Can't RDP into virtual machine after rebooting

[JohnStar]

Hi all,

I'm using VMware ESXi4.0

I'm having an issue where if i reboot a virtual machine, once it reboots i try to use Remote Desktop Connection Manager to access it and receive this error:

"The connection cannot be completed because the remote computer that was reached is not the one you specified.  This could be caused by an outdated entry in the DNS cache.  Try using the IP address of the computer instead of the name."

The current machine that i notice the error on is Windows 7 but also happens to me on Server 2008.  not sure if this relevant.  I can still access the machine through vSphere but not Remote Desktop.  When i ping the name of the machine as well as the IP address, they both have similar delay times.

I have checked my DC for the dns entries and they are there for this computer as well as in the reverse lookup zones.  I've tried doing a /flushdns and /registerdns on the VM. 

Usually to fix this i would have to log into the VM from vSphere and then use RDCM to connect to it.

I saw another post regarding this issue within the forum but it didn't have a solution. This post is here > http://communities.vmware.com/message/1304004

I have tried the recommendations from there and they didn't help.

Any ideas on what else i can try?

Thanks in advance,

John

[a_p_]

Did you already take a look at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2493594 to see whether this helps?

André

[JohnStar]

Thanks for the quick reply

This is the error i'm receving but i'm not connecting through a Remote Desktop Server (Teminal Server).  So the options to resolve this are not installed on the computer or DC for me to edit.  I'm connecting from my desktop to this machine within the same domain.  I have three Virtual Servers, one on site and two at our DR site. One thing i just tried is rebooting one virtual machine on the local virtual server and I was able to RDP into it without a problem. 

So it seems the issue is only when i RDP from here to any VM on the virtual servers that are off site (same domain).  I have a DC at that site as well though i verified that both dns entries had the machines listed.  Our main DC replicates users/dns and other data to the off site DC.

[jdptechnc]

Did you try doing what the error message suggested - use the IP of the remote server in the Remote Desktop client and see if it connects?  Not that that is a "solution", but it will tell you definitively that it's not a VMware problem.

We had some odd issues with RDP client connectivity to Windows 7 and 2008R2 computers (physical and virtual both) that wound up being resolved by a Remote Desktop security update that was released few months ago. I don't remember what actually caused the problem (I'm thinking it was a hotfix that caused it), but the symptoms were similar to what you described - I couldn't RDP to the remote system until I logged on locally.

[JohnStar]

Using the IP address works fine. I'm going to update the virtual machine and apply the updates you spoke about and see if it helps.  Thanks

[jdptechnc · Accepted solution]

Here is the update to which I was referring.. it had to be re-released back in June because of the problems it caused on some systems.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2667402

But, if you are able to connect via IP, then the RDP patch probably won't help.

[JohnStar]

I finally got around to installing testing the update you specified.  It WORKED!!!... Jdptechnc, thank you thank you thank you...

[jdptechnc]

Great!  Glad that worked for you.