"Remote Desktop can't connect to the remote computer" has a handful of usual causes. Work down this list in order; most problems are solved in the first three steps.
1. Is the server running?
Log in to the client area, open Services and your server. If it is stopped, start it from the control panel and wait a minute or two for Windows to boot. Windows Update can also hold a server on "Working on updates" for a while after a restart.
2. Are the address and port right?
- Copy the IP address from the client area rather than typing it.
- Servers use RDP port 3389, so add it after a colon:
203.0.113.25:3389. Leaving the port off is the most common cause of this error. - If you moved RDP to another port yourself, use that port instead. See Change the Remote Desktop port safely.
3. Can your computer reach the port?
From PowerShell on your own Windows PC:
Test-NetConnection 203.0.113.25 -Port 3389TcpTestSucceeded: True→ the network path is fine; skip to step 6.False→ something blocks the port: continue with steps 4 and 5.
On a Mac, run nc -vz 203.0.113.25 3389 in Terminal.
4. Try another network
Some office, hotel, school and public Wi-Fi networks block Remote Desktop. Switch to your phone's hotspot and try again. If it works there, the original network is the problem.
5. Check the server from the browser console
Open the control panel from your service page and launch the browser console. It shows the server's screen without RDP. Log in, open PowerShell as Administrator and check:
Get-Service TermService
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server" -Name fDenyTSConnections
Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote Desktop" | Format-Table DisplayName, Enabled
Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote Desktop" | Get-NetFirewallAddressFilter- The service should be Running; if not:
Start-Service TermService. fDenyTSConnectionsmust be0. If it is1, Remote Desktop is switched off:Set-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server" -Name fDenyTSConnections -Value 0.- The firewall rules should be enabled. If you restricted them to an IP that has since changed, update them:
Set-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote Desktop" -RemoteAddress Any(then restrict again to your new IP).
Warning: Do not reinstall the server to fix a connection problem. A reinstall erases all data, and the browser console almost always lets you repair the setting instead.
6. The port is open but the session fails
- "Your credentials did not work": see Fix "Your credentials did not work".
- "An internal error has occurred": update your RDP client (Windows App on Mac and mobile), then try again. If it persists, restart the server from the control panel.
- Black screen after login: wait 30 seconds; if it stays black, press Ctrl + Alt + End and choose Sign out, then reconnect.
Still stuck?
Open a support ticket with the time you tried, your own public IP address, the exact error text and the result of Test-NetConnection. Never send your password.