Remote Desktop (RDP) Won't Connect

Category: Remote Access & VPN · Audience: Customers & Technicians · Est. time: 10–20 min

Summary

Remote Desktop lets you control an office PC or server from elsewhere. When it won't connect, it's usually the VPN, the target PC being off, or the name/IP.

🔒 Security: RDP should only be reached over the VPN (or a secure gateway), never exposed directly to the internet. If you're being asked to open RDP to the world, check with BBN first.

Before you start

• Are you on the VPN? RDP to an office machine almost always requires the VPN connected first (see *Connect to the Office VPN*).
• Is the target PC/server powered on and not asleep? A PC that's shut down or off the network can't accept RDP.

Solution

1. Connect the VPN, then open Remote Desktop Connection (search "Remote Desktop" or run mstsc).
2. Enter the exact computer name or IP of the target (e.g. PC-ACCOUNTS or 10.0.0.25). A wrong/old name is a top cause.
3. Sign in with the correct account (often DOMAIN\username or the machine's local user). "The credentials did not work" = wrong username/password/domain.
4. "Can't connect / host not found":

• Confirm the VPN is connected and you can ping the target's name/IP.
• Confirm the target is on and awake (ask someone on‑site, or use BBN's remote tools).

1. "Remote Desktop can't connect because access is denied": your account isn't in the target's Remote Desktop Users — ask BBN to grant access.
2. Session already in use / "another user is signed in": someone else is on that PC; coordinate, or ask BBN.

If that doesn't work

• Try connecting to a different office machine over the same VPN — if that works, the issue is the specific target (off/asleep/permission).
• Escalate to BBN Support with the target name/IP, the exact error, and whether the VPN shows connected.

Prevention

• Set the office PC to not sleep (or enable wake‑on‑LAN) if it's used for remote access; keep RDP behind the VPN.