Unable to connect to Win2k TS in App Mode

[aviand]

About a month ago I started getting an error when trying to connect to
any Win2k TS(Application Mode) from my workstation.

The error is "The connection was ended because of a network error. Please
try connecting to the remote computer again."

This behavior is only FROM my workstation TO a W2k TS(Application Mode)
and has nothing to do with my login because I don't even get to that
point.

I CAN connect to several Win2003 TS and at least one Win2k TS
(Administration Mode). If I watch the server's Terminal Services Manager
as I am trying to connect I can see it making connection but it kicks out
before giving me the login prompt and instead gives the aforementioned
error msg box.

My workstation is a W2k Server but is only used as a workstation. For
several years now I have connected to the 3 Win2k TS on our lan and
numerous others around the US on a daily basis anywhere from 10 to 100
times a day.

This is very frustating because I either have to connect to my server at
home and then jump to the intended server or go to another computer in
the office to connect. I have to administer our servers/users and
sometimes others and this is very cumbersome and slower obviously.

I can pcAnywhere, VNC, FTP, Telnet, etc... onto these 2k servers. I just
cannot Remote Desktop.

I am using RDP client v2.6

From the time I could connect until I couldn't there were no Microsoft
updates, firewall changes, virus software changes, etc...

The only I can think of is I had installed a program Net Limiter 2 to
evaluate the product. I have un-installed/re-installed it, rebooted
serveral times, searched google, microsoft, etc... for numerous hours
several diff times to no avail. I have sent the Net Limiter company an
email but have not received any response.

I am lead to believe that it is a changed registry entry which has to do
with authentication, encryption, protocol, or something of that nature
but have not been able to track it down.

I have tried reinstalling TS client using the repair option.
I have not tried un-installing ts client and then re-installing.

I recently found out that one other WS in our office is experiencing the
same behavior and that it started on the same day as mine.
It is a WinXP Pro. The Net Limiter 2 software installed on my ws should
not have affected that xp ws on the lan but stranger things have happened
or it is just a coincidence. I do not have very extensive history on the
situation of the other ws because i do not work on it daily.

TIA

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

Have you checked the EventLog on the W2K Terminal Servers?
Have you checked your licensing situation?

_________________________________________________________
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

 

[aviand]

System log on the W2K servers

Event ID 1004: The terminal server cannot issue a client license

This is logged when either my W2K server or only one of the XP Pro WS
tries to connect. My WS has been connecting for over 4 years. The XP ws
has been connecting for about 1 1/2 years.

This is not specifically related or limited to our servers but this same
event is logged on any other W2K server, different domains, different parts
of the country. The only common factor I see so far is connecting to a W2K
server running in application mode.

It seems as if something walked on top of the reg key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSLicensing
but am not sure.

Thought about backing up & deleting this key because I read that it gets re-
created, but not sure if this is the right path to take and I don't want to
cause even more problems.

Why would this happen to 2 and only 2 computers in the office about the same
day, but we can still connect to 2003 Servers?

-- aviand

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

The common factor is the TS Licensing Server, which is not issueing
a license to the clients.
Have you checked the TS Licensing manager?
On which server is the LS running?
Anything in the EventLog on the LS?
Can the TS locate the LS?
Which OS is running on the DC in your domain?
Are the 2003 TS and the W2K TS sharing a common TS Licensing
Server?
_________________________________________________________
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

 

[Vanessa]

The LS, TS, DC are all the same box, a W2K server.

The 2003 servers are other companies boxes in different locations/domains.

Numerous other clients within & outside our domain can connect to any of
our servers except for the 2 clients mentioned.

If it were the TS licensing server, would it not mean that every one of the
W2K TS scattered all over would all of a sudden happen to not be able to
issue a license?
Also I should not need a license issued since I have had one for some time,
but rather it would just need to be validated by a licensing server?
I seems that something trashed it so that only 2003 licensing servers can
validate it.

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

No, if there is something wrong with the TS Licensing Server,
clients will continue to connect as long as their existing TS CAL
(which is stored locally on each client) is valid. When the license
expires, they have to renew it. It seems to me that the 2 clients
who can't connect simply have an expired license, and the other
clients still have a valid license. This would mean that
eventually, no client can connect anymore.

The 2003 Terminal Servers cannot use a W2K TS Licensing Server, so
there must be a 2003 TS Licensing Server as well somewhere on your
network, which is operating completely separate from your W2K TS
Licensing Server. That's why you still can connect to 2003 Terminal
Servers.

I'm not sure what the exact cause of the problem is. It's strange
that there are no more Events in the EventLog.

You could try to delete the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft
\MSLicensing key from the clients that can't connect. Then try to
connect *twice* (since the first connection always works with a
temporary license, and a permanent license is issued on the seond
connection).

If that doesn't help, delete the certificate keys mentioned in this
article:

323597 - Windows XP Clients Cannot Connect to a Windows 2000
Terminal Services Server
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=323597

_________________________________________________________
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

 

[aviand]

I deleted the mslicensing key last nite and rebooted.
Now I can connect to any W2k TS.
This fixed both clients.

Still don't see how this has anything to do with OUR licensing server
because any client from anywhere whether on a domain, workgroup or
standalone can or can't connect to a TS based on the licensing server of
the domain they are connecting to not the one they may/may not have where
they are coming from.

My license shouldn't have expired. It has been working for over 4 years. I
think somehow the license got trashed or walked on top of by connecting to
some of the other 2003 servers.