Problems with RDP + Vista SP1 : Protocol Error

shiftlocked · Post by **shiftlocked** » 25. Feb 2008, 13:36

Hi All,

Just trying to get virtual box running with a machine on the system. All goes well until I setup the RDP part of it.

Virtual machine has xp on there
set the RDP port to 7903
Router setup to allow incoming to that machine

however when I try and remote in from my Vista SP1 machine I get the following error

"because of a protocol error, this session will be disconnected. Please try connecting to the remote computer again)

shiftlocked · Post by **shiftlocked** » 26. Feb 2008, 12:55

Well done a bit more searching on this. Aparntly visual styles can have an effect on this, so i changed it back to normal XP styling and still getting the same error.

Just put on an Ubuntu build as a virtual machine and that gives the same issue as well.

Time for a new build with win2k to strip it all the way back and see what happens.

dreamscene · Post by **dreamscene** » 8. Mar 2008, 18:24

Hi,

similar problem here - not with the rdp server of a guest system, but with the rdp server of virtualbox itself. Seems m$ has changed something with sp1 in vista's rdp handling:

Windows Vista SP1 includes a new compression algorithm for the RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) that helps reduce network bandwidth required to send bitmaps or images via RDP. The compression, which can be selected by administrators via Group Policy settings, is transparent to all RDP traffic, and typically reduces the size of the RDP stream by as much as 25-60%, based on preliminary test results.

Is VirtualBox's rdp implementation standard compliant?
And don't get me wrong: connections to virtualbox's rdp server still work from other rdp clients like the one on winxp - so it's clearly some kind of protocol missmatch. Furthermore connections from the new vista sp1 rdp client to a legacy win xp rdp server still work, too. So it seems as if the rdp implementation virtualbox uses isn't standard compliant and therefore doesn't work anymore with the new rdp client of vista sp1.

Any solution on this?

Kind regards,
John

shiftlocked · Post by **shiftlocked** » 10. Mar 2008, 16:04

Phew, thank god its not just me. So when vista SP1 is released, Virtual box might have a problem.

Not wanting to promote others here but have you tried other Virtual Solutions to see if the RDP problem is just to do with VirtualBox.

Also, is it possible to turn off the new settings?

dreamscene · Post by **dreamscene** » 11. Mar 2008, 13:08

Hi,

Afaik VirtualBox is the only virtualization software that has a built-in RDP server.

virtualbox.org wrote: Remote Desktop Protocol. Unlike any other virtualization software, VirtualBox fully supports the standard Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). A virtual machine can act as an RDP server, allowing you to "run" the virtual machine remotely on some thin client that merely displays the RDP data.

If you refer to "RDP problem" as your problem setting up a RDP server on a guest: this has neither to do with virtual box, nor with Vista's new RDP client.
But still: the built-in RDP server of VirtualBox doesn't work with the Vista SP1 RDP client. Though this doesn't affect a RDP server running on a guest in any way.

And I have no idea what you mean with "new settings".

I think every virtualization software has it's place. I like VirtualBox a lot because of its RDP server and the fact that it doesn't need a X to run and therefore is predestinated for servers.
On the other hand I use vmware because it has a lot of features and runs smoothly on my desktop.

But b2t please:
Could anyone involved in the project give a statement if and how the vista sp1 rdp client <--> VirtualBox RDP server connectivity can/will be fixed?

Regards,
John

shiftlocked · Post by **shiftlocked** » 13. Mar 2008, 16:00

Is there much of a benefit to using RDP over VNC?

dreamscene · Post by **dreamscene** » 24. Mar 2008, 00:21

Several, depending on what you want to do.

Now that SP1 is officially out: any news on the rdp connection problems?

Post by **sandervl** » 25. Mar 2008, 11:47

Should be fixed in our source code repository (SVN).

shiftlocked · Post by **shiftlocked** » 25. Mar 2008, 13:09

Um, not being clever enough to know how to compile and all that, will there be a compiled doze version shortly? Or as id rather use Ubuntu as a the box to host the virtual machines on, is there an easy way to compile myself?

Hebbian · Post by **Hebbian** » 1. Apr 2008, 15:55

Is there any news on a release date for this fix? Anyone know of a workaround?

Thanks

shiftlocked · Post by **shiftlocked** » 1. Apr 2008, 16:07

I tried an uninstall of Vista SP1 and the problem doesnt get resolved with uninstalling either so it must change something very fundamental.

Id really love to see a fix on this as well, there is a fix in the source repositry as stated but ive no idea what to do with it.

Post by **sandervl** » 1. Apr 2008, 16:11

Actually recompiling from the public repository won't help as RDP isn't open. Better wait a bit for the next version which is due out relatively soon.

zwaedi · Post by **zwaedi** » 17. Apr 2008, 11:22

it looks like that MS has changed the RDP protocoll not only in Vista SP1 but also with Windows XP SP3.

dreamscene · Post by **dreamscene** » 18. Apr 2008, 14:00

Seems you're right zwaedi..

Still desperately waiting for the next release to come.. It is annoying to have to start a vm on my client to control the vm on my server..

shiftlocked · Post by **shiftlocked** » 18. Apr 2008, 16:16

you and me both, Ive tried VMware just recently but I cant get the copy and paste to work correctly

Is there really a major advantage over VNC using RDP tho?