Server 2003 RDP

If you ever RDP onto a 2003 server and are presented with a log on box that looks like:


This is caused by a problem with the Default User profile in the Registry.

You can log into the server normally, you just cannot see what is happening, and when you have logged in your normal profile will load and everything will be fine.

To fix the problem you need to import the following reg keys:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Colors]
"ActiveBorder"="212 208 200"
"ActiveTitle"="10 36 106"
"AppWorkSpace"="128 128 128"
"Background"="58 110 165"
"ButtonAlternateFace"="192 192 192"
"ButtonDkShadow"="64 64 64"
"ButtonFace"="212 208 200"
"ButtonHilight"="255 255 255"
"ButtonLight"="212 208 200"
"ButtonShadow"="128 128 128"
"ButtonText"="0 0 0"
"GradientActiveTitle"="166 202 240"
"GradientInactiveTitle"="192 192 192"
"GrayText"="128 128 128"
"Hilight"="10 36 106"
"HilightText"="255 255 255"
"HotTrackingColor"="0 0 128"
"InactiveBorder"="212 208 200"
"InactiveTitle"="128 128 128"
"InactiveTitleText"="212 208 200"
"InfoText"="0 0 0"
"InfoWindow"="255 255 225"
"Menu"="212 208 200"
"MenuText"="0 0 0"
"Scrollbar"="212 208 200"
"TitleText"="255 255 255"
"Window"="255 255 255"
"WindowFrame"="0 0 0"
"WindowText"="0 0 0"
"MenuHilight"="255 255 255"
"MenuBar"="212 208 200"

If your company uses alternate colours you can just go to HKEY_USERS\*USERNAME*\Control Panel\Colors (Replace *USERNAME* with any of the users on the server) and export all the keys, then edit the .reg file changing *USERNAME* to .DEFAULT - import this modified file and you will be back up and running again.