Fix: RDP Authentication Error has occurred issue in Windows

If you receive a message saying— RDP Authentication Error has occurred—when using a remote desktop in Windows, this post will help you resolve the issue.  The issue occurs in scenarios wherein the Windows PC cannot connect to a particular remote computer and displays an authentication error as the probable reason for its inability.

Possible Causes of RDP Authentication Error

• Network Level Authentication (NLP) not provided or incorrect: Inability to provide the required Network Level Authentication or incorrect authentication credentials can result in the failure of the authentication process.
• Sufficient privileges not granted to the User or Group: The concerned User might not be a part of the Remote Desktop Users Group, or the Group might not have the necessary access to the system to which the connection is being established.
• Faulty OS updates installation: Bugs in the Windows OS updates that might have been recently installed deter a successful connection to the remote system.

Fix: RDP Authentication Error has occurred issue in Windows

Here is the list of suggestions you can follow to fix the RDP auth error in Windows:

1. Changing the Remote Desktop settings
2. Change in Group Policy
3. Change via Registry Method
4. Undoing the security update installation

You will need an administrator account to execute these suggestions.

1] Changing the Remote Desktop settings

Deselecting the Network Level Authentication option from the Remote tab of the System Properties setting on the server end can allow both secure and unsecured connections to go through. It becomes possible as the deselection of this option ensures that NLA will not be mandatory for establishing the connection to the remote system.

Steps for the above action:

• Open the Run dialogue box by pressing the R key while holding down the Windows key on the keyboard.
• Type sysdm.cpl and click OK to open the System Properties window.
• Click to select the Remote Tab.
• Deselect the Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (recommended)
• Press APPLY and then OK to effect the changes.

2] Change in Group Policy

Another possible reason for the RDP authentication error can occur due to inappropriate Windows Group Policy Settings. Since Windows OS uses the Credential Security Support Provider (CredSSP) as a part of the authentication while establishing an RDP connection, any insecure RDP connection might be blocked.

Encryption Oracle Remediation policy setting on the server or client to allow both safe and unsafe connections to be established can be a possible resolution.

Follow the steps to make changes via the Group Policy Editor

• Open the Run dialogue box (Pressing Windows key+R) and type gpedit.msc to open the Group Policy Editor window.
• Click on Computer Configuration on the left.
• Click on Administrative Templates -> System -> Credentials Delegation > Encryption Oracle Remediation to open the settings for Encryption Oracle Remediation.
• Click on the Enable button, and from the Protection drop-down menu, select Vulnerable (to allow unsecured connections as well) and then Click on Apply to save the changes made.
• For the changes to effect, open the Run dialogue box again, type WT, and press the Enter key. It will open the Windows Terminal.
• Type gpupdate /force, and press Enter. Alternatively, the system can also be restarted to achieve the desired result.

3] Change via Registry Method

The above process can also be made by changing the Encryption Oracle Remediation policy from the Windows Registry by following the below-mentioned steps:

• Open the Windows Registry Editor
• Navigate to the following path:

 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\CredSSP\Parameters

• Double Click on AllowEncryptionOracle DWORD to edit the DWORD setting for the concerned option and change the Value data to 2.
• If the path doesn’t exist, you will need first to create the
  • CredSSP and Parameters Key
  • Then create AllowEncryptionOracle DWORD
  • Lastly, set the value as 2.
• Restart the system for the changes to take effect.

4] Undoing the security update installation:

If the faulty Windows OS updates are causing the error in question, uninstalling the same may help resolve the issue. Follow these steps to do this:

• Open Windows Settings (Win + I) > Windows Update
• Click on Update History > Uninstall updates
• Remove the most recently installed Feature Update by selecting the concerned Update and clicking Uninstall.
• Restart the system for the changes to take effect.

N.B.: The abovementioned solution can be exercised if the error in question comes up only after installing the last update but was working fine.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the RDP Authentication Error is an issue faced by Windows users while trying to connect to a remote computer. The probable reasons for the error can be the inability to provide Network Level Authentication, insufficient privileges, or faulty OS updates.

The post provides various methods to resolve the RDP Authentication Error, including changing Remote Desktop settings, Group Policy, Registry Method, and undoing the security update installation. Following the suggestions mentioned in this post can help users fix the RDP Authentication Error and establish a successful remote desktop connection.