Fix | Windows 10, “the connection cannot proceed because authentication is not enabled”

Ah security, the balance between not allowing access at all and allowing too much access.

In Windows 10 Microsoft changed RDP’s defaults. They modified the default for “SecurityLayer” from 0 to 2. Even if you go into the user interface and disable: “Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (recommended)” Still doesn’t change that value to a 2.

Simple fix:

  1. Open RegEdit
  2. Navigate to this Key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp
  3. Change “SecurityLayer” to a zero
  4. Reboot and done!

18 Replies to “Fix | Windows 10, “the connection cannot proceed because authentication is not enabled””

  1. No reboot neccesary, and at least in my case I only had to change it to 1. Not sure what the different levels mean but 1 sounds better than 0.

    1. I believe:
      0 sets it to RDP Security Layer
      1 sets it to Negotiate
      2 sets it to SSL (TLS 1.0)

      I believe (but haven’t tried) that it can also be set using group policy at Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative templates -> Windows Components -> Terminal Services -> Terminal Server -> Security

      Probably can be set is Remote Desktop Services Configuration on a server.

  2. Amateur here….I got all the way to the security, but don’t see what I’m suppose to change to 2?

  3. Thank you!!!!! I could RDP in our office but not through our Remote Access using a Barracuda appliance. This solved the issue!

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