Troubleshooting general error messages

Which message are you getting?

For this error message Try this
  • The remote connection has timed out. Please try connecting to the remote computer again.
  • The remote session was ended because the total logon time limit was reached. This limit is set by the server administrator or by network policies.
  • The remote session was ended because the idle timeout limit was reached. This limit is set by the server administrator or by network policies.

Either the terminal server disconnected your session because you did not send a response within the time limit set for responses, or a slow network connection, caused by excessive network traffic, has delayed your response to the terminal server. Try connecting to the terminal server again. If you receive this error message, try to reconnect at a later time. If you continue to receive this error message, contact the server administrator.

  • The specified computer name contains invalid characters. Please verify the name and try again.
  • The specified remote computer could not be found. Verify that you have typed the correct computer name or IP address, and then try connecting again.

The name or IP address of the Windows-based computer is incorrect. This might be a typing error. Try typing the name or IP address of the Windows-based computer again. If you receive the same message, contact the server administrator to be sure you are using the correct name or IP address for the Windows-based computer.

  • The remote session was ended by means of an administration tool. Your administrator might have ended your connection.
  • The remote session was logged off at the remote computer. Your administrator or another user might have ended your session.
  • The remote session was disconnected because another user has connected to the session.
  • The remote computer has ended the connection. Try connecting again or contact your administrator.

The most common cause of this error is that the server administrator needed to perform maintenance tasks on the terminal server. These tasks can be performed only when there are no remote connections to the terminal server. Try to reconnect at a later time. If you receive the same message, contact the server administrator.

  • The local computer is low on memory. Close some programs, and then connect to the remote computer again.
  • The connection to the remote computer was broken. This may have been caused by a network error. Please try connecting to the remote computer again.
  • An internal error has occurred.

Either there is not enough RAM available on your Macintosh computer, or there is not enough disk space available on your Macintosh hard drive. If your computer has too little RAM available, it cannot free enough processing capacity to start new functions, such as applications or connections. If the hard disk on your computer is full, there might not be enough space available to allow the swap file to operate correctly. The swap file allows your computer to perform some RAM functions even when there is not enough RAM space available.

Close all unnecessary programs, and try your connection again. Free some space on your hard disk by emptying your trash, deleting temporary Internet files, moving documents and other data files to a different drive, removing programs that you rarely use, deleting old temporary files from your hard disk. Be sure to empty the trash after you delete files.

  • Because of a protocol error, this session will be disconnected. Please try connecting to the remote computer again.
  • Because of a protocol error, a connection could not be established. Please try connecting to the remote computer again. If the problem continues to occur, contact your network administrator.
  • Because of a protocol error (error_code), this session will be disconnected. Please try connecting to the remote computer again.

A protocol specifies the way a computer communicates with other computers. A protocol error prevents your computer from communicating with the terminal server to which you were connected. Try connecting to the Windows-based computer again. If you receive the same message, contact the server administrator. If you receive an error code, contact Microsoft Product Support.

  • The client could not connect to the remote computer. Either remote connections are not enabled, the computer is too busy to accept new connections, or network problems are preventing your connection. Try connecting again later or contact your administrator.
  • The client could not connect to the remote computer. Either remote connections are not enabled, the maximum number of connections was exceeded, or a network error occurred. Try connecting again later or contact your administrator.

The Windows-based computer might not be set up to accept remote connections, or it might already have reached the maximum number of remote connections it is set up to accept. Network problems might also be preventing the connection. Try connecting to the Windows-based computer at a later time. If you receive the same message, contact the server administrator.

Because of an error in data encryption, this session will end. Please try connecting to the remote computer again. Data encryption provides security for data traveling over network connections. A data encryption error can end a session for security reasons. Try connecting to the Windows-based computer again. Encryption policies can vary between systems and domains. If you continue to see this error message, contact the server administrator.
Because of a security error, the client could not connect to the remote computer. Verify that you are logged on to the network, and then try connecting again. The most common causes are network errors or slowdowns. Be sure your computer is connected to the network. Try to reconnect at a later time. If you cannot connect, contact the server administrator.
Client and server versions do not match. Please upgrade your client software and then try connecting again. Remote Desktop Connection does not function unless the version of software on your computer matches the version of software on the server. Contact the server administrator for assistance with upgrading the software on your computer.
The remote session was disconnected because the remote computer is low on memory. Try connecting again later or contact your administrator. Memory errors have a variety of causes, but the result is the same. The Windows-based computer does not have enough memory to start and maintain the connection you are attempting to make. Contact the server administrator.
The connection was ended because of a network error. Please try connecting to the remote computer again. A network error prevented your computer from communicating with the terminal server. Try connecting to the Windows-based computer again. If you receive the same message, be sure that your computer is connected to the network. If you are still unable to connect to the Windows-based computer, contact the server administrator.

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