I must be missing something after trying to read up on Remote Desktop for
the last several hours. Here's my situation:

I have a LAN, with all of my PCs (3 XP-Pro machines) connected to a Linksys
router. The router is connected to my cable modem for internet access.
However, the Remote Desktop connection I am struggling with is between the
computers on the LAN. The LAN (which is working fine for sharing the
internet access, files, printers, etc.) was set up using the defaults within
XP's 'Network Setup Wizard'.

I have enabled Remote Desktop access on all 3 machines. On the host machine,
I only have two user accounts - Administrator (which is password protected)
and my name Norman Eltny (which is not password protected). Both the
Administrator and Norman Eltny accounts are in the Administrators group. The
host machine automatically boots into the Norman Eltny account without
prompting a logon. I'd like to leave the Norman Eltny account running, and
then logon to it from the client machine to remotely run a media player
which is connected to my home audio system. On the host machine, Norman
Eltny is listed as having access as the only Remote Desktop User.

From the client machine I cannot logon to the Host using the 'Norman Eltny'
user name. Whenever I use 'Norman Eltny' (without a password), I get the
message:

"Unable to log you on because of an account restriction."

Is this because I was already logged on at the Host machine? If so, I tried
logging off the 'Norman Eltny' account, but it still wouldn't let me logon
from the client using 'Norman Eltny'. I CAN logon using the Administrator
account.

Why can't I logon to the Norman Eltny account??
What account restriction is this referring to?

Thanks for your help!!

Noreltny wrote:
> I must be missing something after trying to read up on Remote Desktop
> for the last several hours. Here's my situation:
>
> I have a LAN, with all of my PCs (3 XP-Pro machines) connected to a
> Linksys router. The router is connected to my cable modem for
> internet access. However, the Remote Desktop connection I am
> struggling with is between the computers on the LAN. The LAN (which
> is working fine for sharing the internet access, files, printers,
> etc.) was set up using the defaults within XP's 'Network Setup
> Wizard'.
>
> I have enabled Remote Desktop access on all 3 machines. On the host
> machine, I only have two user accounts - Administrator (which is
> password protected) and my name Norman Eltny (which is not password
> protected). Both the Administrator and Norman Eltny accounts are in
> the Administrators group. The host machine automatically boots into
> the Norman Eltny account without prompting a logon. I'd like to leave
> the Norman Eltny account running, and then logon to it from the
> client machine to remotely run a media player which is connected to
> my home audio system. On the host machine, Norman Eltny is listed as
> having access as the only Remote Desktop User.
>
> From the client machine I cannot logon to the Host using the 'Norman
> Eltny' user name. Whenever I use 'Norman Eltny' (without a password),
> I get the message:
>
> "Unable to log you on because of an account restriction."
>
> Is this because I was already logged on at the Host machine? If so, I
> tried logging off the 'Norman Eltny' account, but it still wouldn't
> let me logon from the client using 'Norman Eltny'. I CAN logon using
> the Administrator account.
>
> Why can't I logon to the Norman Eltny account??
> What account restriction is this referring to?
>
> Thanks for your help!!

I believe the user you want to remote with MUST have a password set.

Security and all that..

--
<- Shenan ->
--

I think you should check on PERMISSIONS for users, and grant access in all the machines to all the users, just to test.

As noted by "Shenan", you normally need a password to login to a Remote Desktop session because of
security reasons...so with that said...

This old thread may help with the issue of not using password for Remote Desktop...In general it is
a BIG SECURITY RISK...

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...SFTNGP12#link1

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

"Noreltny" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:ez370kE%(E-Mail Removed)...
> I must be missing something after trying to read up on Remote Desktop for
> the last several hours. Here's my situation:
>
> I have a LAN, with all of my PCs (3 XP-Pro machines) connected to a Linksys
> router. The router is connected to my cable modem for internet access.
> However, the Remote Desktop connection I am struggling with is between the
> computers on the LAN. The LAN (which is working fine for sharing the
> internet access, files, printers, etc.) was set up using the defaults within
> XP's 'Network Setup Wizard'.
>
> I have enabled Remote Desktop access on all 3 machines. On the host machine,
> I only have two user accounts - Administrator (which is password protected)
> and my name Norman Eltny (which is not password protected). Both the
> Administrator and Norman Eltny accounts are in the Administrators group. The
> host machine automatically boots into the Norman Eltny account without
> prompting a logon. I'd like to leave the Norman Eltny account running, and
> then logon to it from the client machine to remotely run a media player
> which is connected to my home audio system. On the host machine, Norman
> Eltny is listed as having access as the only Remote Desktop User.
>
> From the client machine I cannot logon to the Host using the 'Norman Eltny'
> user name. Whenever I use 'Norman Eltny' (without a password), I get the
> message:
>
> "Unable to log you on because of an account restriction."
>
> Is this because I was already logged on at the Host machine? If so, I tried
> logging off the 'Norman Eltny' account, but it still wouldn't let me logon
> from the client using 'Norman Eltny'. I CAN logon using the Administrator
> account.
>
> Why can't I logon to the Norman Eltny account??
> What account restriction is this referring to?
>
> Thanks for your help!!
>
>

Sooner Al wrote:
> As noted by "Shenan", you normally need a password to login to a
> Remote Desktop session because of security reasons...so with that
> said...
>
> This old thread may help with the issue of not using password for
> Remote Desktop...In general it is a BIG SECURITY RISK...
>
>
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...SFTNGP12#link1

I received quotes! =)

Yeah - I know about this article, but it is just ASKING for someone to
REALLY mess up your PC in my opinion. =)

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=303846 (more information
section)

The logic of the person attempting it in that thread still baffles me. They
didn't consider it a security risk because they were behind a router and had
zone alrm running.. Yet, there they were, opening up the needed port,
forwarding it through the router and then allowing a no-password account to
take full control of the machine in question. *grin*

--
<- Shenan ->
--

Thanks for the advice. After assigning a password to the Norman Eltny
account, it now works.

Assigning a password to the user on the host system (so Remote Desktop would
work) introduced a new problem. Originally a few directories on the host
system were setup to be shared across the network. From the other two
computers, you could double click on these folders within 'Network Places'
and they would open up. Now, they don't even appear under my Network Places.
I had to add them to my Network Places manually (couldn't browse to them
anymore). I also have to enter in a username and password to open these
folders.

This is a little bit of a hassle. Now applications (like Windows Media
Player) which directed their file I/O to the network share, no longer work
until after I logon to the network share.

Is there a way to simplify/automate this?

Thanks

Noreltny wrote:
> Assigning a password to the user on the host system (so Remote
> Desktop would work) introduced a new problem. Originally a few
> directories on the host system were setup to be shared across the
> network. From the other two computers, you could double click on
> these folders within 'Network Places' and they would open up. Now,
> they don't even appear under my Network Places. I had to add them to
> my Network Places manually (couldn't browse to them anymore). I also
> have to enter in a username and password to open these folders.
>
> This is a little bit of a hassle. Now applications (like Windows Media
> Player) which directed their file I/O to the network share, no longer
> work until after I logon to the network share.
>
> Is there a way to simplify/automate this?

Use the same username/password on both systems.

--
<- Shenan ->
--