Aggressive security appliances may terminate idle or unacknowledged states to protect bandwidth.
In many cases reported on Server Fault , this issue arises after a Windows update or when the remote machine's display driver fails to initialize correctly, often because no physical monitor is connected to the remote server. Common Causes for 0x3 0x11 Disconnections
If removing the update does not resolve the issue, try these steps: Reset RDP Services services.msc Remote Desktop Services , and select Disable Network Level Authentication (NLA) : On the host machine, go to System Properties
Follow these troubleshooting steps in order. Start with the most common fix (clearing the certificate cache) and proceed to more advanced configurations if the issue persists.
If you are connecting over a VPN or a restrictive ISP, large RDP packets might exceed the network's maximum packet size, causing them to drop entirely. Lowering your MTU slightly can stabilize the connection. Open Command Prompt as an Administrator. Find your network interface name by typing: netsh interface ipv4 show subinterfaces Use code with caution. rdp 0x3 0x11
Restart the RDP session; the driver will reinstall automatically.
Corrupted client-side caching can cause data mismatches that force a server-side disconnect. Open the client ( mstsc ). Click Show Options and go to the Experience tab. Uncheck Persistent bitmap caching .
Find and double-click . Set it to Enabled .
RDP uses self-signed or domain-issued certificates for encryption. If the certificate on the target Windows machine (Server 2016/2019/2022 or Windows 10/11 Pro) becomes corrupted, expired, or is tampered with, the NLA handshake fails with 0x3 0x11 . Start with the most common fix (clearing the
: The client and server disagree on security protocols.
Open the Start menu, type Allow an app through Windows Firewall , and press . Click Change settings at the top right. Scroll down to Remote Desktop . Ensure both Private and Public checkboxes are marked. Click OK to save changes. 4. Restart the Remote Desktop Services
On the host computer, press Win + R , type certlm.msc , and press to open the Local Computer Certificate Manager. Navigate to Remote Desktop > Certificates . Locate the certificate issued to the computer's name. Right-click the certificate and select Delete .
: After uninstalling, use the official wushowhide.diagcab tool from Microsoft to temporarily hide this update and prevent it from automatically reinstalling. Open Command Prompt as an Administrator
Are you connecting to a or a virtual machine (VM) ?
The RDP error 0x3 (extended reason 0x11) is almost always a symptom of a network disconnect or a security protocol roadblock during the initial handshake. For most users, or toggling NLA settings resolves the problem immediately.
: The primary culprit in 2025 has been the KB5055528 cumulative update for Windows 10 and 11. This update introduced a new version of the Microsoft Remote Display Adapter driver ( rdpidd.inf ) that is incompatible with certain graphics configurations, causing the driver to crash on initialization.
Open the and go to System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall .
To prevent network hardware from dropping the connection, enable keep-alives in the registry of the session host server :
The "Microsoft Remote Display Adapter" might be corrupted or in conflict with hardware drivers.