By Ellie / Last Updated August 29, 2023

RDP session keeps disconnecting

 

I’m using RDP to remotely control my Windows 10 PC. Something is causing Remote Desktop sessions to abruptly disconnect after an indeterminate period of time, which irritates me. The timeouts are set to 1 minute for logging out disconnected sessions and 15 minutes for idle but connected sessions, yet I'm getting disconnects 20 to 30 minutes after logging in, and sometimes even before the Desktop is set up. Any ideas on how to fix this?”

- Question from Microsoft Community

RDP Session Keeps Disconnecting

How to fix the RDP session keeps disconnecting on Windows [7 solutions]

To help users fix the annoying "RDP session keeps disconnecting" on Windows 11/10/8/8.1/7 when using RDP to remotely control another computer, here we sort out seven solutions. Or you can use a free & reliable third-party remote control software directly. 

Solution 1. Ping IP Address via CMD

Some users reflected that this problem occurs when the remote session is dropped to the taskbar and another program becomes the primary application used while RDP is running in the background. Therefore, users can ping their IP Addresses via CMD to keep the remote session active even if it is minimized. This may help solve the RDP session keeping disconnecting problem.

Step 1. Press Win + R to invoke the Run dialog box. Type in “cmd” and hit OK to open Command Prompt.

Run Box CMD

Step 2. Enter the command “ping -t SERVER_IP”. (Replace SERVER_IP with your IP Address)

Ping Server IP

Note: In case you don’t know how to find the IP Address, here are the steps. Press Win + R to invoke the Run dialog box. Type in “cmd” and press OK. Then type “ipconfig” and press Enter. Now you can see a group of IP addresses, of which the IPv4 address is the one you need.

Find the Computer Name in the Console

Solution 2. Check the Registry TermService

Users can also troubleshoot this problem by checking the Registry settings.

Step 1. Press Win + R and then type in “regedit” to open the Registry Editor.

Run Box Regedit

Step 2. Navigate here: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Services > TermService. Find and double-click ObjectName.

object-name-remote-desktop

Step 3. Input the Value data as NT Authority\NetworkService. Then click OK.

NT Data Value

Solution 3. Check the session time limit

According to some users, this problem may also be caused by the session time limit setting. Users can change the settings to configure a time limit for disconnected Remote Desktop Services sessions.

Step 1. Press Win + R to invoke the Run dialog box. Type in “gpedit.msc” and hit OK to open Local Grou Policy Editor.

run-box-gpedit.msc

Step 2. Navigate here: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Session Time Limits. Find “Set time limit for disconnected session” and “Sets a time limit for active but idle Terminal Services sessions” on the right pane.

session-time-limits

Step 3. Enable “Set time limit for disconnected session” to Never, and then enable “Sets a time limit for active but idle Terminal Services sessions” to Never.

set-time-limit-for-active-but-idle--seesions

Solution 4. Change the device settings used for the remote session

It has been tested by some users that unselecting the option Smart cards or Windows Hello for Business helps troubleshoot the disconnection problem. Follow the steps below to make your RDP maintained connected.

Step 1. Search for Remote Desktop Connection in the search box and then start RDP. Select More Options.

Show Options

Step 2. Switch to Local Resources and then click More.

local-resources-more

Step 3. Find the option Smart cards or Windows Hello for Business and then unselect it.

smart-cards-or-windows-hello-for-business

Solution 5. Verify Remote Desktop Services Limit number of connections policy

Sometimes, when the number of Remote Desktop Services sessions that can be active on a server is exceeded, users may keep getting disconnected. Therefore, users can follow the steps below to verify and change the number of connections that they want to allow.

Step 1. Press Win + R to invoke the Run dialog box. Type in “gpedit.msc” and hit OK to open Local Group Policy Editor.

Run-box-gpedit.msc

Step 2. Navigate here: Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Connections. Find Limit number of connections.

limit-number-of-connections

Step 3. Click Enabled. In the RD Maximum Connections allowed box, type the maximum number of connections that you want to allow, and then click OK.

unlimited-number

Solution 6. Disable restriction on Remote Desktop session

You can also change the Group Policy setting to allow users to make unlimited simultaneous remote connections by using Remote Desktop Services. This may also help solve the disconnection problem caused by the number of Remote Desktop sessions.

Step 1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2. Navigate here: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Connections. On the right pane, find Restrict Remote Desktop Services users to a single Remote Desktop Services session and double-click it.  

restrict-remote-desktop-session

Step 3. Then disable the policy setting.

restrict-users-to-single-session

Solution 7. Change the RDP transport protocols

You can try changing the RDP transport protocols on the remote PC to fix the RDP session keeps disconnecting and reconnecting.

Step 1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2. Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Connections. On the right pane, find Select RDP transport protocols and double-click it.

Select RDP Transport Protocols

Step 3. After changing this policy from the default (Use either UDP or TCP) to Use both UDP and TCP, my disconnection problem should go away.

Use Both UDP and TCP

AnyViewer: Free yet stable RDP alternative for remote access

The RDP session keeps disconnecting and reconnecting problems making users pretty disappointed while using Windows Remote Desktop. Except for the above seven solutions, here we have another option for you. You can use AnyViewer, a free yet stable remote access software that allows you to remotely access another PC. With a high-tech R&D department, AnyViewer provides you with long-lasting remote sessions. Users don’t need to worry about the remote session disconnection problem anymore.

Compared with RDP, AnyViewer has the following advantages:

No IP address required: It doesn’t require an IP address or computer name to achieve a remote connection.
 Access from a different network without extra setup: It can be used on two devices that are on different networks without setting up port forwarding or using a VPN.
 Home / Standard Edition supported: It supports devices running multiple Windows versions, including Windows 10 Home Edition, while RDP can’t be used to connect to Windows 10 Home Edition (some other editions as well).
 Fast large file transfer: It can transfer large files between computers remotely at a faster speed.

In the next part, we’ll show you how to remotely access another computer without disconnection over AnyViewer.

Download Freeware Win 11/10/8.1/8/7/Servers
Secure Download

Step 1. Download, install, and launch AnyViewer on both computers. Go to Log in, and then click Sign up. (If you already have signed up on its official website, you can log in directly.)

Log in AnyViewer

Step 2. Fill in the signup information.

Sign Up for AnyViewer

Step 3. Then you can see your computer successfully logged in to AnyViewer. Log in to the same account on other devices. All the logged-in devices will be assigned to the account.

Free Editions

Step 4. Go to Device to select the target device you want to connect to, and then click  One-click control to achieve unattended remote access.

Connect to My Devices

✍ It's recommended to upgrade your account to a Professional or Enterprise plan to enjoy:
More devices will be allowed to be assigned to the same account for unattended access.
More connection channels for more devices to be able to start remote connection at the same time.
One device can connect to more devices simultaneously.
 Use privacy mode to black the remote PC screen and disable the remote keyboard & mouse click to protect privacy.
 Transfer 1TB files at 10 MB/s.

 

Conclusion

This post mainly introduces seven tested solutions to fix the RDP session that keeps disconnecting error. Besides, we also recommend a free and easy RDP alternative to you. With it, you can achieve remote connection with ease. Try it right away if you're interested.