The Terminal Services desktop is blank when you log on to a remote Windows 2000-based computer (887961)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP4
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP4
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP4

SYMPTOMS

You use Terminal Services to log on to a computer that is running Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 (SP4), and the Terminal Services session starts a program. A program that runs in the session then disconnects you. After you log on again to the same computer, the Terminal Services session desktop is blank. You do not see any icons or a taskbar on the Terminal Services session desktop.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because a problem was introduced when the 830869 hotfix was installed on the remote computer. This problem occurs when the Terminal Services session is shut down and the ExitWindowsEx function is called. When this function is called, the EWX_FORCE flag is not enforced. This flag forces session processes to quit.

RESOLUTION

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that this article describes. Apply it only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

To resolve this problem, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

Prerequisites

To install this hotfix, you must have Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 installed on your computer.

Restart requirement

You must restart your computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix replaces the 830869 hotfix.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.
   Date         Time   Version              Size  File name
   -----------------------------------------------------------
   24-Mar-2004  02:17  5.0.2195.6876     388,368  Advapi32.dll
   24-Mar-2004  02:17  5.0.2195.6866      69,904  Browser.dll
   24-Mar-2004  02:17  5.0.2195.6824     134,928  Dnsapi.dll
   24-Mar-2004  02:17  5.0.2195.6876      92,432  Dnsrslvr.dll
   24-Mar-2004  02:17  5.0.2195.6883      47,888  Eventlog.dll
   24-Mar-2004  02:17  5.0.2195.6890     143,632  Kdcsvc.dll
   11-Mar-2004  02:37  5.0.2195.6903     210,192  Kerberos.dll
   21-Sep-2003  00:32  5.0.2195.6824      71,888  Ksecdd.sys
   11-Mar-2004  02:37  5.0.2195.6902     520,976  Lsasrv.dll
   25-Feb-2004  23:59  5.0.2195.6902      33,552  Lsass.exe
   11-Mar-2004  02:37  5.0.2195.6897     123,152  Msv1_0.dll
   10-Jun-2004  16:58  5.0.2195.6949     309,008  Netapi32.dll
   24-Mar-2004  02:17  5.0.2195.6891     371,472  Netlogon.dll
   24-Mar-2004  02:17  5.0.2195.6896   1,028,880  Ntdsa.dll
   19-Jun-2003  20:05  5.0.2195.6702      66,320  Ntprint.dll
   11-Mar-2004  21:29  5.0.2195.6906     954,640  Ole32.dll
   19-Jun-2003  20:05  5.0.2195.6702     381,712  Printui.dll
   11-Mar-2004  21:29  5.0.2195.6904     449,808  Rpcrt4.dll
   11-Mar-2004  21:29  5.0.2195.6906     211,728  Rpcss.dll
   24-Mar-2004  02:17  5.0.2195.6897     388,368  Samsrv.dll
   24-Mar-2004  02:17  5.0.2195.6893     111,376  Scecli.dll
   24-Mar-2004  02:17  5.0.2195.6903     253,200  Scesrv.dll
   30-Oct-2004  07:07  5.0.2195.6994   6,140,416  Sp3res.dll
   24-Mar-2004  02:17  5.0.2195.6824      50,960  W32time.dll
   21-Sep-2003  00:32  5.0.2195.6824      57,104  W32tm.exe
   17-Nov-2004  17:11  5.0.2195.7000      57,104  Wlnotify.dll

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, follow these steps in the Terminal Services client session to turn off the Password protected screen saver option.

Note We recommend that you do not use a screen saver with your Terminal Services session because of the increased network bandwidth that is required.
  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click the Display Control Panel item.
  2. Click the Screen Saver tab, click to clear Password protected, and then click OK.
If you want to disconnect idle sessions, set the idle session limit in Terminal Services. To do this for all sessions, follow these steps on the computer that has Terminal Services turned on.
  1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Terminal Services Configuration.
  2. Under Connections, double-click RDP-Tcp, and then click the Sessions tab.
  3. Click to select Override user settings.
  4. In the Idle session limit box, click the idle session limit that you want.
  5. Click to select the second Override user settings check box, and then click the Disconnect from session option.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Quit Terminal Services Configuration.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about the 830869 hotfix, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

830869 The user is forcibly logged off when a program calls the ExitWindowsEx function even when the computer is locked

For additional information about the new file naming schema for Microsoft Windows software update packages, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

816915 New file naming schema for Microsoft Windows software update packages

For additional information about the terminology that is used in this article, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

824684 Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:6/1/2006
Keywords:kbBug kbfix kbWin2000preSP5fix kbHotfixServer kbQFE KB887961 kbAudITPRO kbAudEndUser
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