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10 Replies Last post: Feb 2, 2009 5:21 AM by fadfo  

Console/Remote Desktop black screen issue posted: May 16, 2008 8:21 AM

Click to view gregchait's profile Enthusiast
gregchait
55 posts since
Dec 13, 2006
Greetings

For the second time in two weeks, I have experienced an issue with a guest Windows 2003 Standard virtual machine that displays it's console and remote desktop connections as a black screen. I am attaching screenshots of both.


I have tried a complete removal and reinstall of VMware tools and I have also ran and System File Checker (sfc /scannow) command for the OS; neither of which have remedied the issue. I have checked the hardware acceleration settings; this did not resolve either.


I have contacted VMware support and they were unable to figure this issue out. I figured I would give this a shot. I can log in "blindly", but this is obviously not preferred. Everything is fine with the system once logged in.


Thanks
Greg C.

Attachments:
Tags: 3.5, guest, guest_os, problem, vmware, windows

Re: Console/Remote Desktop black screen issue

1. May 16, 2008 8:20 AM in response to: gregchait
Click to view weinstein5's profile Guru User Moderators vExpert
weinstein5
7,798 posts since
Nov 19, 2005
Can you long in using an RDP client? - How loaded an ESX host is this? I ask this because the Service Console is what provides the virtualization for the VM Console and if it does not have enough rsources I have seen this type of behavior

Re: Console/Remote Desktop black screen issue

2. May 16, 2008 8:24 AM in response to: weinstein5
Click to view gregchait's profile Enthusiast
gregchait
55 posts since
Dec 13, 2006
The RDP client produces the similar issue in the screenshot I attached named "remotedesktop_screenshot.jpg".

The VM was also migrated to other hosts, not resolving the issue, as well as the fact that all of our hosts are underutilized, running at <33% CPU/Memory utilization.

Greg C.

Re: Console/Remote Desktop black screen issue

3. May 16, 2008 8:39 AM in response to: gregchait
Click to view Rockapot's profile Expert
Rockapot
374 posts since
Jun 23, 2007

Hi there,

I may be able to help out somewhat.. We had the same issue when connecting to a server at a remote location via RDP. The screen appears blank, or only displays a portion of the screen and was caused by an incorrect/small MTU size on the firewall.

Here is a link to a small article: http://www.howtonetworking.com/casestudy/mtu1.htm (Would have done more research however I have to leave the office now)
I doubt this is VMware product related. Most likely more to do with MTU etc..

Hope it points you in the right direction.
Carl

Re: Console/Remote Desktop black screen issue

4. May 16, 2008 8:51 AM in response to: gregchait
Click to view dannyray's profile Novice
dannyray
4 posts since
Nov 14, 2007


Hi Greg,

Logon to another windows 2003 std. server via RDP or vm console, go to start -> run -> type 'regedit' and hit OK.

Go to the reg path : HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Colors

Export the 'colors' key and Import it to the affected server by connecting from this server's registry using "connect network registry" . If you don't want to import the registry key, you may compare and add the REG_SZ keys that are not present in the affected server.

Attached is the screenshot just for ur understanding, this registry is from vista laptop.

Hope this works for you :-)

Cheers!

Pushpal

Attachments:

Re: Console/Remote Desktop black screen issue

5. May 16, 2008 10:09 AM in response to: dannyray
Click to view gregchait's profile Enthusiast
gregchait
55 posts since
Dec 13, 2006

Dead on... fixed it without even rebooting... now just curious how on earth that could have been wiped.

Thank you so much!
Greg C.

Re: Console/Remote Desktop black screen issue

6. May 16, 2008 10:37 AM in response to: gregchait
Click to view dannyray's profile Novice
dannyray
4 posts since
Nov 14, 2007
Yes, it doesn't need a reboot, i forgot to mention that!

This is a common issue I have come across in random windows servers vm or non-vm machines, so apply this whenever you hear or come across. Root Cause is still in the searching mode :-)


Thanks

Pushpal

Re: Console/Remote Desktop black screen issue

7. May 16, 2008 10:32 PM in response to: gregchait
Click to view dannyray's profile Novice
dannyray
4 posts since
Nov 14, 2007
One probable cause of the colors value going (0,0,0) is because of low
system disk space...

On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 10:39 PM, gregchait <communities-emailer@vmware.com

Re: Console/Remote Desktop black screen issue

8. Nov 3, 2008 6:11 AM in response to: dannyray
Click to view bergerikc's profile Lurker
bergerikc
1 posts since
Nov 3, 2008
Thanks! I had the same issue, and importing the registry key solved the problem. One side note, the registry settings looked like they were OK on my system with a blank login screen. (Each registry key value on the bad server was the same as the values the good system.) Exporting and Importing the key from the good system to the bad fixed whatever was wrong with that section of the registry.

Re: Console/Remote Desktop black screen issue

9. Nov 24, 2008 6:59 AM in response to: bergerikc
Click to view Ej40k's profile Lurker
Ej40k
1 posts since
Nov 21, 2008

Thanks guys!

We had the same issue and this took care of it...

Although for us, it DID require a reboot...

Ej

Re: Console/Remote Desktop black screen issue

10. Feb 2, 2009 5:21 AM in response to: dannyray
Click to view fadfo's profile Novice
fadfo
6 posts since
Jan 19, 2009

Thanks DannyRay!!!

I sent the solution the Microsoft support web page and said that you has the credits.

Cheers

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