FIXED: credentials not working on remote desktop

The Immediate Fix: It’s Usually the Username Format

If you are staring at a login screen that keeps telling you "Login Failed" even though you are 100% sure you typed the password right, stop re-typing it. The password isn't the problem. The problem is usually that the remote computer doesn't know who you are trying to be.

Here is the fix that works for most people immediately.

When you enter your username in the Remote Desktop Connection box, don't just type Bob. You need to tell the remote computer that you are logging in as "Bob on that specific computer," not "Bob on the network."

Try these formats in the username field:

• .Username (Example: .Bob) - The dot acts as a shortcut for "this local computer."
• ComputerNameUsername (Example: OfficePCBob)
• [email protected] (If you log in with a Microsoft account).

If that worked, you're good to go. If not, grab a coffee and let's dig into the deeper settings because Windows security can get a little paranoid sometimes.

Why Does This Happen?

Honestly, it's usually because Windows gets confused about "Context." When you sit at your computer physically, Windows knows exactly which domain or account authority to check your password against. But when you come in via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), the computer receiving the connection might try to authenticate you against a Domain controller that doesn't exist, or it might be expecting a Microsoft Account when you are sending a Local Account credential.

It's annoying but according to Microsoft documentation, a lot of this is actually designed behavior to prevent credential theft. But that doesn't make it any less frustrating when you just need to get a file off your work desktop.

Solution 2: The Credential Manager Purge

Sometimes Windows tries to be helpful by saving an old password or a corrupted username string. Even if you type the new password in the box, RDP might be secretly trying to use the saved one first causing a conflict.

We need to wipe the slate clean.

1. Click your Start button and type Credential Manager. Open it up.
2. You'll see two buttons: "Web Credentials" and "Windows Credentials". You want Windows Credentials.
3. Scroll down the list until you find entries that look like TERMSRV/192.168.1.5 or TERMSRV/MyOfficePC.
4. Click the arrow to expand it and hit Remove.

Do this for any entry that looks related to the computer you're trying to reach. Once they are gone, try connecting again. Windows will treat you like a stranger and ask for the username and password from scratch which is exactly what we want.

Solution 3: The "Windows Hello" Conflict

This one catches so many people off guard. If the computer you are trying to connect to (the host) is set up to use a PIN code or Face ID (Windows Hello) for logging in, it might actually block RDP connections that use a standard password.

Basically, the security setting on that PC is saying, "We only do PINs here," but RDP doesn't really support sending a PIN over the network easily. It creates a mismatch.

How to fix it (You need physical access to the host PC for this):

1. On the computer you want to connect to, go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
2. Look for a toggle switch that says "For improved security, only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device."
3. Turn that OFF.

Once you turn that off, restart the computer. This forces Windows to fallback to accepting traditional passwords, which allows RDP credentials to work again. It feels a bit backward to turn off a "security" feature to make things work but thats tech for you.

Solution 4: Network Level Authentication (NLA)

Okay, now we are getting into the nerdy stuff. Network Level Authentication is a security feature that forces you to prove who you are before the server creates a session for you. It saves resources and protects against Denial of Service attacks.

However, if your client PC and the host PC are on different update versions, or if one is on a Domain and the other is just a home PC, NLA can freak out and reject your credentials.

You can try disabling this to see if it fixes the issue.

To disable NLA on the Remote PC:

1. Right-click This PC and choose Properties.
2. Click on Remote Desktop (or "Remote Settings").
3. Click on Advanced settings.
4. Uncheck the box that says "Require computers to use Network Level Authentication to connect".

Warning: This does lower your security slightly. If you are doing this over a home network, it's totally fine. If you are doing this over the open internet (which you shouldn't be doing without a VPN anyway), just be aware of it.

Solution 5: Editing the Group Policy (The "Encryption Oracle")

A few years back, Microsoft pushed a security update that patched a vulnerability called "CredSSP." Basically, if the computer you are calling from was patched, but the computer you are calling to wasn't (or vice versa), the connection would be blocked because of an "Encryption Oracle Remediation" error. Sometimes this just manifests as a generic credential rejection.

If you are on Windows 10/11 Pro, you can check this setting.

1. Hit Windows Key + R, type gpedit.msc and hit Enter.
2. Navigate here: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Credentials Delegation.
3. Look for the setting named Encryption Oracle Remediation.
4. Double click it and set it to Enabled.
5. In the "Protection Level" box that appears, set it to Vulnerable.

I know, "Vulnerable" sounds scary. It essentially tells your computer, "I don't care if the other computer isn't perfectly patched, let me talk to it anyway." Try the connection again. If it works, you know it was a patching issue.

