the administrators back into the group.
>
> It worked.
>
> A Google search shows that other people have had this problem after
> restarting a Windows Server 2003 machine from an RDP session. Others have
> suggested disabling IPSec, rebuilding the connection in Terminal Services
> Configuration, and making sure the correct port is configured in the
> registry. None of those solutions worked for me. This one, however, did.
>
> David Dickinson
> eveningstar at die-spammer-die mvps dot org
>