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LFS92's avatar
LFS92
Copper Contributor
Nov 10, 2024

Remote Desktop Connection window displays flashing colours and artifacts

Hi Microsoft people! This is my first post here so I hope I'm doing this right.

 

As the title says, when I remote from Windows 11 machine A into windows 11 Machine B, the content inside the RDP window goes haywire after a while, at random times. I made a video to make things easier to understand: https://youtu.be/3e0lci1JP-Y?si=ImWn2y8U2EA6uMnI

BUT, as you can see in the video, if I minimise the RDP window and I change the scaling settings on the client machine, the issue is instantly fixed... until it shows up again. This happens on multiple clients, all the clients are running up to date windows 11 and UEFIs, and drivers, and so does the server machine. I tried turning off hardware encoding and decoding as I thought maybe that's the problem and, while I didn't get any weird artifacts on the screen, the experience was dreadful, so it must remain on.

Any ideas why this is happening and how to fix it for good instead of having to keep messing with the scaling settings? It happens at 100% scaling too, so, I'm not sure what's happening here. 

 

Thanks, Sergiu

Configuration
  • kyazaferr's avatar
    kyazaferr
    Iron Contributor
    Nov 13, 2024

    Update Graphics Drivers

    Ensure that both the client and host machines are using the latest graphics drivers. Check the GPU manufacturer's website (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) for the most recent drivers and install them manually if needed. Windows updates do not always include the latest versions.

    2. Adjust Remote Desktop Settings

    • Disable Hardware Acceleration: While you mentioned trying to turn off hardware encoding/decoding with negative results, try this in combination with other tweaks to see if it helps.
    • Change Display Settings: Try adjusting the Remote Desktop settings to use a lower color depth (e.g., 16-bit) or disable features like font smoothing.
    • Optimize Network Settings: Ensure "Persistent bitmap caching" and other bandwidth optimizations are turned on for a better remote experience.

    3. Test with Different Display Resolutions

    Since scaling changes seem to temporarily fix the issue, try changing the resolution on the client machine to match the server's native resolution. Test different scaling percentages (e.g., 125%, 150%) to observe changes.

    4. Check for Windows Display Settings Conflicts

    On both the client and server machines, confirm that:

    • Display scaling is set to recommended levels.
    • Advanced display settings don’t have custom or irregular refresh rates set.

    5. Disable HDR Settings

    HDR settings can sometimes cause flickering or artifacts. Disable HDR on the client and server machines to see if this resolves the issue.

    6. Turn Off Background Applications

    Close any GPU-intensive programs on the client and server machines that might conflict with the Remote Desktop session, such as video players, screen recording software, or other applications using hardware acceleration.

    7. Update RDP Client and Windows Components

    Ensure that the Remote Desktop client on the client machine is up-to-date. If you’re using the built-in RDP client, check for Windows updates or try the Microsoft Remote Desktop app from the Microsoft Store, which sometimes provides better stability and more configuration options.

    8. Group Policy Configuration

    Configure RDP through Group Policy:

    • Run gpedit.msc.
    • Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Remote Session Environment.
    • Disable Use WDDM graphics display driver for Remote Desktop Connections or try changing Configure H.264/AVC hardware encoding settings.

    9. Check Event Logs

    Examine the Event Viewer on both machines for any relevant errors or warnings related to display drivers or Remote Desktop that could provide clues.

    10. Consult Known Issues

    Review known issues on the Microsoft support website and Windows forums. Occasionally, specific Windows 11 updates introduce graphics-related bugs in RDP sessions, which Microsoft may have documented.

    Workaround

    If you continue experiencing issues despite trying these solutions, a temporary fix is changing the scaling settings when artifacts appear, as you've been doing.

    Note: Since this issue is present across multiple machines, it could also be related to how Windows 11 handles RDP sessions with the current set of drivers or updates. Keeping Windows and drivers up to date will help ensure any newly fixed bugs are patched.

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