Solution 6: Check Your User Groups

Just because you have a user account on the remote computer doesn't mean you are allowed to RDP into it. By default, only Administrators have RDP access. Standard users are blocked at the door unless you invite them in.

If you are trying to log in with a standard account (not an Admin), you need to add that user to the "Remote Desktop Users" group.

1. On the host PC, right-click Start and choose Computer Management.
2. Go to Local Users and Groups > Groups.
3. Double-click Remote Desktop Users.
4. Click Add and type the username you want to allow.
5. Click Check Names to make sure you got it right, then hit OK.

If the user wasn't in this list (and wasn't an Admin), their credentials would always be rejected, no matter how many times they typed the right password.

Solution 7: The IP Address Swap

DNS is the phonebook of the internet, converting names like "OfficePC" into numbers like "192.168.1.50". Sometimes, your local router or network gets that phonebook mixed up.

You might be typing "OfficePC", but your computer is sending those credentials to an old IP address that used to belong to OfficePC but is now a printer or an empty slot.

Try connecting using the direct IP address instead.

1. On the remote machine, open Command Prompt and type ipconfig.
2. Look for the IPv4 Address.
3. Use that number in your Remote Desktop connection window instead of the computer name.

If this works, it means your credentials were fine all along, but you were just knocking on the wrong door.

Advanced Trick: Editing the RDP File Directly

If you are still stuck, we can try a little surgery on the connection file itself. Sometimes the graphical interface hides settings that we need to change.

1. Open Remote Desktop Connection.
2. Click "Show Options" and then "Save As". Save the RDP file to your desktop.
3. Right-click that new file and choose Open with > Notepad.

You'll see a bunch of text. Add this line to the very bottom:

enablecredsspsupport:i:0

Save the file and close Notepad. Now double-click that RDP file to launch it. This line forces the connection to bypass the CredSSP protocol I mentioned earlier. It helps if there is a weird protocol mismatch between Windows 10 and Windows 11, or Windows and a standard server.

A Note on Password Expiration

Here is a funny thing about RDP: It is terrible at telling you your password has expired. If your password on the remote machine needs to be changed, RDP will often just say "Login Failed" or "Credentials not working" rather than prompting you to change it.

If you suspect this might be the case, try to log into that machine directly (physically) or map a network drive to it. Mapping a network drive often triggers the actual "Password Expired" prompt that RDP hides.

Common "User Error" Checklist

Look, we're friends here. I have done every single one of these, so don't feel bad if this is the fix.

• NumLock: Is it on? Are you typing numbers on a laptop keyboard that doesn't have a dedicated numpad?
• The Space: Did you copy/paste the password? Sometimes you accidentally copy a blank space at the end. Windows treats "Password" and "Password " as totally different things.
• Keyboard Language: Check the bottom right of your taskbar. Did you accidentally toggle from US English to UK English? That swaps the @ and " symbols, which ruins email addresses and passwords.

Wrapping It Up

Remote Desktop is one of the most useful tools Microsoft ever built, but its error messages are notoriously vague. "Credentials not working" covers everything from "you made a typo" to "international cyber security protocols have changed."

Usually, simply adding the . before your username fixes 80% of these problems. If that didn't do it, clearing the Credential Manager is your next best bet. Just take it step by step, and don't let the machine win.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use RDP without a password?

Technically yes, but Windows blocks it by default for security reasons. You have to edit a specific Group Policy called "Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only." Honestly though, you really shouldn't do this. Just set a simple password instead.

Why does RDP work on my phone but not my laptop?

This usually points to a "cached credential" issue on the laptop. Your phone likely doesn't have an old, wrong password saved, so it asks you for the fresh one and it works. Your laptop is probably trying to use an old saved password from Credential Manager. Wipe those saved credentials and it should work.

I reset my Microsoft Account password, but RDP still wants the old one. Why?

If the remote computer hasn't connected to the internet recently to sync up with Microsoft servers, it doesn't know you changed your password. It still has the "old" hash cached locally. Try using the old password, or ensure the remote machine is online and rebooted so it can update its records.

Does a VPN affect my credentials?

The VPN gets you to the door, but it doesn't open it. However, if your company uses a VPN, you might be logging into a Domain. In that case, make sure your username is formatted like DOMAINUsername. If you just type Username, the remote computer might look for a local user instead of your corporate domain account.

Does RDP work on Windows Home edition?

You can connect from a Windows Home PC, but you cannot connect to a Windows Home PC. Windows Home does not have the "hosting" server software included. You need Windows Pro or Enterprise to receive connections. If you are trying to hack around this, there are third-party wrappers, but they break every time Windows updates.