It now read: .
If the OS supports NLA but the connection fails, force the client to use NLA via the registry:
Instead of typing the computer name (e.g., MyOfficePC ), use the (e.g., 192.168.1.15 ).
Maya stared at her screen. The remote desktop window flickered, then died. rdp error code: 0x904
If the setting is greyed out due to a Domain Policy:
Expired self-signed certificates are a primary cause for this error on Windows Servers.
She looked at the logs. Each connection attempt had reached the server. Each one had been accepted—then immediately terminated. Not by a firewall. By something inside. It now read:
If the certificate is expired, right-click and delete it.
Press , type certlm.msc , and hit Enter to open the Local Computer Certificates. Navigate to Remote Desktop > Certificates .
Common on Azure VMs, where a corrupt MachineKeys folder prevents new certificates from being generated. The remote desktop window flickered, then died
Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run: restart-service termserv -force .
This is the "gold standard" fix for most on-premise servers. If the self-signed certificate is expired, RDP will refuse to connect.
Windows will automatically generate a fresh self-signed certificate, often resolving the error instantly.