Mac High Sierra 10.13.6 - I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop to connect to a Windows 10 Pro computer through a VPN without issue until Friday August 7th, suddenly it refused to connect. Please help - I use this for work. The remote desktop connection is a type of technology, which allows a computer to connect and control another PC. The other PC has to be in a remote location, and the first computer can control it with the help of the internet, or a network and Remote Desktop Connection for Mac. Version 2.1.1 of the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac fails to work with a Remote Desktop Server (aka Terminal Services server). It will work with an Admin remote desktop session (i.e. 2 user limit) to a Windows server but not an actual Remote Desktop Server. The above mentioned licensing problem occurs.
Tags
Remote Desktop Connection for Mac, Remote Desktop Services
Have you ever wondered why your Remote Desktop Connection on your Mac works well on one system but not on another?
I was testing out my connectivity to some of my customers’ network using Remote Desktop Connection on my MacBook Pro. This used to work on one of their environments but now it doesn’t. I was under the impression that there must be something that changed on my system. So I did a quick check but couldn’t find anything that has changed on my MacBook Pro (it simply means that I rely so much on VMs that my host machines – whether PC or Macs – don’t get changed that often.) What’s even more frustrating is that it works on one environment but not on another. This clearly means that there must be something that was changed on my customer’s environment.
After asking a bunch of questions, it appears that they have upgraded their server operating system from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008 R2. Since Windows Server 2008 R2 is secure by default, some of the security policies in place may be preventing the Remote Desktop Connection for Mac client from establishing a connection. But here’s where my confusion lies. The error message does not tell me anything related to those security policies.
You were disconnected from the Windows-based computer because of problems during the licensing protocol.
I mean, seriously, how does that error message help me? The reason I ask is because I have configured a Windows Server 2008 R2 Terminal Services server in the past and I was able to connect from a MacBook using the Remote Desktop Connection for Mac client. Because I cannot do anything on the server to fix this issue, I decided to dig deeper (a.k.a do a Google search.) It seems that there are a lot of people who are experiencing this same issue. A very popular forum post regarding this issue is from Microsoft TechNet where the thread kept going for more than a year. Somebody pointed out a Microsoft KB article that outlines the steps that you need to do on the Terminal Server. As I mentioned, this is not the path that I can take unless I’m the server administrator. One thing did work for me: v2.1.2 of the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection for Mac. I have searched for it on the Microsoft Download Center but could not find it anywhere. Technically, this is still an unsupported product so be aware that you might not get any help from Microsoft when using this. Install it on your Mac, run it and test your connectivity to a Windows Server 2008 (or higher) Terminal Server.
NOTE: Please remove the PDF file extension from the file after downloading.
I am running the Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac app on a Macbook Pro w/Retina, running Yosemite, using the latest version of the RDP app (8.0.10). I am trying to connect to a Windows 7 Ultimate computer, which I can connect to using any other computer without any issues. I am getting a 'connection refused' message.
If I run a virtual machine on this same Macbook (using Parallels) with a Windows 8.1 install on the VM, I can connect to the Windows 7 Ultimate computer using the Windows version of RDP.
Remote Desktop For Mac Connection Refused
Remote Desktop For Mac Connection Refused Usb
I would appreciate any troubleshooting suggestions.
Mike
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014), OS X Yosemite (10.10)
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