Windows 10 Remote desktop not working properly (The Remote desktop services is currently busy)

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I have four machines running Windows 10 Pro, all upgraded from Windows 8.1. I use mstsc to remote between them. When I do this several things commonly go wrong.

The first workflow

1a) On first connection attempt it shows the remote machine login screen, but it freezes. You have to disconnect, it never unfreezes.

1b) You reconnect and get a message saying "The Remote desktop services is currently busy". You have to disconnect.

1c) After trying to reconnect and getting the same message you eventually get granted access and it will start working correctly.

The second workflow goes:

2a) On first connection attempt it freezes showing the login screen. Forcing you to disconnect.

2b) You reconnect and this time it gets as far as the desktop, but it is still frozen and you have to disconnect.

2c) The third time you reconnect everything appears to work fine.

Which machine I use doesn't affect success rate.

Any ideas?

Ian

Posted 2015-08-07T11:22:05.250

Reputation: 845

Are users logged into these devices when you are doing this? – Ramhound – 2015-08-07T14:20:20.743

2not an answer, but I found all certificates had to be re-accepted [non-corporate environment, so no 'real' certs] & that I had to reset the firewall for RDC on all machines. These were upgrades from WIn 7, so might be a different symptom to a similar issue. – Tetsujin – 2015-08-07T15:39:06.170

Interesting. I don't think that's the problem in this case though. First I upgraded from 8.1, but more importantly, the workflows above happen each time. Eventually you get in with a working connection, but it takes n attempts, so I'm probably ruling out the firewall. I have different firewalls on two of the machines also. – Ian – 2015-08-07T16:48:34.917

Regarding users logged in: They are all logged in as "me" but there is no actual user using the remote machine while I'm connecting to it. – Ian – 2015-08-07T16:50:50.040

10It looks like a Windows 10 bug that needs to be fixed by Microsoft. I'm having exactly the same issue (with a machine upgraded from 8.1). I'm connecting with a Mac Remote Desktop client. It only seems to happen after some time (overnight). Remote logins initiated immediately after a successful one work fine. – Dan – 2015-08-09T08:05:24.203

Glad it's not just me, I'll try and log it with them. – Ian – 2015-08-09T22:05:45.640

7This issue has been logged with Microsoft through the Windows Feedback app. If you're experiencing this problem, please upvote the issue in Windows Feedback (category Networks, followed by Remote Desktop Connection). Hopefully they'll notice and fix it. – Robbietjuh – 2015-08-12T12:57:31.090

Thanks Robbietjuh: I didn't know about this, so for others: In Windows 10 there is a trusted store app installed called "Windows Feedback". This app (I assume) is what Robbietjuh looked in. I don't have a URL for a Microsoft web site showing the same information. – Ian – 2015-08-12T19:00:34.280

3@Ian If you add "The Remote desktop services is currently busy" to the title of this question it will attract more people with this problem. I guess this is the keyword for this issue. At least I have used it to find this question. – Dan – 2015-08-12T20:49:37.487

2Exact same issue — On only one of my machines, the rest work fine... I found that logging in as a different user seems to kick it into working when stuck in your first workflow. – Aaron – 2015-08-17T19:21:17.917

2I, too, am having this problem. Clean install of Windows 10 Pro x64, remoting in from Windows 7 Ultimate x64. First attempt gets me a black screen. Second (after I get the "The Remote desktop services is currently busy" message n times) is a frozen, but visible desktop. Third is a working connection. The only time I observe this is when I try to connect a second time after closing (but not disconnecting) an active RDP session. Hopefully MS issues a patch for this soon. – Jeff G – 2015-08-26T18:25:33.833

2Same issue - connecting from a fresh install to an 8.1-upgraded machine. – Evan Mulawski – 2015-09-06T15:23:10.307

@DragonLord How is this attracting low quality answers? I don't see any answers at all... – Kyle – 2015-09-09T14:28:25.300

@Kyle: They're all deleted. There are three deleted answers to this question. (10k users can see deleted answers.)

