Security updates, while essential for safeguarding systems, can sometimes lead to unforeseen complications. The recent rollout of the Patch Tuesday Windows security update has left some Windows Server users grappling with connectivity issues. Microsoft has acknowledged that certain users may experience disruptions in Remote Desktop Connectivity, with logon sessions dropping and users being disconnected approximately every 30 minutes.
Windows Server Users Take To Reddit To Complain About 30 Minute Crashes
In the digital age, platforms like Reddit often serve as the first line of communication for users facing technical difficulties. Following the latest update, a dedicated Patch Tuesday Megathread has emerged, highlighting complaints from users encountering Remote Desktop Gateway issues on Windows Server 2019. Reports indicate that organizations are facing “random mass disconnects throughout the day,” with one user noting consistent crashes every half hour affecting a network of 500 users.
Microsoft Confirms Windows Server Disruption
In response to the growing concerns, Microsoft has confirmed the existence of the issue. A support post elaborates that “Windows Servers might affect Remote Desktop Connectivity across an organization if legacy protocol (Remote Procedure Call over HTTP) is used in Remote Desktop Gateway.” This disruption can result in intermittent interruptions to remote desktop connections, with the issue manifesting every 30 minutes. IT administrators are informed that this may be linked to a TSGateway service termination, which provides an error exception code of 0xc0000005.
Two Workaround Options While Fix Is In The Works
As Microsoft works diligently to develop a comprehensive solution for the Windows Server connectivity issue, users of Windows Server 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2022 are encouraged to implement the following temporary workarounds:
- Disallowing connections over “pipe and port pipeRpcProxy3388 through the RD Gateway.” This can be effectively managed using firewall software.
- Modifying the registry on client devices by removing the RDGClientTransport key. Users are advised to back up the registry before making any changes and to ensure a restoration route is available. The specific registry modification can be made in the
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Terminal Server Client\RDGClientTransport location, where the Value Data field should be set to 0x0 for the DWORD registry key.
While these workarounds may provide temporary relief, the tech community eagerly awaits a permanent fix from Microsoft. As always, staying informed and prepared can help mitigate the impact of such disruptions on business operations.