Errro while doing RDP to the server. The terminal server has exceeded the maximum number of allowed connections

When a user tries to connect to a machine using Remote Desktop connection, they might come across this error message.

“The terminal server has exceeded the maximum number of allowed connections”

This is because Windows only allows two connections in RDP, and you’ve either got two people already logged on that machine, or you’ve got disconnected sessions that still thinks they are active. If a user simply closes the remote desktop window when they’re finished, that username will still remain logged on.

If the logged on users are not available, you wont be able to logon to the machine. To overcome this limitation, follow the steps as below.

open a command prompt or type in the RUN prompt

mstsc /v:[00.00.00.00/SERVERNAME] /f -console

eg: mstsc /v:192.168.1.10 /f -console

You will then be prompted with the login box and proivde the administrator details. Then you will be connected to the Console Session on the server. Now you can reset the disconnected user sessions from Terminal Services Manager. Please note that if you get disconnected from this console session, you have go physically to the machine.

To overcome this issue you need to configure time out in Terminal Services Configuration in order to deactivate disconnected sessions automatically. following are steps to configure TSC(Terminal Services Configuration):

>> Click on “Start”
>> Select “Programs ”
>> Select “Administrative Tools”
>> Select “Terminal Services Configuration ”
>> Select  “Connections”
>> Double Click On “RDP-Tcp”
>> It’ll prompt for a window then Click on “Sessions”
>> Check the First check box before the text “Override user settings” This will activate the option of Enable a Diconnected sessions” below it  and select the time interval from the Drop down list as per your need. (e.g 15 minutes, 30 mintues etc)
>> Click on Apply and ok.