Windows 10 V1903 black screen with Remote Desktop

Anonymous
2019-05-24T01:45:13+00:00

I upgraded my secondary machine from 1809 to 1903. When I access it now using Remote Desktop all I get is a black screen in the RDP windows. I then upgraded my primary machine to 1903 hoping that would help, but no. Fortunately I also have GoToAssist installed so I was able to log into the secondary machine that way and checked for updates, still no help. Finally I reverted it back to 1809 and Remote Desktop once again works. I could keep using GoToAssist but RDP over my local LAN is much faster.

As long as this version as been (more or less) gold before going public, I can't possibly be the first one with this issue. It's no big deal to me that my secondary is running 1809, it's primarily a file server, but upgrading would be nice.

Granted, that secondary system is an older Core2 Quad, but at 3.3GHz and 8GB of memory and a SSD, it's plenty fast enough. I suppose I could try a different video card, but it shouldn't be necessary for a feature update.

Anyone have some insight into why RDP isn't working. I've already been through all the "guesses".   :-)

*Modified title for accuracy*

*Original title: Windows 10 1903 (May update) black screen with Remote Desktop*

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Internet and connectivity

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2019-07-14T03:31:57+00:00

Workaround reported here is to set the group policy to force RD sessions to use XDDM instead of WDDM:

Gpedit.msc: Computer Configuration->Administrative Templates->Windows Components->Remote Desktop Services->Remote Desktop Session Host->Remote Session Environment

Moderator's note:

If Group Policy method doesn't works, open administrative Command Prompt, type this, and press Enter key:

REG ADD “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services” /v “fEnableWddmDriver” /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Microsoft has also released update KB4512941, which addresses this issue:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4512941/windows-10-update-kb4512941

The update page mentions:

  • Addresses an issue that displays a black screen when you use Remote Desktop to connect to a machine running Windows 10, version 1903.

You can install KB4512941 and this would resolve the issue for you. 

Was this answer helpful?

30+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2019-05-30T19:52:43+00:00

In my case all Intel G41 drivers currently available, from Intel (2009), and from Microsoft (2013), showed black screen with RDP, even though they are Ok with the monitor connected to the PC.

So I've decided to use the "Microsoft Basic Graphics" driver, shown in the compatibility list when I tried to update the driver manually, and now RDP works.

Was this answer helpful?

20+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

148 additional answers

Sort by: Oldest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2019-08-29T15:50:09+00:00

    Basically i updated over 800 computers from our company to 1903 and now i face the remote desktop issue for over 600 users. I updated the display drivers and still the same issue. 

    Basically when connecting they get a black screen and if for some reason its passing this black screen then its gets slow and not responsive and then it gets disconnected. With high speed internet 

    Any solution?

    The group policy mentioned up the thread ("Use WDDM graphics display driver for Remote Desktop Connections" to *Disabled*) has worked for most people for this specific black screen issue. As long as it's set correctly and the policy takes effect (policies don't take effect instantaneously unless forced).

    It's not a solution for all RD issues though (this thread has discussed several others, unfortunately).

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2019-08-29T16:01:24+00:00

    Basically i updated over 800 computers from our company to 1903 and now i face the remote desktop issue for over 600 users. I updated the display drivers and still the same issue. 

    Basically when connecting they get a black screen and if for some reason its passing this black screen then its gets slow and not responsive and then it gets disconnected. With high speed internet 

    Any solution?

    The group policy mentioned up the thread ("Use WDDM graphics display driver for Remote Desktop Connections" to *Disabled*) has worked for most people for this specific black screen issue. As long as it's set correctly and the policy takes effect (policies don't take effect instantaneously unless forced).

    It's not a solution for all RD issues though (this thread has discussed several others, unfortunately).

    Actually this solution did not fix my issues on multiple machines.  I have also tried the registry entry and the group policy.  Upon reboot of the machine I get the black screen and THEN I cannot even log into the console of the machine.  I had to hard reset it.  That is totally unacceptable.

    So for 600 machines, your only fix is for Microsoft to get this fixed and force the patch to come out for those already on 1903.

    So far I have not had a single machine fixed by any solution and have reverted multiple machines back to before the update to solve it.  The other machines I reloaded and paused updates at this time to prevent 1903 from breaking it again.

    With 1903, all 107 machines RDP was broken.  Reverted 103 machines and it is fixed.  4 machines I could not and am fighting with how to RDP.  I have tried Microsoft Remote Desktops, not working.  I have tried other remote tools like mRemoteNG and still no luck.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2019-08-29T17:35:52+00:00

    Basically i updated over 800 computers from our company to 1903 and now i face the remote desktop issue for over 600 users. I updated the display drivers and still the same issue. 

    Basically when connecting they get a black screen and if for some reason its passing this black screen then its gets slow and not responsive and then it gets disconnected.

    Updating the video driver, while being the standard procedure, has never been successful for me, and I did not remember reading someone in this thread for which it were either.

    What was proposed instead was to remove the "correct" video driver and instead using the "Basic Microsoft Driver"; it somehow works for the old machines where the normal (WDDM-compliant and hardware-specific) driver is broken; however, if is solves connecting remotely with RDP, it also makes using the machine live pretty difficult (among other, resolutions are limited to 4÷3 ratios); as aptly put by ErnestL, pick your poison.

    If I understand correctly, "disabling the WDDM driver" using GPO (or forcing fEnableWddmDriver to 0 in registry) is effectively forcing the use of the "Basic Microsoft Driver" over a RDP session, while keeping using the hardware-specific (WDDM) driver on the bare hardware; for me it is the best solution. But if this trick does not work for you, I can guess that always forcing the use of the "Basic Microsoft Driver" won't work.

    Also although I have much less computers than you ("only" 9 machines affected, of 4 different models, all with the '08 Series 4 chipsets, G4x or Q4y), I was never able to pass over the black screen in any test. In addition, unless you have 10,000s of machines in total, I am not sure you really have 600 machines with old video chipsets.

    So I guess you are in a different case than most of us in this thread.

    Something very different which was reported (Phil Angus on August 7th) was to have some web filtering installed, namely Forcepoint Websense or Carbon Black ("CB Sensor"). They reported success disabling that software.

    I hope your problem will be solved.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments