Why can I only connect with my Administrator account?

remote desktop user add remote user domain controller server operating system group policy

At first please be make sure that you’ve access for the ‘Remote Desktop User’ group to log on to computer over RDP. By default every user of this group should be able to connect to your server machine over RDP.

In case you have promoted your server to a domain controller this group will be removed automatically due to security reasons.

To check this, please do the following :

  1. Open your Group Policy editor ( Start -> Run and type in gpedit.msc)
  2. In the console tree, click on Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> User Rights Assignment
  3. Double-click the “Allow logon through Remote Desktop Services” policy
  4. Then click “Add User or Group”
  5. Type “Domain Users” in the “Enter the object names to select” box.
  6. Click Check Names.
  7. If the name is verified, click OK

After that just add the Domain Users to the ‘Remote Desktop User’ group and you will able to connect to your server machine with every user from the ‘Domain Users’ group.

To add ‘Domain Users’ to the “Remote Desktop Users” group, please do the following :

  1. Open the Server Manager.
  2. In the console tree, click on  Roles -> Active Directory and Domain Services -> Active Directory Users and Computers -> domain.com -> Builtin.
  3. Double-click the “Remote Desktop Users” Group
  4. Then click “Add”.
  5. Type “Domain Users” in the Enter the object names to select box.
  6. Click “Check Names”.
  7. If the name is verified, click OK



Last updated: 08 Jun 2021

Related articles

  • Performance Issue with Windows 10?
  • Are server operating systems supported?
  • Issues after recent Windows Updates?
  • How do I configure session time limits?
  • XP/VS Server and Core Isolation mode
  • Azure Virtual Machines
  • Silent install of XP/VS Server
  • Supported operating systems

    Windows XP

    All versions including XP Home

    Windows Vista

    All versions including Vista Home Basic and Home Premium

    Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 / 11

    All versions including Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic and Home Premium / Windows 8/8.1/10/11 Home (Standard), Professional and Enterprise

    Windows Server

    Standard and Professional only

    Windows Server 2003/2008/2008 R2/2012/2012 R2/2016/2019/2022


    Small Business Server (also 2011)
    Web Server and Foundation Server (without the Terminal Services / Remote Desktop Services Role)
    Windows Server 2012 (R2)/2016/2019/2022 all versions, also Essentials and Foundation

    Remote Desktop Software

    Official partners

    © 2005 - 2024 Thinstuff s.r.o.