Sometimes we finish the configuration of a new server. Active Direcory, DHCP, DNS, applications, services, users, GPOs…… the always endless list. And we forget to enable RDP.

Of course, we can do a local login and enable it. But what if we have left the room?

Fastest and smart way to do this is connecting to remote registry. Of course, we need Administrator privileges.

Steps are the following:

Open registry:

Start -> Run -> RegEdit

Connect to network registry. This option is under File menu.

Choose the machine.

Search the following key:

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server

And modify fDenyTSConnections with 0 (zero).

Ready.

Maybe a reboot is needed, but normally works without it. Anyway, reboot the server remotely is so easy as this:

C:\> shutdown -m \\hostname -r -t 0