RDP: common errors and solutions

12.03.2026
Complexity
min.

Summary

Common RDP connection issues: black screen, "Remote computer is turned off" error, out of memory, error 0x112d. Solutions for each case are listed below.

Applies to:
✔ VPS with Windows Server
✔ Dedicated servers with Windows Server

Black screen after connection

Causes: frozen Explorer process, low RAM, corrupted user profile.

Solution 1: send Ctrl+Alt+End in the RDP session, open Task Manager, start a new process:

explorer.exe

Solution 2: connect with the /admin flag:

mstsc /v:SERVER_IP /admin

Solution 3: reboot the server through VNC/IPMI console.

Remote computer is turned off

This error occurs when:

  • The server is actually powered off or rebooting
  • Port 3389 is blocked by the firewall
  • The RDP service is disabled

Check server status in the control panel. If running, connect via VNC/IPMI and check:

Get-Service TermService

If the service is stopped:

Start-Service TermService

Check the firewall:

netsh advfirewall firewall show rule name="Remote Desktop"

Out of memory (RAM)

Windows won't allow new RDP sessions when memory is low.

Via VNC/IPMI console, open Task Manager and terminate memory-heavy processes.

In PowerShell:

Get-Process | Sort-Object WorkingSet64 -Descending | Select-Object -First 10 Name, @{N='RAM_MB';E={[math]::Round($_.WorkingSet64/1MB)}}

Error 0x112d (or 0x104)

Related to RDP protocol or video driver issues.

Solution: connect with reduced settings:

mstsc /v:SERVER_IP /w:1024 /h:768

On the server via VNC/IPMI, modify the registry:

reg add "HKLMSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTTerminal Services" /v fEnableVirtualizedGraphics /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Frozen session, new connection fails

mstsc /v:SERVER_IP /admin

Or via VNC/IPMI:

query session
reset session SESSION_ID

Verification

After fixing the issue, connect via RDP. Make sure the desktop loads correctly and all applications are available.

If the problem persists after all steps, open a support ticket. Include:
- exact error text or screenshot
- Windows Server version
- time when the issue started
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