Remote Desktop Windows Security Your Credentials Did Not Work

When Remote Desktop displays “Your credentials did not work”, first check the account name, password and saved credentials for the remote computer. Use the account password rather than a Windows Hello PIN in a standard password prompt. If those details are correct, check account lockout.

Identify whether the failure is authentication or connectivity

The Windows Security prompt is asking for an account authorised to access the destination computer. That account may differ from the one you use on your own PC. The message alone does not establish that an account has been compromised.

A rejected sign-in and a connection timeout need different checks. If Remote Desktop reports that it cannot find or contact the computer, start with the network and host checks below. If it rejects credentials, begin with the account details.

Also confirm the destination name. An old connection profile or an incorrect address can send valid credentials to the wrong machine.

Check the username and sign-in method

1. Open Remote Desktop Connection and confirm the computer name or address with the person who manages the destination.
2. At the credentials prompt, select More choices, then Use a different account if the displayed account is incorrect.
3. Enter the username for the destination account. Check the domain or computer-name prefix as well as the username itself.
4. Type the password carefully, checking Caps Lock and the keyboard layout. Preserve any spaces or special characters that belong in the password.

Use the account type to decide which identity to enter:

Distinguish a password from a Windows Hello PIN

A PIN that unlocks your PC is not interchangeable with your account password. For an ordinary username-and-password connection, enter the password for the destination account. Organisational Windows Hello for Business connections can use other authentication methods when configured; Microsoft explains these requirements in its Remote Desktop sign-in guidance.

If you normally sign in with a fingerprint, face recognition or PIN, confirm that you know the account password before retrying. For a passwordless work account, ask IT for the supported remote sign-in method.

The Windows Security credentials dialog also differs from a device’s security controls. If you arrived here while looking for the Windows Security button on a Lenovo ThinkPad, return to the Remote Desktop account prompt to troubleshoot this error.

Remove an outdated saved password

If the connection worked before a password change, check whether the client is reusing the previous password. Remove the saved entry for this destination and enter the current details manually.

1. Close the failed connection and open Credential Manager on the computer you are connecting from.
2. Select Windows Credentials and locate the entry matching the remote computer. Remote Desktop entries commonly begin with TERMSRV/ followed by a name or address.
3. Remove only the matching entry. If you connect using both a hostname and an IP address, check for a separate entry for each.
4. Reconnect and enter the intended username and current password.

Microsoft’s Credential Manager instructions explain how to access and delete saved credentials. If you use another client, check its saved account settings too.

Check for account lockout or password expiry

Stop repeated attempts if the account may be locked. Further attempts can prolong troubleshooting or trigger another lockout under your organisation’s policy.

Where available, test the password by signing in directly at the remote computer using the password sign-in option. Successfully unlocking it with a PIN does not verify the password you entered into Remote Desktop.

Ask the administrator to check whether the account is disabled, locked, expired or required to change its password. If a change is required, complete it through the organisation’s approved process, then update the saved remote connection. Password expiry depends on account policy; it is not a universal Windows requirement.

Verify Remote Desktop access on the destination

A correct password does not grant remote access by itself. On the destination, an administrator should check that Remote Desktop is enabled and that the intended account has permission to connect.

1. Open Settings, then System, then Remote Desktop on the destination computer.
2. Confirm that remote access is enabled and review Remote Desktop users for the account that needs access.
3. For a managed device, have IT check effective remote-logon policies. A policy denying remote logon can override an otherwise valid permission.

The destination needs a Windows edition that supports hosting Remote Desktop. Windows Home can act as a client but cannot host the built-in service. Microsoft’s Remote Desktop setup guide covers the basic host settings.

Keep Network Level Authentication enabled while investigating account and permission issues. If the error specifically mentions CredSSP, authentication policy or a gateway, give IT the exact wording rather than applying unrelated registry or policy changes.

Check the network when the computer cannot be reached

Confirm that the destination is powered on, awake and reachable through your approved network connection. Two computers do not need to share the same local network if a suitable VPN or Remote Desktop Gateway provides access.

Connect the required VPN before retrying. If your organisation uses a gateway, confirm its address and sign-in requirements; gateway credentials may differ from those for the destination.

Have the administrator review Remote Desktop Services and the relevant firewall rules instead of disabling the firewall or antivirus software. For an existing Windows 10 machine, the guide to finding System and Security can help locate Control Panel settings. Install applicable updates on supported systems if troubleshooting points to an authentication compatibility problem.

Give support the details needed to investigate

If access still fails, record the destination name, username format, client application, exact error and time of the attempt. Include whether the password works locally and whether the issue began after a password or configuration change. An administrator can use those details to correlate failed sign-in events and check policy or domain connectivity.

For related settings guidance, browse the Windows security guides. Your next step is to retry once with the verified account and fresh credentials, then send the recorded error details to IT if access is still rejected. Never include your password.