Remote Desktop problems - one laptop works the other doesn't

This is strange. I have two nearly identical HP laptops.
Both are the same model, but one (that gives trouble) has
some additional hardware (video) features. Both are running
Vista Home Premium 64 and have all the updates applied. I am
trying to open a RD session on an XP Home Pro machine.

One of the HP's works without a hitch. The other one gives
up with a "Cannot Connect" message (but, of course, no
details about what went wrong.) System logs on the XP and
both laptops don't reveal anything that I can find.

I tried copying the .rdb file from the one that works to the
one that doesn't. That made no difference. The failing
laptop can ping the XP system, and file and printer sharing
work fine. The user id's on both laptops are the same - the
user accounts are set up the same on each.

Any ideas how to find the trouble?

TIA

Jason

It could be the video card. Check this post.

RDC fails because of video card
Recently, i updated ATI video drivers to the latest version and Remote
Desktop stopped working with exactly the same symptoms. Looks like ...
http://www.chicagotech.net/netforums...pic.php?t=4532


--
Bob Lin, Microsoft-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com


"Jason" <nobody@nothere.net> wrote in message
news:MPG.26089d34ab68a1ec989688@news.microsoft.com ...
> This is strange. I have two nearly identical HP laptops.
> Both are the same model, but one (that gives trouble) has
> some additional hardware (video) features. Both are running
> Vista Home Premium 64 and have all the updates applied. I am
> trying to open a RD session on an XP Home Pro machine.
>
> One of the HP's works without a hitch. The other one gives
> up with a "Cannot Connect" message (but, of course, no
> details about what went wrong.) System logs on the XP and
> both laptops don't reveal anything that I can find.
>
> I tried copying the .rdb file from the one that works to the
> one that doesn't. That made no difference. The failing
> laptop can ping the XP system, and file and printer sharing
> work fine. The user id's on both laptops are the same - the
> user accounts are set up the same on each.
>
> Any ideas how to find the trouble?
>
> TIA
>
> Jason

In article <9DFDEA9A-DF47-422B-8EE6-CD21745E5614
@microsoft.com>, noreply@chicagotech.net says...
> It could be the video card. Check this post.
>
> RDC fails because of video card
> Recently, i updated ATI video drivers to the latest version and Remote
> Desktop stopped working with exactly the same symptoms. Looks like ...
> http://www.chicagotech.net/netforums...pic.php?t=4532
>
>
>
Both laptops have the same Nvidia graphics chip. The only
difference is that the one that cannot connect has more
video ram. They both run the same driver, so I don't think
that's causing the problem.

Hi
You have to describe your network and how your executing the connection.
It might be not a computer issue but rather Network conflict that blocks the
connection from the "Bad" computer.
May be issue of RDP port etc.
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking).

"Jason" <nobody@nothere.net> wrote in message
news:MPG.26089d34ab68a1ec989688@news.microsoft.com ...
> This is strange. I have two nearly identical HP laptops.
> Both are the same model, but one (that gives trouble) has
> some additional hardware (video) features. Both are running
> Vista Home Premium 64 and have all the updates applied. I am
> trying to open a RD session on an XP Home Pro machine.
>
> One of the HP's works without a hitch. The other one gives
> up with a "Cannot Connect" message (but, of course, no
> details about what went wrong.) System logs on the XP and
> both laptops don't reveal anything that I can find.
>
> I tried copying the .rdb file from the one that works to the
> one that doesn't. That made no difference. The failing
> laptop can ping the XP system, and file and printer sharing
> work fine. The user id's on both laptops are the same - the
> user accounts are set up the same on each.
>
> Any ideas how to find the trouble?
>
> TIA
>
> Jason

In article <eg7ZtltxKHA.4752@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl>,
jack@discussiongroup.com says...
> Hi
> You have to describe your network and how your executing the connection.
> It might be not a computer issue but rather Network conflict that blocks the
> connection from the "Bad" computer.
> May be issue of RDP port etc.
> Jack (MS, MVP-Networking).
>
The network comprises a ZoneAlarm Z100 wired/wireless
router. The XP system (the one I'm trying to connect to) is
hard-wired to the router. The laptops are wireless. As I've
said, the usual network activites--file & printer sharing--
work fine on both laptops.

Both are also running the same version of Norton Internet
Security. I have configured it the same way on both - port
3389 is open for LAN, but not WAN, traffic. (The router also
knows explicitly about that port, but RDP was working with
one of the laptops before I made the change to the router.)
The Windows Firewall is disabled on both machines.

I don't know if it's important, but fwiw the userids and
passwords on both laptops are the same and match the id and
pw of the target account on the XP box.

I initiate the connection by executing mstsc.exe and have
the same Default.rdb file on both laptops.


Jason