Fix Remote Desktop Not Working In Windows 11 PC [5 Solutions 2024]

Transporting bulky computers have become a thing of the past, now that you can access your desktop PC from anywhere remotely without using any third-party software.

However, things can go horribly wrong if you open your laptop five minutes before a meeting, only to realize the RDP (Remote Desktop) feature is not working anymore.

I have been in a similar situation before, and I have been able to get out of this issue with proper tests and research.

This post will show you some of the best practical and effective techniques to connect to a computer remotely on your Windows 11 computer.

Keep reading and precisely follow the instructions to fix RDP not working issue.

Why Is Remote Desktop Not Working in Windows 11?

You are not able to use the remote desktop feature in Windows due to various configuration or network difficulties. Generally, remote desktop requires a working connection. When the connection error occurs, the remote desktop does not work correctly.

Something is causing RDP connections to fail, and you need to determine the cause.

Here is a list of possible common reasons for the remote desktop not working issue I have found:

Remote Desktop Access Server Is Disabled

When you try to connect with a remote desktop to your computer, both the host computer and remote computer need to access and connect to a remote server.

So, If your remote access server is disabled, your computer cannot connect with the remote access server together.

To solve the problem, you need to enable the server to access remotely.

You may also like to read: Enable Remote Desktop RDP in Windows 10 Home Edition.

Remote Desktop Is Disabled

Another reason for this is that the Remote Desktop app is disabled on host or client computers.

To resolve the Remote Desktop not working problem, enable the Remote Desktop application or application feature on both the host and client-side.

Firewall

Firewall is responsible for blocking unwanted internet access but sometimes it unnecessarily blocks the host or client network that creates the connecting not working issue to your Remote Desktop.

You need to access the Remote Dekstop into the Firewall to fix the problem.

Overprotective Antivirus suite

The third-party antivirus suite application is another reason to create the issue on Windows computers.

Sometimes, third-party antivirus suite applications conflict with the system firewall, creating unnecessary issues. You need to disable or uninstall the AV suite to fix the Remote Dekstop not working problem.

RDP Services Is Disabled

If your Remote Desktop Protocol services are disabled, then the Remote Desktop is not working.

Enable all RDP services to solve the Windows 11 issue.

Some users have also reported that RDP stopped working after installing the 22H2 update, but we had no issues with it.

How To Enable Remote Desktop On Windows 11?

Enabling remote desktop on Windows 11 allows users to access their computers remotely from another device. For Windows 11 Pro users, remote desktop is enabled by default. However, for Windows 11 Home users, it needs to be activated manually.

To do this, users need to access the registry editor by typing “regedit” in the search bar and pressing enter. Then, they need to navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server and change the value of fDenyTSConnections from 1 to 0.

After that, users need to set up a credential on their host PC to allow remote access. Once done, they can connect to the remote window by typing in the host’s IP address or computer name in Windows 11 RDP, select “Connect” and enter the host’s credential. The host and client can then use the remote session, allowing them to access the host PC remotely.

Note that Remote Desktop is compatible with Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise natively. You only need to do the above steps on Home editions.

How to Fix Remote Desktop Not Working on Windows 11

To fix remote desktop not working in Windows 11, you need to enable remote desktop feature from your settings page. Check and make sure that your Internet is stable to make sure nothing is wrong with the remote desktop connection. You will find more solutions to fix the issue below.

You may use Remote Desktop application to connect to another computer remotely, after applying the solutions below.

In the previous section, you’ve seen the possible potential reason for RDP not working issue on your Windows PC so far. This section will show you several tested and proven solutions to solve the problem.

Also read, Windows 11: An Error Occurred While Creating the Directory.

Here are the steps to fix the Remote Desktop not working issue on Windows 11:

1. Enable Remote Desktop via Settings App

Establish a remote desktop connection successfully to ensure both the remote PC and the client PC has Remote Desktop turned on. You can not establish the remote desktop connection without enabling the Remote Desktop feature.

Follow the steps below to enable the Remote Desktop:

• Press the Win + I keys on your keyboard to open the Windows System Settings. Or,

• Click on the Start icon at the left side corner at the taskbar and select Settings app under the Pinned apps to open the System Settings.

• Select the System tab on the left side settings menu panel.
• Scroll down and select the Remote Desktop option on the right-side top of the window.

