Friday 17 January 2014

Windows 8 - RDP using Blank Password

On Windows machines, by default you are not permitted to establish a Remote Desktop connection with a user account having a NULL (Blank) Password.
Trying to do so, you might come across error messages like:
"Unable to log you on because of an account restriction."

As a matter of fact this is the case not only with Remote Desktop connections, but also with any logon attempts to a Windows machine over network with a blank password.

The first work around for this behavior is to set a password for the user account and use it to logoon remotely. But I guess this is not what you are looking for right now. So lets look at the next option.

The second option allows you to logon with a blank pasword.
For this you will have to disable blank password restrictions using a policy on the machine. Follow the below simple steps on the machine to which you want to establish remote desktop connection.

  1. Click Start, point to Run, type gpedit.msc, and then click OK to start the Group Policy Editor.
  2. Open Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only.
  3. Double-click Limit local account use of blank passwords to consol logon only.
  4. Click Disabled, and then click OK.
  5. Quit Group Policy Editor.
You might have to restart / log off and login to the machine to which you want to establish the remote connection before you try the remote connection with blank password.

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