[Easily Fixed] The Requested Session Access Is Denied

The requested session access is denied Server 2012 R2

I'm trying to log in to a remote server by RDP but only get  "The requested session access is denied". error. Why the error occurs and how can I fix it? Any suggestion? Thanks!"

The cause of the requested session access is denied error 

The requested session access is denied error usually happens when you access a server remotely over RDP. It does not only occur to Windows Server 2012 R2 but also to Windows Server 2016/2019/2022, Windows 10/11, Azure VM, Hyper V, etc. The causes of requested session access denied are various, including appropriate Windows Group Policy, network issues, and lacking administrative privileges. 

How do I fix the requested session access denied?

First of all, make sure that you are not attempting to make an administration RDP connection to the remote server. If the requested session access is denied error still exists, try more solutions. 

• Solution 1. Add the user to the Remote Desktop Users group
• Way 2. Use administrator account
• Way 3. Try a free & safe third-party remote access software

Solution 1. Add the user to the Remote Desktop Users group

If the user that you are attempting to log in over RDP isn't added to the Remote Desktop Users group, you can get the error - the requested session access is denied in Windows 10/8/7/11 and Windows Server 2012 R2/2016/2019. At this point, you can go to Group Policy Management Editor to change the setting. 

Step 1. Press Win + R and then enter “gpmc.msc”, and then press the “Enter”key.

Step 2. In the Group Policy Management Editor interface, Navigate to:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Restricted Groups

Step 3. Right-click on the “Restricted Groups”, and then click on “Add Group...”.

Step 4. Enter the group’s name like “0SI Admin”, and then click on “OK”.

Step 5. In the Properties interface. Locate “Members of this group”, click "Add" > "Browse", and then add members. Click on “OK”.

Step 6. Now you can see the members of this group. Click on “OK”.

Step 7. Now the user is been added successfully.

Way 2. Use administrator account

If the error happens when you try to access a server from a Mac computer over RDP, you can see if your account is missing administrator rights. If not, just log out of the current account and then log into the administrator account. After that, you can run the Remote Desktop client app on Mac to access the server again. 

Way 3. Try a free & safe third-party remote access software

If you are not insisting to use RDP for accessing Windows Server using RDP, it's recommended to use third-party remote access software, AnyViewer.  It has concise intuitive, simple operation, high security, and takes clear advantages in these aspects:

▶ Not limited to LAN: It supports you to remotely access a computer on the same network or a different network while RDP requires the devices are with the same network otherwise you need to set up port forwarding. 
▶ Chat feature: It supports you to chat with the partner during the remote session while RDP hasn't such a function, which makes remote support more convenient. 
▶ Resolution change: It enables you to adjust resolution during the remote session and you can't do that in the RDP session. 

Don’t hesitate! Click on the blue button to get it and experience it right now! To start remote sessions from mobile devices, go to App Store or Google Play to download AnyViewer mobile app.

☞ Option 1. For unattended access with one-click 

Step 1. Install and launch AnyViewer on both computers. Go to "Log in", and then click "Sign up" to create an AnyViewer account.

Step 2. Then you can see you successfully logged in to AnyViewer. Your device will automatically be assigned to the account you've logged in to.

Step 3. Make sure that you have signed in to the same account on the other computer, then you can achieve a direct connection by the remote computer and then click “One-click control”. 

✍ Note: To connect in privacy mode for preventing the remote PC from being viewed or used by others, it's required to upgrade your account to an advanced plan. After that, you can assign more devices for one-click remote access, view with high-quality image, and so on.

Then, you'll access the remote computer successfully and can view its desktop and take operations like file transfer, running CMD, etc. 

☞ Option 2. For the attended access

If you don’t need to access the remote computer regularly and there is someone to accept the request, you can send a remote control to the remote computer.

Step 1. On your local computer, go to "Connect", input the device ID of your friend's computer, choose "Remote control" and click "Connect". 

Step 2. Choose "Send a control request to your partner" and click "OK". 

Step 3.  A request message will pop up on another computer. Your friend needs to allow your request and then you can control the remote computer. 

After remote into the host PC successfully, you can see the desktop of the remote computer on your local computer.

Conclusion

Have you fixed the RDP error “The requested session access is denied”? By adding the user and switching the user account, the issue may have gone. But if the issue remains, don’t be sad. AnyViewer can be a good solution for you to access a remote Windows PC.