Remote Desktop and XP SP3 Workaround
May 20, 2008 — Philip ChurchillIf you missed the story over at We Got Served regarding XP SP3 and remote desktop, here’s the details.
Some users cannot get RDP connected through Internet Explorer after installing Service Pack 3 (SP3) on Windows XP machines due to the ActiveX control being disabled by default in the Service Pack. Luckily the Terminal Services can be re-enabled by the following method:
Click on Tools -> Manage Add-Ons -> Enable or Disable Add-Ons in IE to enable the Terminal Services ActiveX control. If you are unable to see/enable the Terminal Services ActiveX control in IE7 on XPSP3 as a workaround can you try deleting the following registry keys:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{7390f3d8-0439-4c05-91e3-cf5cb290c3d0} HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{4eb89ff4-7f78-4a0f-8b8d-2bf02e94e4b2)
Once you delete these keys, the activeX control should be enabled in IE7.
May 21, 2008 at 11:08 pm
The software running on the WHS to facilitate the Remote Desktop connection will only allow for up to two simultaneous sessions despite WHS 10 PC clients as designed by Microsoft.
WHS supports 10 PC clients, but Remote Desktop is limited to just 2 simultaneous sessions! 10-8=2 Shouldn’t it be 10=10?
Or is WHS being sold as basic, premium, business and ultimate (ultimatum) editions now?
May 29, 2008 at 6:27 am
None of the tricks I found online worked including the ones above.
I was so frustrated I removed IE7, noticed that IE6 worked fine.
I got it Remote Desktop running with IE6 (make sure Activex is Enabled) then I reinstalled IE7. Lo and behold, it now works! Damn that Microsoft.
June 2, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Thanks for this info. I kept getting errors when trying to connect my XP SP3 machines via RDC.
I deleted the keys in the Registry as you noted (couldn’t see them in IE Tools menu) and I can now connect from one XP SP3 machine to another.
What a frustrating experience. Hopefully MS will make this issue known and publicize the fix.