Windows
Remote Desktop on a new workstation was not accepting connections
The new workstation was initially reachable on the network, but Remote Desktop was not listening on port 3389. After checking the firewall profile and Remote Desktop settings, the listener was restored and remote sign-in was confirmed working.
Killed once by someone from XL.net, on 2026-06-08.
Affects
Hardware
- new workstation
What you see
- Remote Desktop connections failed to the new workstation.
- TCP port 3389 was not listening locally at first.
Why it happens
Likely Likely a Remote Desktop/firewall-profile issue on the new workstation; it was initially on the Public network profile and was not listening on 3389 until troubleshooting completed.
When it shows up
A new Windows workstation is reachable on the network but remote sign-in fails and port 3389 is not listening.
You are in this case if:
- Remote Desktop is enabled.
- The Windows Firewall profile is Public.
- TCP 3389 is not listening locally until the issue is corrected.
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 2026-06-08. It is written up from that one repair, so it cites no outside page.