Remote Desktop Troubleshooting
Short Answer
90% of RDP issues are caused by the Windows Firewall blocking port 3389 or the VPS being in a frozen state. Verify the customer, check the port using the Toolkit, and issue a hard reboot if necessary.
Quick Steps
- Verify the customer (Level 1 or 2).
- Check if the VPS is active in IRIS.
- Use the Port Checker Tool to check port 3389.
- If closed, check the VPS Console via Excalibur to see if Windows is running.
- If frozen, use the Force Restart action.
Warning
Do NOT issue a Windows OS Rebuild without explicit customer authorization recorded in the IRIS case notes. Rebuilding destroys all data.
Full Instructions
When a customer reports being unable to connect to their Windows VPS via Remote Desktop, you should first eliminate network connectivity issues. Often, the server is perfectly fine but the customer's local ISP is blocking the standard RDP port...
If the server is completely unresponsive to pings and port checks, you must access the VNC Console within the Excalibur interface. This bypasses the network layer and allows you to view the hypervisor screen.
Was this article helpful?
Related Tools
Related Routes
Required Reading
VPS Rebuild Procedure (Level 2)
Refunding Prorated Cancellations
Customer Verification Policy