Blank screen on console after CTRL-ALT-DEL

[Ken Richmond]

Hi All,

This has happened twice within the last week.

2003 x64 Server, with no known changes. Server appears to be running fine,
then pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL causes a blank screen (gray) with a mouse
pointer. The pointer moves but that's about it. Right clicking does
nothing. CTRL-ALT-DEL does nothing. Caps lock and Num lock work fine.

Otherwise the server seems to be working ok. I am not getting any
complaints from users and I can RDP into it. The event viewer shows nothing
of any help.

Any idea what I can do to identify the cause of this problem?

Thanks in advance,
Ken

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Ken Richmond wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> This has happened twice within the last week.
>
> 2003 x64 Server, with no known changes. Server appears to be running
> fine, then pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL causes a blank screen (gray) with a
> mouse pointer. The pointer moves but that's about it. Right
> clicking does nothing. CTRL-ALT-DEL does nothing. Caps lock and Num
> lock work fine.
> Otherwise the server seems to be working ok. I am not getting any
> complaints from users and I can RDP into it. The event viewer shows
> nothing of any help.
>
> Any idea what I can do to identify the cause of this problem?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Ken

Same results when you RDP directly to the console session?

 

[TPATEL]

here is what I have found when you RDP and changes made to the registry,
create a *.reg file for the following between lines.
----------------------

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Colors]
"ActiveBorder"="212 208 200"
"ActiveTitle"="10 36 106"
"AppWorkSpace"="128 128 128"
"Background"="102 111 116"
"ButtonAlternateFace"="181 181 181"
"ButtonDkShadow"="64 64 64"
"ButtonFace"="212 208 200"
"ButtonHilight"="255 255 255"
"ButtonLight"="212 208 200"
"ButtonShadow"="128 128 128"
"ButtonText"="0 0 0"
"GradientActiveTitle"="166 202 240"
"GradientInactiveTitle"="192 192 192"
"GrayText"="128 128 128"
"Hilight"="10 36 106"
"HilightText"="255 255 255"
"HotTrackingColor"="0 0 128"
"InactiveBorder"="212 208 200"
"InactiveTitle"="128 128 128"
"InactiveTitleText"="212 208 200"
"InfoText"="0 0 0"
"InfoWindow"="255 255 225"
"Menu"="212 208 200"
"MenuText"="0 0 0"
"Scrollbar"="212 208 200"
"TitleText"="255 255 255"
"Window"="255 255 255"
"WindowFrame"="0 0 0"
"WindowText"="0 0 0"
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

> Ken Richmond wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > This has happened twice within the last week.
> >
> > 2003 x64 Server, with no known changes. Server appears to be running
> > fine, then pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL causes a blank screen (gray) with a
> > mouse pointer. The pointer moves but that's about it. Right
> > clicking does nothing. CTRL-ALT-DEL does nothing. Caps lock and Num
> > lock work fine.
> > Otherwise the server seems to be working ok. I am not getting any
> > complaints from users and I can RDP into it. The event viewer shows
> > nothing of any help.
> >
> > Any idea what I can do to identify the cause of this problem?
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> > Ken
>
> Same results when you RDP directly to the console session?
>
>
>

 

[Ken Richmond]

Hi Lanwrench,

No. When I RDP in things look normal.


"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
wrote in message
news:OgnQAmBpJHA.3984@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Ken Richmond wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> This has happened twice within the last week.
>>
>> 2003 x64 Server, with no known changes. Server appears to be running
>> fine, then pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL causes a blank screen (gray) with a
>> mouse pointer. The pointer moves but that's about it. Right
>> clicking does nothing. CTRL-ALT-DEL does nothing. Caps lock and Num
>> lock work fine.
>> Otherwise the server seems to be working ok. I am not getting any
>> complaints from users and I can RDP into it. The event viewer shows
>> nothing of any help.
>>
>> Any idea what I can do to identify the cause of this problem?
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>> Ken
>
> Same results when you RDP directly to the console session?
>

 

[Ken Richmond]

Hi Tpatel

Thanks for your reply.

I RDP'd into the server and confirmed that all of the registry entries you
listed below were the same. Not sure where to go from here.

