How to Fix Remote Desktop Freezing

Problem

Starting with Microsoft Windows 10 (1903 Update) users started experiencing problems using Remote Desktop. After connecting to a remote computer and working for a while, Remote Desktop freezes. The user is then required to disconnect Remote Desktop and then reconnect to their remote computer again. This can happen repeatedly causing a lot of frustration. I especially encountered this while using Remote Desktop over a VPN connection.

Solution

It appears that the 1903 update messed things up and it is necessary to force Remote Desktop to use the TCP protocol instead of the UDP protocol. Follow the steps below on your local computer (not the one you are trying to remote into) to resolve this bug:

1. Make sure you have closed Remote Desktop if you have it open.
2. Right-click the Windows Start button on the bottom-left of your screen.
3. Select Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.
4. In the window that displays, enter the command below (as one line) then press ENTER:
   reg add "HKLM\software\policies\microsoft\windows nt\Terminal Services\Client" /v fClientDisableUDP /d 1 /t REG_DWORD
5. Enter the command below then press ENTER:
   net stop “Remote Desktop Services”
6. Type “Y” and press ENTER if asked “Do you want to continue with this operation?”
7. Enter the command below then press ENTER:
   net start “Remote Desktop Services”
8. You may now connect to your remote computer using Remote Desktop again.