Remote Desktop (RDP) connection to Windows 7 computer (from Windows 10 RDP client) fails with the following error:
Remote Desktop Connection
An authentication error has occurred.
The Local Security Authority cannot be contacted.
Remote computer: xx.xx.xx.xx
This could be due to an expired password.
Please update your password if it has expired.
For assistance, contact your administrator or technical support.
This was a slightly unusual setup. The target computer was not in a domain, but the user account used to log in via RDP had exactly the same name as a domain account on the same network. Furthermore, RDP client-side Windows PC used the same saved credentials to connect to the affected Windows 7 PC and some other domain joined PCs via the same public IP address (but different ports remapped to 3389 on a firewall). Obviously, it's never a good idea to expose remote desktop publicly, in this setup the firewall was doing incoming connection filtering based on clients' public IP address. The issue only affected the PC that was not in the domain.
I found a couple of ways to resolve the issue:
Windows 10 Remote Desktop App Local Resources
- Windows 10 - Remote Desktop Setup - Local Network Home or Office - Windows 10 Remote ControlHappy? Please DONATE via PayPal: http://thankyou.injusta.clickPri.
- SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support. SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support is.
- You can configure your PC for remote access with a few easy steps. On the device you want to connect to, select Start and then click the Settings icon on the left. Select the System group followed by the Remote Desktop item. Use the slider to enable Remote Desktop.
When you're away from your work PC but still need to check in, Remote Desktop on your Windows 10 PC can help you access the apps and files you need to get things done. With Remote Desktop, you can connect to a Windows 10 device from a Windows, Android, iOS, and Mac device. On your local Windows 10 PC: In the search box on the taskbar, type Remote Desktop Connection, and then select Remote Desktop Connection. In Remote Desktop Connection, type the name of the PC you want to connect to (from Step 1), and then select Connect.
- Use a different user account to connect to the non-domain PC. The disadvantage in this particular instance was that you had to manually enter user credentials when connecting to the affected PC (because you cannot have two sets of saved credentials for the same IP / FQDN address in RDP client).
- Disable Network Level Authentication for the non-domain PC. This reduces RDP security so will not be suitable in all environments.
January 2019
Windows 7 Pro
Windows 10 Pro
Use Remote Desktop on your Windows, Android, or iOS device to connect to a Windows 10 PC from afar.
Use Local Camera On Remote Desktop Windows 10
Set up the PC you want to connect to so it allows remote connections:
Make sure you have Windows 10 Pro. To check, go to Start > Settings > System > About and look for Edition. For info on how to get it, go to Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro.
When you're ready, select Start > Settings > System > Remote Desktop, and turn on Enable Remote Desktop.
Make note of the name of this PC under How to connect to this PC. You'll need this later.
Use Remote Desktop to connect to the PC you set up:
On your local Windows 10 PC: In the search box on the taskbar, type Remote Desktop Connection, and then select Remote Desktop Connection. In Remote Desktop Connection, type the name of the PC you want to connect to (from Step 1), and then select Connect.
On your Windows, Android, or iOS device: Open the Remote Desktop app (available for free from Microsoft Store, Google Play, and the Mac App Store), and add the name of the PC that you want to connect to (from Step 1). Select the remote PC name that you added, and then wait for the connection to complete.