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billrush2

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SBS2003 - Remote Desktop Connections

I just installed and configured an SBS2003 server on a small network (12 workstations).  In the process of installing Symantec AV, I needed (per Symantec) to disable term services.  Everything is installed and working on the new server except I cannot connect via Remote Desktop.  Remote desktop was working earlier in the day and even after I finished installing SAV (since I rebooted).   Can someone tell me how to get RDC working again?

Bill
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Jeffrey Kane - TechSoEasy
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Per your own words, you disabled terminal services.  I'm not sure why you did this, nor where it says in the Symantec guidelines to do so... but how about re-enabling them?

Jeff
TechSoEasy
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billrush2

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Jeff,

How do I do this?

Jeff,

The difficulty I am having is that the TS are displayed as running (in the services list.  I originally disabled them by selecting "disconnect" in the TS manager display.  When I go back to that same place, the show as connected,.  When I click on the RDC icon, I see the list of workstations, however when I try to access one of them, I get no response (i.e. the remote desktop display does not open.

Bill
Oh... you're saying you can't run Remote Desktop to the WORKSTATIONS?  That was not clear from your question... I thought you couldn't connect to the server remotely.

If it's the workstations, then I'd assume that Symantec installed it's own firewall... which I strongly recommend that you disable and allow the SBS managed Windows Firewall to do the task on the workstations.

Jeff
TechSoEasy
Jeff,

Maybe we are on to something - while I did not choose to let Symantec install and mange firewall, on a completely separate requiremt,  I disabled "all" on the 2 GP objects relating to Windows firewall (we had an app that was having heartburn due to winsows firewall).  Is one of these 2 GPO's possibly the reason I cannot use RDC to access LAN workstations?

Bill
Well disabling the default GPO's is never a good idea.  Because many of their settings provide functionality to your SBS Network.  Absolutely you need to re-enable the GPO's.  (Actually to be clear about this, there are two "firewall" GPO's.  One is PreSP2 and the other is PostSP2 -- referring to Windows XP SP2.  Since you most likely have all XP workstations running SP2, the PreSP2 GPO is somewhat pointless at this juncture).

BUT... the PostSP2 GPO which is called the  "Small Business Server Windows Firewall" is what sets up the firewall on each workstation and allows the various services that need to operate get through.    If you have an app which has an issue, then the proper thing is to find out what the exact issue is and resolve it... don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!  :-)

Have you modified or disabled any other GPO's?

Jeff
TechSoEasy
No only these two GPO's have been disabled.

Bill
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Jeffrey Kane - TechSoEasy
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