Windows
Remote Desktop access was disabled on the target machine
Remote connection to the new PC was failing. The technician enabled remote access on the target machine, and the user later confirmed they could connect.
Killed once by someone from XL.net, on 2026-04-03.
Affects
Apps
- Remote Desktop
What you see
- Unable to connect to the new PC via Remote Desktop Connection
- Remote connection to the target machine would not work until remote access was enabled
Why it happens
Likely Remote connection was not enabled on the destination machine.
When it shows up
A Windows PC is online but Remote Desktop will not connect to it.
You are in this case if:
- Remote Desktop is disabled in the target machine's remote access settings
- The destination computer is reachable on the network but rejects remote connection attempts
1 fix below
The steps that killed it
The steps are behind a quick check
There are two ways in and both take a few seconds. Signing in opens the steps on every bug page; so does reading the picture.
Or answer this
Drawing a picture for you.
Can't read it? Sign in instead.
Someone from XL.net killed this on a Windows computer on 2026-04-03. It is written up from that one repair, so it cites no outside page.