– bwDraco – 2015-09-09T14:31:48.993

2i have the same issue both my main system and laptop has issues connecting to my server thats also running 10 Pro

if you wait ~1 min it goes away

this never happend on windows 8.x or windows 7, only 10 and it seems both server and client has to be on 10 for it to show – nwgat – 2015-10-03T15:43:53.617

2I have experienced the exact behavior on several W10 VM's which were built with Windows 10 Enterprise, no update from previous version. Initally I was connecting from Win7 SP1 Ent, i thought it was due to the different RDP version. I am now using a fresh install of W10 Ent to connect and the bug persists :(. I will upvote on Windows feedback now.... – leinad13 – 2015-10-19T15:52:42.943

Same issue here. Win10 client is running on VM ESXi and was previously an upgrade from Win8.1. – Perino – 2015-11-05T07:21:13.317

there is a solution but I cannot answer here, because bwDraco has protected this thread – Perino – 2015-11-05T07:28:22.500

Are you connecting to the computer with a .rdp file, or through the remote desktop connection program itself? – mrdorkface – 2015-11-06T22:44:33.107

Same issue over here connecting to Windows 10 Enterprise. Except clients are Linux (Chrome RDP or Remmina). Note: from a Win7 native RDP client connection takes nearly a minute to initialize. – FizxMike – 2016-07-06T14:38:32.710

Answers

4

After applying the Windows 10 November Update (Version 1511), this appears to have fixed the issue for me.

Stephen R.

Posted 2015-08-07T11:22:05.250

Reputation: 161

1Thanks. I was a bit astonished by the fact that an answer from August was reporting a November update as fixing the issue... time machine? ... later I realised that you edited the answer recently. – sorin – 2015-12-03T11:49:42.160

1This did not solve the problem for Windows 10 Enterprise. All updates installed, issue remains. – FizxMike – 2016-07-06T14:43:51.687

0

I don't have Windows 10, but what about a VNC application like TeamViewer as mentioned above or for a little more control of you stuff try UltraVNC or RealVNC

GeekyDaddy

Posted 2015-08-07T11:22:05.250

Reputation: 400

-1

Try and wait ~1 to 5 min or something, if that does not work try installing an ssh server so that you can ssh into the box and restart the Remote Desktop service

Solution 1

Solution 2

  1. install CopSSH on server https://www.itefix.net/content/copssh-free-edition

  2. connect with putty or xshell

  3. restart remote desktop with

    sc stop UmRdpService

sc stop TermService

sc start UmRdpService   

sc start TermService

nwgat

Posted 2015-08-07T11:22:05.250

Reputation: 961

1These are not solutions they are workarounds using different technology? – leinad13 – 2015-10-19T15:54:13.877

i found waiting and trying to multiplier reconnections work – nwgat – 2015-10-20T18:28:25.897

there is a solution but I cannot answer here, because bwDraco has protected this thread – Perino – 2015-11-05T07:28:10.337

@Perino can you link to the solution here or let me know somehow please? – leinad13 – 2015-11-12T16:44:43.257

1i believe the windows 10 fall update fixes the issue – nwgat – 2015-11-12T17:06:41.927

@leinad13 workarounds are often more suitable as they are alternative stable products that don't have random regressions introduced by forced MS cumulative updates. RDP you largely have no control over the functionality/stability of. (I use RDP daily and the introduced issues of Win10 are infuriating) – Shiv – 2017-08-14T00:58:44.610

-1

I had a similar issue happen to me. Mine was due to a 3rd party firewall solution that was borking my remote RDP sessions even through the firewall vendor swore it was innocent.

dotdawtdaught

Posted 2015-08-07T11:22:05.250

Reputation: 162

Asked: 2015-08-07T11:22:05.250

Viewed: 41 014 times

Active: 2015-11-16T00:49:50.410