Remote Desktop Protocol, or RDP for short, is the underlying protocol used in Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Services (RDS). It is built-in on most versions of Windows PC.

Windows Remote Desktop can be used on Windows from XP up through Windows 10. How to Use Remote Desktop on Windows 10 However, while all versions of Windows can connect to other computers that have incoming connections enabled, not all Windows versions can act as a host (i.e. Accept incoming remote access requests). Remote Desktop is one of the programs that allow us to avoid complications, by enabling access to any computer on your network. You don’t have to be in front of the PC to work on it and the best part is that Microsoft has included the Remote Desktop Connection in every operating system since Windows XP.

This how-to will describe how to enable NLA on Win XP. It is a fairly simple process, but there are some minor caveats to consider. As well as a major chance to break the windows install. Step lightly folks.

5 Steps total

Step 1: Log in as an admin

You can use any account that has local administrative rights.

Step 2: Check for update compliance

For Windows XP to be able to use NLA, it must first be updated to SP3. Additionally, I would suggest installing the RDP v.7 update as well since it brings the full functionality of NLA into play.

Step 3: Open the registry editor

Here is where things can get dangerous. If you do not feel safe doing the following, DO NOT DO IT! You could seriously break your machine if you do something other than what is described.

Step 4: Navigate to and modify the registry keys

There are two keys to change. The first is located at:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlLsa

You are going to modify the key named 'Security Packages'
Add 'tspkg' to the listing of security packages. Do not remove any packages.

The second key is located at:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSecurityProviders

You are going to modify the key named 'SecurityProviders'
Add 'credssp.dll' to the listing of Security Providers.

Close the registry editor.

Step 5: Restart the computer.

After the restart is complete. Test the NLA functionality by attempting to RDP to a server that only accepts RDP connections from machines that use NLA.

If it works, you have succeeded. If it does not work, then you should check to ensure that the above defined changes have been made correctly.

Congratulations for completing the step that Microsoft left out of SP3. You can now easily connect to any RDP host you desire... well within reason anyway.

References

• Credential Security Support Provider
• RDP v. 7.0

13 Comments

• Cayenne
  Gideon Braver Jan 31, 2013 at 07:59pm

  This is a great how-to. It would have saved me a lot of time when I had to do this a few years back!

  I can't stress how important doing step 4 correctly is. I made the mistake of removing the other packages (luckily only in a testing environment).

• Poblano
  Octavian Neacsu May 2, 2013 at 04:26pm

  Worked like a charm. Thank you for this great tutorial!

• Jalapeno
  Sam.P Jun 10, 2013 at 08:31pm

  Thanks for this. I was pleasantly surprised to find the entries already existed in my registry. Perhaps I did this a year or two back and just forgot.

• Pimiento
  iluv.strwbries Sep 9, 2013 at 07:27am

  I don't know much about computers, but was able to follow these steps and it works great! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

• Poblano
  jundis Feb 11, 2014 at 03:12pm

  Great tutorial. I've been racking my brain on getting it to work when I had RDP 6 and SP3 installed, and this fixed it perfectly.

  Thanks a lot.

• Jalapeno
  Tim8364 Feb 24, 2014 at 03:38pm

  Microsoft FixIt for CredSSP/NLA:
  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/951608

  RDP 7:
  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/969084/en-us

• Datil
  MHB Oct 9, 2014 at 11:22am

  If you're using SSO in your RDS environment you may need to request and install this hot fix:
  https://support2.microsoft.com/kb/953760/en-us

• Pimiento
  rontuijnman Dec 20, 2014 at 11:19am

  Great tip! Solved in moments. In LSA I was looking for a subkey called Security Packages, but that was a part of the LSA key.. :-)
  Thanx! Keep up the great work!

• Pimiento
  gabrieljean Jun 11, 2015 at 01:32pm

  Thanks you Patrick, Great Tutorial ! Working Perfectly with xp sp3 !!!

• Pimiento
  davidnelson12 Oct 4, 2017 at 01:22am

  It is hard to find the needed downloads now, here they are:

  Windows XP Service Pack 3:
  http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB936929

  RDP7:
  http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=969084

• Pimiento
  lotharpeters Feb 23, 2018 at 04:09pm

  wonderful! thank you very much!

  Because in 2018, - to search for that - there is no microsoft server online - they cut it.

  Great, that i could find the solution here!

• Jalapeno
  vmvmadmin May 3, 2018 at 10:34am

  Exactly clear and work. I tested it today.

  Thank you Patrick.

