Windows XP-based terminal server does not allow RDP connections whose encryption level is set to Low

When you use a Windows XP-based computer as a terminal server in a network environment, the Windows XP-based terminal server will not allow Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections whose encryption level is set to Low. Therefore, you may be unable to use the terminal service on the Windows XP-based terminal server.

Note Other Windows operating systems, such as Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows XP 64-bit version, support the RDP connections that are set to low encryption levels.

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, submit a request to Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

To apply this hotfix, you must have Windows XP Service Pack 2 or a later service pack installed on the computer. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Restart requirement

You must restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

Windows XP with Service Pack 2, x86-based versions

Windows XP with Service Pack 3, x86-based versions

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

After you install the hotfix, you can configure the Windows XP-based terminal server to use the Low encryption level by editing the registry or by using Group Policy. To do this, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Edit the Registry

After you install the hotfix, you should configure the Windows XP-based terminal server to use the Low encryption level. To have us do this for you, go to the "Fix it for me" section. If you would rather do this yourself, go to the "Let me fix it myself" section.

Fix it for me

To make this registry change automatically, click the Fix this problem link. Then click Run in the File Download dialog box, and follow the steps in this wizard.

Fix this problem

Note This wizard is temporarily in English only. However, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.

Note If you are not on the computer that has the problem, you can save the automatic fix to a flash drive or to a CD, and then you can run it on the computer that has the problem.

Now go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.

Let me fix it myself

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
To make this registry change yourself, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. In Registry Editor, locate and then click the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp
3. In the right-pane, double-click MinEncryptionLevel.
4. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
5. Exit Registry Editor.

Method 2: Use Group Policy

For more information about how to configure the terminal server to use the Low encryption level by using Group Policy, visit the following Microsoft Web site: For more information about how to enable and to configure Remote Desktop for Administration in Windows Server 2003, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: