Remote desktop connection drops repeatedly after upgrading to Windows 8, making it impossible to remote into my work desktop for more than 20 seconds at a time

Hi Christine,

Thank you for posting your question on Microsoft Community Forums.

Based on the description I understand that you lose Remote desktop connection after every 20seconds as you try to connect from Windows 8 to Windows xp.

To help you better please provided answer to these questions:

1.      Are you using a wired or wireless connection?

2.      What troubleshooting have you tried?

3.      Have you made any changes on the computer prior to the issue?

I would suggest you to follow the methods provided to fix the issue.

Method 1: Start the computer in clean boot to check if any third party program is causing the issue. To configure your computer to clean boot refer the following link.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

Note: After performing the troubleshooting steps in clean boot, follow Step 3 from the link to start the computer to Normal start up mode.

Method 2:

Disable the security software temporarily and check if it helps.

Note: Antivirus software can help protect the computer against viruses and other security threats. In most cases, you should not disable the antivirus software. If you do have to temporarily disable it to install other software, you should re-enable it as soon as you're done. If you are connected to the Internet or a network during the time the antivirus software is disabled, your computer is vulnerable to attacks.

Method 3: Run the Network troubleshooter

Follow the steps to run the troubleshooter:
a. Open Search by swiping in from the right edge of the screen (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen and moving the mouse pointer down), and then tapping or clicking Search.
b. Type Troubleshooting and click Troubleshooting under Settings.
c. Now type Network Troubleshooter in the search option.
d. Click on Network troubleshooter to run the troubleshooter.

Kindly get back to us with the more information so t hat we can assist you better.

Hi Vikrant,

Even I am facing the same issue. I have followed all the trouble shooting steps. But still the issue persists. I am using a wireless network connection.

Please provide a solution ASAP.

The following solution helped my case.  I got the solution from below forum.
http://kevinmarquette.blogspot.com/2012/10/windows-8-and-juniper-rdp-vpn.html

Go to Group Policy:
Local Computer Policy --> Computer Configuration --> Administrative Templates --> Windows Components --> Remote Desktop Services--> Remote Desktop Connection Client -->
Turn Off UDP On Client --> set the value to Enabled

Modify the below Regedit:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services\Client\

Create a dword and assign a value of 1 to:  tofClientDisableUDP dword:00000001

How to Start the Group Policy Editor
To start the group policy editor, follow these steps.

NOTE: You must be logged on to the computer using an account that has administrator privileges in order to use Group Policy Editor. 1.Click Start, and then click Run.
2.In the Open box, type mmc, and then click OK.
3.On the File menu, click Add/Remove Snap-in.
4.Click Add.
5.Under Available Stand-alone Snap-ins, click Group Policy, and then click Add.
6.If you do not want to edit the Local Computer policy, click Browse to locate the group policy object that you want. Supply your user name and password if prompted, and then when you return to the Select Group Policy Object dialog box, click Finish.

Modify the below Regedit:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services\Client\

Create a dword and assign a value of 1 to:  tofClientDisableUDP dword:00000001

This is not the correct setting. It should be fClientDisableUDP dword:00000001

I'm a remote worker and can no longer work for more than 20 seconds.  Doesn't Microsoft have a solid plan for this problem that can be shared, or do you only have a bunch of "troubleshooting" tips that provide no help, as usual?