Trying to get Windows 8.1 Remte Desktop to work on a newly cleaned laptop

Question

I have two laptops both Windows 8.1. One of which I am trying to setup now as it has just been factory reset after getting too much rubbish on it.

I am trying to remote desktop into a server in France that a company I work for owns but everytime I try and connect with the exact same computer name/IP address and username that my other laptop uses (that works), it comes back with the "Remote Access to the server is diasabled, The remote computer is turned off, the remote computer is not availalble on the network" message.

I know the server is not turned off as I can remote desktop into it fron the other laptop.

I have checked the firewall rules and I cannot see anything different between the two laptops and the remote server is set to allow my IP address in so either laptop should work.

If I run netstat -a -b -f -n -o on the laptop which can connect to the server, once connected I get this line for mstc.exe (Which I understand is the program I am looking for - plus it has the remote servers IP address next to it)

TCP - 192.168.1.195:3376 - 178.XX.XX.XX:3389 (remote server) - ESTABLISHED - 6298 (Process ID) [mstsc.exe]

However when trying to run it on my laptop that doesn't connect I get

TCP - 192.168.1.151:50712 - 178.XX.XX.XX:3389 (remote server) - SYN_SENT - 5492 (Process ID) [mstsc.exe]

So it looks like its getting to the handshake stage but then being refused for some reason.

Also if I try and do a ping to that servers IP address on this laptop I just get Request timed out messages but on the working laptop I can ping it ok.

I had a problem before on Virgin ISP where it was down to their URL auto correcting option > http://blog.strictly-software.com/2010/08/problems-connecting-to-remote-desktop.html but now I am on BT. I would have thought a similar issue would affect both laptops.

I am guessing it must be something on my side seeing that the other laptop can connect and the server allows connections from this IP address.

Does anyone have a checklist of things to check to get Remote Desktop working on this new computer. The virus checkers are just Malaware/Windows Defender at the moment and I haven't installed much apart from Chrome/FF/Filezilla.

Thanks in advance for any tips or advice to get this working.

Answer 1

LOL - Sorry - total dinlow, just did a ping to the sites domain on the server and got a reply and noticed that nslookup returned a different IP address I was using 178.xx on the working machine and 173.xx on this one - oh my eyes must be really going to miss that one!!

Techies Law strikes again, as soon as I ask for help I find a fix and end up looking stupid!