How to Fix the Windows Could Not Start the Remote Desktop
Remote Desktop Services is an important Windows service that allows you to connect to remote computers. This service makes sure that the Remote Desktop and Remote Desktop Session Host servers work properly. But for some reason, this service is not working for many users and shows an error message that says “Windows could not start the Remote Desktop Services service on Local Computer.”
Fortunately, eliminating this error message is easy. Just try the below fixes to solve all the problems with Remote Desktop Services.
1. Make sure Remote Desktop is enabled
Before diving into advanced fixes, make sure you have Remote Desktop enabled on your computer. You can check it by following the steps given below.
You can check out our guide on how to enable and set up Remote Desktop Connection for more details.
If Remote Desktop is already enabled, disable the toggle and restart your computer. As soon as the system restarts, re-enable Remote Desktop and check if that fixes the problem.
2. Whitelist Remote Desktop in Windows Firewall
Windows Firewall allows you to block or unblock various applications and inbound and outbound communications. If Remote Desktop is blocked under Windows Firewall, then most likely you will face the issue.
The solution, in this case, is to whitelist Remote Desktop through Windows Firewall.
That’s it. Now try to open Remote Desktop Services on your computer and check if you are still facing the error message.
3. Disable IPv6 Protocol
IPv6, aka Internet Protocol Version 6, allows your computer to establish a connection and talk between all connected networks. By default, Windows prefers IPv6 over IPv4. But for some reason, the IPv6 protocol can sometimes make the network incompatible, adversely affecting Remote Desktop Services.
As a workaround, you need to disable the IPv6 protocol, which will force the RDP connection to switch to IPv4. You can disable IPv6 protocol by following these steps.
Restart your system and check if the problem persists.
4. Check the status of RPD services
For Remote Desktop to work properly, the RPD services must be running in the background. You can check the status of this service by following the steps given below.
5. Turn off custom scaling
The computer you are trying to connect to remotely must be compatible with the scaling feature. If not, you may be facing an error at hand.
The solution, in this case, is to disable custom scaling on your computer.
You will be signed out of your account. Wait a few seconds, and then sign in again.
6. Configure RDP Listen Port
The next solution on the list is to configure the RDP listen port.
Check if you are still facing the issue.
7. Enable RDP protocol on remote computer
You must enable the RDP protocol in the registry for Remote Desktop Connection to work properly.
8. Run SFC and DISM scan
System File Checker, aka SFC, is an important diagnostic tool on Windows. You can run an SFC to fix most Windows services, including Remote Desktop Services.
Once the scan is complete, investigate the problem. If it persists, you’ll need to run a DISM scan. It is the most powerful Windows diagnostic tool that can easily fix system errors.
If running SFC and DISM scans didn’t help, you’ll need to reset the Remote Desktop Connection credentials.
9. Reset Remote Desktop Connection Credentials
The problem may appear due to corrupted or changed credentials. In this case, the solution is to reset the saved credentials. To do this, follow the instructions below.
Once the credentials are reset, open Remote Desktop Connection again and check for the problem.
Use Remote Desktop again without errors
Remote Desktop Services is an essential Windows service. This ensures that you connect to Remote Desktop without any issues. But for some reason, sometimes it may stop working and generate an error. Depending on the state of your PC, you may be able to troubleshoot the issue by following the above fixes.