Remote Desktop select users greyed out

Why Is Remote Desktop Not Working?

Usually, setting up RDP on Windows 10 is pretty straightforward. Depending on whether the connection is through a local network or through the Internet, you only need to enable a few settings and you’re home and hosed.

Just to refresh your memory, here are the quick methods to initiate an RDP on a local network, and over the web.

RDP over local network:

• Launch the Control Panel and click System and Security.
• Select System on the System and Security screen.
• Click “Advanced system settings” on the left pane.
• Switch to the Remote tab in the System Properties dialog.
• Under Remote Desktop, tick “Allow remote connections to this computer”.
• Select the “Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication” checkbox to connect remotely through a local network.
• Click the OK, Apply, and OK buttons successively to save your modifications.

RDP over Internet connection:

• Launch the Remote Desktop app on Windows 10. Get it from the Microsoft Store if it isn’t already installed.
• Click the Add [+] button and select Desktop.
• Under the PC Name section, enter the TCP/IP address of the client computer or its local IP address if it is within a private network.
• Click the + button next to User Account and enter the username and password for the client PC.
• If you wish, click the + button next to “Display name” and specify the various settings.
• Click Save to add the remote computer.
• When you want to connect to the client PC remotely, select it from the Saved Desktops section and click Connect.

Of course, the “Allow remote connections to this computer” option in System Properties must be enabled for remote connection to work over the Internet or a local network.

However, there has been lots of complaint lately that the option to enable RDP on the computer is both greyed out and disabled. This means that users are unable to enable the option and start Remote Desktop. If you are one of the affected users, you can use the steps below to fix the Remote Desktop option greyed out issue on Windows 10.

Windows 10 allow Remote Desktop access grayed out and won't let me change options

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Windows 10 Virtualization

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  Hi,

  I have recently upgraded my windows 7 pro to windows 10 pro and now it won't let me use Remote Desktop.

  When I go into 'Allow remote access to your computer' and try and change the options to allow remote connections to this computer it is grayed out and won't let me click on either options.

  I have tried changing the group policies and every other solution I have read on the internet to no avail.

  
  A few things that I think may be causing a problem are that the PC is on a domain, I upgraded to windows 10 while it was on the domain and remote desktop was working fine on windows 7. Is there anything in server 2011 that I can change?

  Thursday, April 21, 2016 9:34 AM

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  Can you from a command prompt enterrsop [resultant set of polices] and check to see "Computer Configuration – Administrative Templates – Windows Components – Remote Desktop Services – Remote Desktop Session Host – Connections" is listed, and if it is "Allow users to connect remotely using Remote Desktop Service" is that set to Disable?

  Have you got a "Remote Desktop Users" group? [right click start open Computer Management, expand Local Users and Groups then Groups]

  Thursday, April 21, 2016 6:37 PM

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  RDP service isn't allowed to start when Network is in PUBLIC profile. Must be PRIVATE [HOME Network].
  
  

  Sunday, September 1, 2019 4:46 PM

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  That would seem to indicate that it is restricted by your domain policy.

  Bill

  Thursday, January 23, 2020 10:44 PM

  [Policies ->] Windows Settings -> Security Settings-> Restricted Groups

  You should see an entry somewhere for "Remote Desktop Users," when you find this setting, you will need to add the appropriate Domain account/groups here, or un-configure the setting so that the Local Add/Remove Users/Groups box is available for selection and you can apply these restrictions on a server by server basis.

  Additionally, on the server you could go into the local policy on the server in question, [gpedit.msc] and manually adjust these settings [I wouldn't recommend it, just because if it's not in the Domain GPO, somebody's going to forget about this setting]

  Computer Config -> [Policies ->] Windows Settings -> Security Settings-> Local Policies -> User Rights Assignment: "Allow log on through remote desktop [terminal] services," and add the users/groups in this box.

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