• Make sure to toggle on the switch next to Remote Desktop if the switch is turned off.

• Click on the Confirm button to enable the Remote Desktop.

• Now, check to see whether your problem is solved. If not, then try the next solution.

You may also like to read: 13 Best Windows 11 Settings You Should Change Right Away.

2. Enable Remote Assistance & Remote Connection

To successfully establish a remote desktop connection, ensure that both the Remote Assistance and the Remote Connection are enabled on both the remote PC and the client PC. Without these options enabled, you will be unable to make a remote desktop connection.

Follow these steps to ensure the Remote Assistance is enabled:

• Press Win + S keys on your keyboard or click on the Windows Search icon on the left-side corner of the taskbar to open Windows Search Panel.

• Type the control panel into the search bar and press the Enter button to open the Control Panel.

• Set your control panel window viewed by Category.

• Select System and Security option.

• Click on the Allow remote access link under the System section.

• Check the Allow Remote Assistance to this computer checkbox under the Remote Assistance section.

• Also, Make sure the Allow Remote connection to this computer checkbox is checked under the Remote Desktop section.

• Check to see whether your problem is solved.

You may also like Enable or Disable Offline Files in Windows 11.

3. Ensure Remote Desktop Services Is Enabled

If you face the Remote Desktop connection error on your Windows 11 PC, maybe your Remote Desktop services are disabled. You also need to ensure the client computers’ Remote Desktop services are enabled.

Follow the steps below to ensure Remote Desktop services are enabled:

• Press Win + R keys on your keybaord to open the Windows Run Program.

• Type services.msc in the Run dialogue box.
• Press the Enter key on your keyboard or click the OK button to open the System Services window.

• Scroll down and find out the Remote Desktop Services option.

• Select the Remote Desktop Services and hit the Enter key to open the Remote Desktop Services Properties window.

• Click on the Startup type drop-down menu under the General tab.

• Select the Automatic option if the service is disabled.

• Click on the Apply button to save the changes.

• Click on the Start button to run the service if the service status is stopped.
• Click on the Ok button to exit the window.

• After following the method, apply the same procedure for the Remote Desktop Services UserMode Port Redirector service.

• Now, check to see whether your problem is solved. If your problem exists, then try the following solutions.

Also read, Taskbar Won’t Auto-Hide In Windows 11/10.

4. Allow Remote Desktop Through Windows Firewall

The Windows Firewall unnecessarily blocks the Remote Desktop network that creates the connecting or not working issue.

To fix the Remote Desktop connecting error or not working issue on your Windows 11 PC, allow the Remote Desktop through the Windows Firewall.

Follow these steps to allow the Remote Desktop through the Windows Firewall:

• Press the Win + S key on your keyboard to open the Windows Search panel.

• Type firewall and click on the search result: Windows Defender Firewall to see the firewall settings.

• Click on the Allow an app or feature through the Windows Defender Firewall option.

• Click on the Change settings button.

• Scroll down and find the Remote Desktop feature in the list.

• Make sure the Private checkbox is checked.

• Click on the OK button to apply the changes.

5. Uninstall Antivirus Application

RDP won’t work if an antivirus software considers it as a virus by mistake.

Follow the steps below to uninstall the antivirus:

• Press Windows Key + I on your keyboard to open the Windows System Settings App.

• Click on the Windows icon on your taskbar, and then click on the Settings icon under the pinned apps to open Windows Settings.

• Select the Apps tab option from the left side settings menu panel.
• Click on the Apps & features option at the top of the right side screen.

• Scroll down and find your antivirus application.
• Click on the three-dot menu and select the Uninstall button.

• Click on the Uninstall button to confirm to delete or remove the app.

Final Thoughts

Microsoft introduced a built-in Remote Desktop application in Windows 11. As a result, you won’t need to install any third-party Remote Desktop software on your Windows 11 machine, but many users reported that they face Remote Desktop connection errors.

In this post, you’ve seen some potential reasons why you are unable to connect to a computer so far. Here I also describe five tested and proven solutions to solve the Remote Desktop connection error or not working problem on your Windows 11 computer.

I hope you found this post to be informative. If you found your solution, please let me know which method works for you.

You may also look at other posts if you’re interested in learning more about similar topics.