7 Ways to Fix “The Remote Computer Requires Network Level Authentication (NLA)” Error on Windows

Windows’ remote access technology is quite incredible. It allows you to easily troubleshoot issues, download files, or configure settings on your remote PC.

However, it’s frustrating when you encounter an issue while trying to connect to a remote PC. Usually, the error message reads, “the remote computer requires Network Level Authentication (NLA).”

Lucky for you, we’ve got all the solutions! So, let’s dive in and fix your remote connection problems.

1. Check Your Internet Connection

In most cases, “The remote computer that you are trying to connect to requires NLA” error might stem from your PC (and not the remote machine). So, resolving it will involve configuring a few settings on your device.

To get started, ensure that there aren’t any issues with your internet connection. For instance, here are some quick fixes that could help:

• Check all your network cables and ensure there are no loose connections.
• Ensure your internet connection is active and stable. Start by testing your Wi-Fi speed with a reliable speed test tool. If the internet speed is satisfactory, consider rebooting your router to resolve the issue.

2. Disable and Re-Enable the NLA Settings via System Settings

Disabling and re-enabling the NLA settings on your device could help. Let’s take a look at how you can do this:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
2. Type sysdm.cpl and press Enter to open the System Properties window.
3. Navigate to the Remote tab.
4. Uncheck the Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (recommended) box.
5. Press Apply and then press OK. From there, restart your PC to save these changes.

Next, re-enable the NLA settings through these steps:

1. Open the System Properties window as per the previous steps.
2. Check the Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (recommended) box.
3. Click Apply, click OK, and then restart your PC to apply these changes.

3. Disable and Re-Enable the NLA Settings via PowerShell

If the system settings didn’t resolve the issue, then PowerShell could help. So, we’ll explore how you can disable and re-enable the NLA settings with this tool.

To disable the NLA settings, follow these steps:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
2. Type PowerShell and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open an elevated PowerShell window.
3. Next, type the following command, replacing the “Target-Machine-Name” section with the name of your device:

    $TargetMachine = “Target-Machine-Name”
   (Get-WmiObject -class “Win32_TSGeneralSetting” -Namespace root\cimv2\terminalservices -ComputerName $TargetMachine -Filter “TerminalName=’RDP-tcp'”).SetUserAuthenticationRequired(0) 

4. Press Enter to run the command.
5. Wait for the process to complete and then restart your device.

Now, re-enable the NLA settings through these steps:

1. Open PowerShell as per the previous steps.
2. Enter the same command but replace SetUserAuthenticationRequired(0) with SetUserAuthenticationRequired(1).
3. Press Enter to run the command and then restart your PC when the process is complete.

4. Configure the NLA Settings via the Local Group Policy Editor

Are you still struggling to resolve the “the remote computer requires NLA” error? Let’s now disable and re-enable the NLA settings using the Local Group Policy Editor.

To disable the NLA settings, follow these steps:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
3. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Security.
4. Double-click the Require user authentication for remote connections by using Network Level Authentication option on the right.

5. In the next window, check the Not Configured or Disabled box. Next, click Apply, click OK, and then restart your PC.

Finally, follow these steps to re-enable the NLA settings:

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor and navigate to the Security option as per the previous steps.
2. Double-click the Require user authentication for remote connections by using Network Level Authentication option.
3. In the next window, check the Enabled box, press Apply, and then press OK. Finally, restart your PC to apply these changes.

5. Restore the Network Settings to Their Defaults

You’re likely to bump into the “the remote computer requires NLA” error if your network settings aren’t configured properly. So, you could resolve the problem by restoring the network settings to their default.

Now, here’s how to restore the network settings via the Command Prompt:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
2. Type CMD and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt.
3. Type the following command and press Enter:

    netsh int ip set DNS 

4. Once the command has finished its job, type the following command and press Enter:

    netsh winsock reset 

6. Update or Reinstall Your Computer’s Network Drivers

The issue at hand might be caused by corrupted or incompatible network drivers. So, you can get rid of the error by either updating or reinstalling these drivers.

Let’s start by checking out how you can update the network drivers:

1. Press Win + X and select Device Manager from the options.
2. Double-click the Network adapters option to expand it.
3. Right-click your PC’s network adapter and click Update driver.

Next, select Search automatically for updated driver software and then follow the on-screen instructions.

If the issue persists, try reinstalling the network adapters through these steps:

1. Open the Device Manager and expand the Network adapters option as per the previous steps.
2. Right-click your PC’s network adapter and select Uninstall device.
3. Navigate to the Action tab and select Scan for hardware changes. Finally, restart your PC to apply these changes.

7. Use the Windows Built-In Troubleshooters

Windows’ built-in troubleshooters can help resolve this issue. In this case, we’ll tackle the problem by running the Internet Connections troubleshooter, the Network Adapters troubleshooter, and the Incoming Connections troubleshooter.

Let’s start with the Internet Connections troubleshooter:

1. Navigate to Win Start Menu > PC Settings > Update & Security and select Troubleshoot on the left-hand side pane.
2. Select the Internet Connections troubleshooter on the right-hand side pane.
3. Click the Run the troubleshooter button.

From here, you can also run the Network Adapters troubleshooter. This will find and fix problems with the network adapters on your device.

To run this tool, follow these steps:

1. Open the Troubleshoot settings window as per the previous steps.
2. Select the Network Adapters troubleshooter on the right-hand side.
3. Click the Run the troubleshooter button.

Finally, try running the Incoming Connections troubleshooter. This will find and fix incoming computer connection problems.

Here’s how you can run this tool:

1. Open the Troubleshoot settings window as per the previous steps.
2. Select the Incoming Connections troubleshooter on the right.
3. Click the Run the troubleshooter button.

Restart your PC to apply all these changes.

Easily Connect to Your Remote Device Using Windows’ Remote Access Technology

The Remote Computer Requires Network Level Authentication (NLA) error is quite frustrating. Regardless of how this error appears on your device, you can fix it using the methods we’ve covered. And if the problem persists, try applying these fixes on the remote device too.