This article explains how to resolve the “Remote Desktop Services are currently busy” error when connecting to Remote Desktop Services (RDS) servers on Windows Server via RDP. Users may periodically encounter this issue, receiving the message: “The task you are trying to do can’t be completed because Remote Desktop Services is currently busy.” We will explore the causes of this error, such as stuck sessions, user profile issues, resource shortages, or incorrect configurations, and provide solutions ranging from simple session termination steps to more advanced Group Policy adjustments.
Error: “Remote Desktop Services Are Currently Busy”
The error during an RDP connection appears as follows:
The task you are trying to do can’t be completed because Remote Desktop Services is currently busy. Please try again in a few minutes. Other users should still be able to log on.
Step 1: Check Available Resources on the RDS Server
Ensure the server has sufficient resources. The issue may be caused by a lack of RAM or disk space, particularly on the system drive. Verify that at least 1 GB of free space is available on the system partition. Also, check if user profiles are cluttered with old or unnecessary files and clean them up if needed.
Use Task Manager or PowerShell cmdlets to monitor performance. If resources are sufficient, proceed to the next steps.
Step 2: Reset User RDS Sessions and Terminate Stuck Processes
Stuck user sessions can cause this issue, often due to users not properly terminating previous sessions, leaving them in a “Disconnected” state. To resolve this, try terminating the user’s session via Task Manager on the Users tab.
1. Locate the user, right-click their name, and select Log off.
2. If you see sessions labeled “(4)” instead of a username, terminate stuck processes such as:
– Client Server Runtime Process (csrss.exe)
– Desktop Windows Manager (dwm.exe)
– Windows Logon Application (winlogon.exe)
Manually end these processes to clear stuck sessions.
Commands to Reset Sessions via Command Line
1. Open a Command Prompt with administrator privileges and run:
query session
2. Identify the user’s session and its ID.
3. Terminate the process using:
query process /id {SessionID}
4. Terminate the csrss.exe process by its PID:
taskkill /F /PID {PID}
Step 3: Reset RDP Sessions via Command Line
If terminating the session via Task Manager fails, try resetting it using the command line.
1. List sessions with:
query session
2. Terminate the user’s session:
reset session {SessionID}
The command output lists all users and their sessions on the terminal server, showing columns for SESSIONNAME, USERNAME, and ID. Identify the user “(4)” and its corresponding ID (e.g., ID 2 in this example). You need to terminate the csrss.exe process running in that session.
3. Run:
query process /id 2
This command lists all processes running in the specified session ID. Find the PID of the csrss.exe process (e.g., PID 5140 in this case).
4. Terminate the csrss.exe process by its PID:
taskkill /F /PID 5140
Once the csrss.exe process is terminated, all other processes in the user’s session will automatically end, clearing stuck sessions without rebooting the server. Repeat this for all “(4)” user sessions if multiple exist.
To reset a session remotely:
1. List sessions on the remote server:
qwinsta /server:{ServerName}
2. Terminate the session:
reset session {SessionID} /server:{ServerName}
If the problematic user’s session cannot be terminated, try resetting it by SESSIONNAME or ID. For example:
reset session rdp-tcp#16
or
reset session 3
Step 4: Verify RDS Licensing Configuration
Ensure the RDS licensing server is correctly configured. The issue may arise if the licensing server is not specified or the license type (CAL Per User/Device) is not set.
1. Check licensing settings via the RDS console: Tasks > Edit Deployment Properties > RD Licensing.
2. Alternatively, use the GPO setting: Use the specified Remote Desktop license servers.
Step 5: Remove RDP Connection Limits in GPO
Check if the number of connections is restricted via Group Policy. Use the command:
gpresult /H c:\gpresult.html
to review applied policies. If the policy Limit number of connections under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Connections is enabled, modify or disable it.
Step 6: Additional Methods to Fix Busy RDP Service Issues
If none of the above solutions work, try the following:
1. Check if the RDS server is in Drain Mode (maintenance mode). Run:
chglogon.exe /QUERY
If enabled, disable it with:
chglogon.exe /enable
2. Disable the Persistent bitmap caching option in the RDP client settings.
3. Restart the RDS service:
net stop termservice
net start termservice
4. Forcibly terminate the tstheme.exe process.
5. Install all the latest updates for your Windows version.
6. In Windows Server 2012 R2, you may see Event ID 20499 in Event Viewer: “Remote Desktop Services has taken too long to load the user configuration from server.” To resolve this, add the fQueryUserConfigFromLocalMachine registry parameter:
REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\control\Terminal Server\Winstations\RDP-Tcp" /v fQueryUserConfigFromLocalMachine /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
REG ADD "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services" /v fQueryUserConfigFromLocalMachine /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
7. If Citrix is installed on the Windows host and the Server VDA has multiple sessions in a disconnected state, create the SeTokenDoesNotTrackSessionObject registry parameter:
REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Kernel" /v SeTokenDoesNotTrackSessionObject /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
8. Check the user profile logs (profsvc service), especially if using User Profile Disks or FSLogix.
9. When using User Profile Disks (UPD) on Windows Server 2019/2016, create the DeleteUserAppContainersOnLogoff registry parameter to address issues caused by excessive Windows Defender Firewall rules created for UWP apps during user logins:
REG ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy\History" /v DeleteUserAppContainersOnLogoff /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
This automatically deletes user app containers upon logout, preventing the accumulation of excessive rules and improving performance.
If these steps do not resolve the issue, contact your system administrator for further analysis and use of specialized diagnostic tools.