Cheers,
Ken


"TPATEL" wrote in message
news:A58BDAC3-4ED1-4EA2-9C9C-822E3C1CD986@microsoft.com...
> here is what I have found when you RDP and changes made to the registry,
> create a *.reg file for the following between lines.
> ----------------------
>
> HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTControl PanelColors]
> "ActiveBorder"="212 208 200"
> "ActiveTitle"="10 36 106"
> "AppWorkSpace"="128 128 128"
> "Background"="102 111 116"
> "ButtonAlternateFace"="181 181 181"
> "ButtonDkShadow"="64 64 64"
> "ButtonFace"="212 208 200"
> "ButtonHilight"="255 255 255"
> "ButtonLight"="212 208 200"
> "ButtonShadow"="128 128 128"
> "ButtonText"="0 0 0"
> "GradientActiveTitle"="166 202 240"
> "GradientInactiveTitle"="192 192 192"
> "GrayText"="128 128 128"
> "Hilight"="10 36 106"
> "HilightText"="255 255 255"
> "HotTrackingColor"="0 0 128"
> "InactiveBorder"="212 208 200"
> "InactiveTitle"="128 128 128"
> "InactiveTitleText"="212 208 200"
> "InfoText"="0 0 0"
> "InfoWindow"="255 255 225"
> "Menu"="212 208 200"
> "MenuText"="0 0 0"
> "Scrollbar"="212 208 200"
> "TitleText"="255 255 255"
> "Window"="255 255 255"
> "WindowFrame"="0 0 0"
> "WindowText"="0 0 0"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:
>
>> Ken Richmond wrote:
>> > Hi All,
>> >
>> > This has happened twice within the last week.
>> >
>> > 2003 x64 Server, with no known changes. Server appears to be running
>> > fine, then pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL causes a blank screen (gray) with a
>> > mouse pointer. The pointer moves but that's about it. Right
>> > clicking does nothing. CTRL-ALT-DEL does nothing. Caps lock and Num
>> > lock work fine.
>> > Otherwise the server seems to be working ok. I am not getting any
>> > complaints from users and I can RDP into it. The event viewer shows
>> > nothing of any help.
>> >
>> > Any idea what I can do to identify the cause of this problem?
>> >
>> > Thanks in advance,
>> > Ken
>>
>> Same results when you RDP directly to the console session?
>>
>>
>>

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Ken Richmond wrote:
> Hi Lanwrench,
>
> No. When I RDP in things look normal.

To the same *console* session?
If so, I'd be looking at monitor or video card stuff.
>
>
> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
> wrote in
> message news:OgnQAmBpJHA.3984@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> Ken Richmond wrote:
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> This has happened twice within the last week.
>>>
>>> 2003 x64 Server, with no known changes. Server appears to be
>>> running fine, then pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL causes a blank screen
>>> (gray) with a mouse pointer. The pointer moves but that's about
>>> it. Right clicking does nothing. CTRL-ALT-DEL does nothing. Caps
>>> lock and Num lock work fine.
>>> Otherwise the server seems to be working ok. I am not getting any
>>> complaints from users and I can RDP into it. The event viewer shows
>>> nothing of any help.
>>>
>>> Any idea what I can do to identify the cause of this problem?
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance,
>>> Ken
>>
>> Same results when you RDP directly to the console session?

 

[Grant Taylor]

On 3/13/2009 6:06 PM, Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] wrote:
> To the same *console* session?

You will need to run the mstsc command, i.e.:

mstsc /v: /console

(At least I have yet to find a way to connect to the console from the GUI.)



Grant. . . .

 

[Dimarc67]

Couple more points here...

First, you can use Remote Desktop to remotely take over the console
session of any Win2003 server by adding " /console" (note the leading
space) behind the server name in the computer name box. So if you're
using RDC to connect to a server named EMAILSERVER, you would enter the
name as "EMAILSERVER /console" in the RDC computer name box.

Second, one of the later Remote Desktop updates from Microsoft changed
the switch to use for the console session from /console to /admin. The
usage is identical in both RDC or with the command line MSTSC. Windows
Server 2008 came with this update, so it's always /admin with Win2008.


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Dimarc67
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