Terminal Server has Exceeded Maximum Number of Allowed Connections

"Error message: The terminal server has exceeded the maximum number of allowed connections. The system cannot log you on (1B8E). Please try again or consult your system administrator."

This is an annoying error that any of us who regularly use Terminal Services encounter. Some of the obvious ways to fix this problem are to reboot the server, thus ending all current Remote Desktop Connection sessions, or if you are able to get in front of the server, manually disconnect any RDC sessions no longer in use.

There is a third option, though, which I find comes in very handy. You can remotely log into the 'Console' session. Logging into the console session will boot any user currently logged into the console session (as long as you have admin rights), so you can log in and clear up and hung RDC sessions. After clearing up RDC sessions, I suggest logging out of the console session and using your normal RDC connection to connect to the server.

Here is how you access the console session:

start run - mstsc -v:5.5.5.5 /f -console
-just change 5.5.5.5 to your IP address