Smart card logon works in a newly created .rdg but fails after the file is reopened

Environment:

- RDCMan 3.23.0.0 (signed, downloaded from Sysinternals)

- Windows 11 Enterprise 24H2 (10.0.26100), domain-joined

- TPM virtual smart card (Microsoft Base Smart Card Crypto Provider), NLA/CredSSP enabled

- mstsc.exe connects to the same server with the same smart card every time

Problem:

Smart card logons only work in an .rdg file created in the current RDCMan session.

Once RDCMan has been closed and the same file is reopened from disk, smart card logons fail every time.  The only difference I notice in the Windows prompt is that it does NOT have a Remember Me checkbox after I reopen.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Start RDCMan with no RDCMan.settings file (factory defaults).

2. File > New, Edit > Add server, connect.

3. Windows Security prompt > More choices > Smart card > enter PIN.

Result: connects and logs on successfully.

4. Close RDCMan (it saves the .rdg and RDCMan.settings), reopen it, connect to the same server the same way.

Result: after entering the PIN, RDCMan immediately shows "Disconnected from <server>".

What I tried (none of it helped once the file had been reopened):

- Reset RDCMan.settings and created a brand-new .rdg with a single server

- Blank logon credentials at file and default level (no username, domain or password)

- Removed the <password> elements from the default settings completely

- Moved the server to the top level of the tree instead of inside groups