Can Windows 7 desktop connect via Remote Desktop with Windows 8 machine?

I'm unable to remote-desktop into a Windows 8 machine from a Windows 7 desktop.
I am able to remote into the target Windows 8 machine from another Windows 8 machine.

I've checked the firewall permissions on both boxes as well as the remote desktop permissions. The machines are visible to each other on the local network. The error message indicates that: Remote Desktop cannot connect to the remote computer...

I've created a local account on the Windows 8 machine, as opposed to the Microsoft account I normally use, to no avail.

Any Ideas?

darrix

Posted 2012-12-23T16:56:55.430

Reputation: 13

Answers

I general, yes a Windows 7 machine can be used to RDP into Windows 8 Pro, I think 'Windows 8 (core) and RT do not support RDP session.

You are saying this works from a second Windows 8 machine, then it should also work from Windows 7. Does it work the other way around Win8 to Win7?

Have you tried turning off 'Network Level Authentication' on the Remote tab. This shouldn't make a difference for Windows 7, but who knows.

Peter Hahndorf

Posted 2012-12-23T16:56:55.430

Reputation: 10 677

No luck so far. I've tried with the Network Level Authentication on and off; I've done the updates to the Windows 7 machine as recommended earlier; and I've turned off the firewall. Interestingly, all three Windows 8 machines are able to see each other through their RDP clients. Done for the night but my next stop is to check the event viewer to see if any clues can be found there. – darrix – 2012-12-24T03:30:46.227

Ok, some progress. As I explained earlier, all of the Windows 8 machines are able to connect to each other by name with no difficulties. The problem was this Windows 7 client. I've installed the patches described above and still was unable to access the Win 8 machines. The error code in the Win7 event viewer was Reason 516. On a whim, I decided to try connecting to the Win 8 client by ip address rather than name and that was successful. Still, my Win7 desktop networking knows and can access the file systems of these win8 devices by name so it's unclear what the difference is. [cont] – darrix – 2012-12-31T15:10:34.060

The nominal problem is over since I can RDP into the boxes but I'd still like to understand where the name isn't mapping into the ip address for the Win7 RDP client. Ideas? – darrix – 2012-12-31T15:13:31.487

Be sure you have the latest version of the remote desktop client on your Windows 7 machine.

Check that you Windows 7 SP1 and hotfix 2574819 installed, after that install KB2592687 and that will let you use the Remote Desktop Client 8.0 which is what windows 8 is compatible with.

Scott Chamberlain

Posted 2012-12-23T16:56:55.430

Reputation: 28 923

I have a Windows 7, no service pack, no hot-fixes. RDP client 6.1.7600 supporting Remote Desktop protocol 7.0 and this connects just fine to Windows 8. – Peter Hahndorf – 2012-12-23T17:30:10.167

1I also have connected to Win 8 without the 8.0 client, however I do not know what darrix's problem is, but sometimes just getting the latest version of the programs will fix it, not because only the latest works but perhaps the install process will fix a borked firewall rule or replace a corrupted file. – Scott Chamberlain – 2012-12-23T17:33:29.710

Thanks. Are you connecting with a Microsoft account or with a local account? – darrix – 2012-12-23T17:48:55.830

@darrix - I'm using a local account, but from the error message it doesn't seem to be an account problem. – Peter Hahndorf – 2012-12-23T17:51:53.453

Same for me and I agree with Peter, this is a connection issue, not a account issue. – Scott Chamberlain – 2012-12-23T17:55:48.263

Ok, will refocus on that and shutdown the firewalls to rule that out. Thanks--will reply after I find out more. – darrix – 2012-12-23T18:02:06.137

Hmmm, I'm able to connect to the Win7 box from the Win8 boxes by name. OTOH, I'm only able to connect to the Win8 boxes from the Win7 box by ip address (the Win8 boxes to each other by name). I see all the names when I use nbtstat and I also see the Win8 box names in the Networking portion of Windows Explorer--but I don't see anywhere that specifies how this Win7 box is resolving names when it uses RDP. – darrix – 2013-01-02T02:41:47.350

@darrix if you do nslookup computerName.example.com replacing *exactly* what you type as the host name in mstsc is the IP it returns the IP you are typing in by hand when it works? – Scott Chamberlain – 2013-01-02T14:53:38.760

@darrix nslookup reports the correct IP the only other thing I could think of is a certificate mismatch error is causing mstsc to not start due to group policy settings, by connecting via IP it somehow makes the certificate error go away and it connects fine. Does the event log have anything relevant on either machine after it fails to connect (Make sure to check both Event Viewer -> Winodws Logs -> Application and the catagories in Event Viewer -> Applications and Services Logs that start with TerminalServices and RemoteDesktopServices)? – Scott Chamberlain – 2013-01-02T14:55:07.280