'The rpc server is unavailable' or 'access is denied' error when using Remote desktop Services Manager on Windows 7 (but mstsc.exe works!)
- by tbone
I am trying to connect to a Windows XP workstation from a Windows 7 Ultimate workstation using Remote Desktop Services Manager.
I am able to do a Remote Desktop (mstsc.exe) session from the Win7 machine to the WinXP machine with no problem at all.
When running the Remote Desktops Admin (tsmmc.msc) too on a Windows XP box, I can also connect with no problem.
However, when I use the new Remote Desktop Services Manager on Windows 7 and try to connect, I get the error: "The rpc server is unavailable"
What could cause this? Has there been some fundamental change in Remote Desktop Services Manager, does it connect in a different way somehow?
Update #1
Turned off firewall on the Windows XP box and the "The rpc server is unavailable" error went away; so RDSM seems to be using an entirely new port/connection/service compared to mstsc.exe or the old Remote Desktops Admin tool.
Now... after disabling the firewall, I get a new error:
Access is Denied.
After doing some googling, I found some articles discussing this; basically, the error is very misleading - the actual problem is, if either side of the connection has dual monitors, and they are not both Win7 Ultimate, then you cannot connect using Remote Desktop Services Manager...the reason is, by default it uses the /multimon switch, and this switch requires a certain level of Windows license - and, there seems to be no way of changing this default (if anyone knows of a way to change this default, please post an answer or comment!). Nice going Microsoft.
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsserver2008r2rds/thread/4d06278f-e0f4-4f8e-a8e1-3697ee967ef4
http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Windows/Windows_7/Q_26225743.html
