Can no longer login to workstation locally after RDP session

Question

My Windows 7 system (Dell XPS 420) is not letting me login to the console after one or more Remote Desktop sessions.

When I "jiggle the mouse" to wake the system, nothing happens -- the monitor stays blank and remains in sleep mode. The computer is still powered on, and... still running. I can continue to connect via RDP at will. However, if I want local console access, I need to RDP in (often just use my iPhone) and restart, or force a power off on the box.

Googling (hard to craft a relevant search) led to some MS docs on hybrid sleep as the culprit, but no permutation of sleep/hybrid/hibernation has remedied this.

Running Windows 7 Ultimate x64 (all updates) w/Core i7 & 6GB RAM.

Ideas?

Answer 1

I have similar problems on my main work PC (it turns on the second display, as I can see the mouse on it, but not the primary display which contains the login boxes). I have found two workarounds when it happens to me:

1. RDC from somewhere and tell the machine to sleep rather than restart. Once woken from sleep it powers on both displays fine. If you have a correctly configured sleep button on the keyboard or system unit that should work too. You could also sleep the machine as you end your RDC session is you know for sure that you won't need to use the machine againuntil physically in front of it (or you have wake-on-lan setup so you can wake it again remotely).

2. I can login by using the appropriate key-strokes as if the main display was on and I could see what I was doing. Once I've given the right key-presses to select the right user and enter my password the off screen turns on as the login process proceeds.

This setup is Vista 32-bit so differs a bit from yours, bit either technique should be worth a try.