Hi! I recently had to rebuild my work PC and laptop from home. When I did, I now can't remote into work. I get an error message, "The computer that you are trying to connect to cannot be contacted. Verify that it is turned on, is awake, and is connected to the network."

 

I have tried all that I know and I can't find the problem.

 

I can connect to my work Exchange server just fine.

 

I am running SBS 2008 at work, along with Windows 7 Pro on the PC and laptop.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks!

 

Scott

Hi,

 

You should provide more infos:

 

How you can reach your work network? VPN?

 

How do you reach exchange? By web browser?

I use the web browser https://mail. /remote

 

to connect to either Exchange server or choose to connect to a computer.

Ok for exchange, not for RDP.

 

exchange is published to the internet.

 

If you have clients/servers which can reachead from the internet, you can connect via RDP: Computer1.publicdomain.com but this works only if clients / server on your network are published on internet.

 

If not, you first have to connect to your work's network (VPN). If you haven't a VPN before, take a look at your client's firewall which may block something (that's quite strange).

 

Let me know.

Before my PC was rebuilt, I could connect with no problem. Other users can still connect to their PC's with no issues. What could be causing mine not to connect?

 

Thanks!

When you open the RDP screen what you type on "computer name"? Public IP address or pc-name?

PC name

The computer name is already there

Can you ping that pc? What happens if you put the IP instead of name?

I can ping the IP just fine, but I can't connnect via IP address.

Can you try to connect to another pc? Can you disable your local firewall and try again?

Yes, I can connect to another PC with their user name and computer name.

So, there's a problem with that REMOTE pc.

 

If you can connect remotely to others PCs from your pc, and just one of them doesn't work, the problem is that remote pc. Not your )

1. The remote pc you are trying to connect too is remote desktop enable.

2. check if you can telnet ot the RDP port from your home pc. if can not and remote desktop is enable the port might be used by another process.

No way to telnet in Windows 7. Hyperterminal was removed from Windows 7 and Vista.

1. The remote pc you are trying to connect too is remote desktop enable.

2. check if you can telnet ot the RDP port from your home pc. if can not and remote desktop is enable the port might be used by another process.

 

My laptop I use to connect with at home can connect to the server itself and I can also connect to other PC's using other user names and computer names so the problem has to be with the PC I am trying to connect to. For some reason, it is not available on the network or when I try to connect, it thinks it is sleeping or off.

 

Any one have any ideas?

 

Thanks!

Well, first try to ping that PC, if it doesn't respond, there's a firewall blocking the echo from ping or the pc is down.

 

Try to connect to another working PC, once logged in, try to ping the pc that is not working.

 

Just to know, you can add the telnet to your Win 7 / vista, it is under "turn windows features on or off" in control panel.

Well, first try to ping that PC, if it doesn't respond, there's a firewall blocking the echo from ping or the pc is down.

 

Try to connect to another working PC, once logged in, try to ping the pc that is not working.

 

Just to know, you can add the telnet to your Win 7 / vista, it is under "turn windows features on or off" in control panel.

 

I can ping the PC remotely from my laptop and I can log into the server remotely and ping that PC with no problems. Why is it I can't connect to it the other way. I am setting up telnet now. Thanks for the headsup.

Well, first try to ping that PC, if it doesn't respond, there's a firewall blocking the echo from ping or the pc is down.

 

Try to connect to another working PC, once logged in, try to ping the pc that is not working.

 

Just to know, you can add the telnet to your Win 7 / vista, it is under "turn windows features on or off" in control panel.

 

I tried to connect via telnet and get the following message, "could not open connections to the host, on port 23: connect failed"

 

What now?

Thanks!

If there's a share on that pc (also the c$ is ok), try the following:

 

(from the RUN window)

 

\\IP_PC_NOT_WORKING\SHARE_NAME

 

if it works, restart that pc (remote pc), maybe the protocol (RDP) is stucked somewhere.

The suggestion provided by ASH was to test the RDP in this way:

 

telnet IP_PC 3389

 

if you have a blank screen with no errors, RDP is working fine. Otherwise, restart that pc :)

If there's a share on that pc (also the c$ is ok), try the following:

 

(from the RUN window)

 

\\IP_PC_NOT_WORKING\SHARE_NAME

 

if it works, restart that pc (remote pc), maybe the protocol (RDP) is stucked somewhere.

 

You mean click start, then type this in the run box and hit enter?

You mean click start, then type this in the run box and hit enter?

 

Okay, I typed what you said and it says it can't find it....

okay, I did it, but it says it can't find it....

can you restart that remote pc? Try to connect to another pc via RDP and type:

 

shutdown /r /f /m \\IP_PC /t 1

 

Let me know.