• Pimiento
  anthonylee2 Oct 22, 2018 at 11:26am

  well, its the end of October 2018. and a client with Lenovo x240 win 10 broke and needed to connect via VPN terminal. had an old XP SP3 got the NLA error. found the solution here. Thanks. wasn't able to connect via username and password as in win 10 then entered domainusername works like a charm. THANK YOU! all the way from Israel.
  Cheers
  Anthony

This article discusses the connection settings that are stored in the Default.rdp file on Windows Server 2003-based and Windows XP-based computers.

Note

Support for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) ends on July 12, 2011. To continue receiving security updates for Windows, make sure you're running Windows Vista with Service Pack 2 (SP2). For more information, see this Microsoft web page:Support is ending for some versions of Windows.

Original product version: Windows 10 – all editions, Windows Server 2012 R2
Original KB number: 885187

Introduction

When you use the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect to a remote computer, the Default.rdp file is created on the client computer. This article discusses the connection settings that are stored in the Default.rdp file.

More information

When you use RDP to connect to a remote computer, you can use the Remote Desktop Connection Options dialog box to configure many of the connection settings. To configure these settings, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type mstsc.exe, and then click OK.
2. In the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, click Options.

You can save *.rdp files with different settings if you connect to multiple remote computers. To save a new configuration, click Save As on the General tab in Options.

Settings that are stored in the Default.rdp file

By default, the Default.rdp file is created in your My Documents folder. The following RDP settings are stored in the Desktop.rdp file:

desktopwidth: i

This setting corresponds to the desktop width that you select on the Display tab in Remote Desktop Connection Options.

Note

Microsoft Windows CE-based devices support only full-screen mode.

desktopheight: i

This setting corresponds to the desktop height that you select on the Display tab in Remote Desktop Connection Options.

Note

Microsoft Windows CE-based devices support only full-screen mode.

session bpp: i

This setting corresponds to the color depth that you select in Colors on the Display tab in Remote Desktop Connection Options.

Note

Microsoft Windows CE-based devices support only full-screen mode.

winposstr: s

This setting corresponds to the window position that you select on the Display tab in Remote Desktop Connection Options.

Note

On desktop computers, this setting determines the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box position on the screen. The six numbers represent a string form of the WINDOWPOS structure. For more information about the WINDOWPOS function, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

Note

Microsoft Windows CE-based devices support only full-screen mode.

auto connect: i

This setting isn't used by desktop computers or by Windows CE-based clients.

full address: s

This setting determines the computer that you connect to. The setting corresponds to the entry in the Computer box on the General tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

compression: i

This setting determines whether data is compressed when it's transmitted to the client computer.

keyboardhook: i

This setting determines where Windows key combinations are applied. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Keyboard box on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

audiomode: i

This setting determines where sounds are played. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Remote computer sound box on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

redirectdrives: i

This setting determines whether disk drives are automatically connected when you log on to the remote computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Disk Drives box on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

redirectprinters: i

This setting determines whether printers are automatically connected when you log on to the remote computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Printers check box on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

Videos For Windows Xp Rdp

redirectcomports: i

This setting determines whether COM ports are automatically connected when you log on to the remote computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Serial Ports box on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

redirectsmartcards: i

This setting determines whether smart cards are automatically connected when you log on to the remote computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Smart cards box on the Local Resources tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

displayconnectionbar: i

This setting determines whether the connection bar is displayed when you log on to the remote computer in full-screen mode. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Display the connection bar when in full screen mode check box on the Display tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

username: s

This setting determines the user name that is displayed in RDP. The setting corresponds to the entry in the User name box on the General tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

domain: s

This setting determines the user name that is displayed in the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box. It corresponds to the entry in the Domain box on the General tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

alternate shell: s

This setting determines whether a program is started automatically when you connect with RDP. The setting corresponds to the entry in the Program path and file name box on the Programs tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

shell working directory: s

This setting is the folder location for the application that is started automatically when you connect with RDP. The setting corresponds to the entry in the Program path and file name box on the Programs tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

disable wallpaper: i

This setting determines whether the desktop background appears when you log on to the remote computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Desktop background check box on the Experience tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

disable full window drag: i

This setting determines whether folder contents appear when you drag the folder to a new location. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Show contents of window while dragging check box on the Experience tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

disable menu anims: i

This setting determines how menus and windows appear when you log on to the remote computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Menu and window animation check box on the Experience tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

Windows Xp Rdp Update

disable themes: i

This setting determines whether themes are permitted when you log on to the remote computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Themes check box on the Experience tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

Windows XP RDP - Social.technet.microsoft.com

Windows Xp Rdp To Windows 10

bitmapcachepersistenable: i

This setting determines whether bitmaps are cached on the local computer. This setting corresponds to the selection in the Bitmap caching check box on the Experience tab of Remote Desktop Connection Options.

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autoreconnection enabled: i

This setting determines whether a client computer automatically tries to reconnect after being disconnected.

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