If msrdc.exe keeps crashing when you open a remote desktop, note the time the window disappears. On the PC you connected from, open Event Viewer and look for an Application Error naming msrdc.exe at that time. A match points to a local client crash. A “Your session has ended” message alone does not: the host or connection can drop while the client stays open. Before changing anything, record which app you launched, its version, and whether you were connecting to Azure Virtual Desktop, a Windows 365 Cloud PC, or your organization’s own server.
Match the symptom to the right machine
| What you see | What to check next |
|---|---|
| A published app briefly appears, then closes. | On the local PC, look for a fault naming msrdc.exe at the same minute. The workspace list can stay open even if the session process exits. |
| An established session drops, but the client offers to reconnect. | Save the message and time. Ask whether other users lost the same host. Without a matching fault, keep the connection and host under investigation. |
| The event names mstsc.exe, or a Remote Desktop window appears while using a local Linux GUI app. | Record that context separately. The built-in Remote Desktop Connection client and a WSLg window are different starting points from a Windows App session crash. |
Find the client version and the matching fault
- Identify the app you opened. In Settings → Apps → Installed apps, check whether you use Windows App or the older Remote Desktop client installed by MSI. If both are present, the list alone cannot tell you which one failed. In Task Manager → Details, right-click the running msrdc.exe and choose Open file location. Record the path and the file version from Properties → Details, or use the path in the fault event if the process has already closed. Record the installed app version separately from the executable version.
- Read the local event. In Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Application, look around the failure time for an Application Error (often event 1000). Copy the faulting application name, path and version, faulting module, exception code, and time with time zone. An event for a different executable earlier that morning does not explain this session.
- Preserve Windows App logs before resetting anything. Save remote work and close all connections, then quit Windows App. On the local PC, paste
%temp%\DiagOutputDir\Windows365\Logsinto File Explorer’s address bar. Copy the files to a separate folder. This is Microsoft’s procedure for Windows App on Windows; a missing directory does not establish a host fault or prove the legacy client crashed. Share logs through your organization’s support channel, not a public forum.
Example: At 09:42 Pacific, a Cloud PC window disappears. The local Application log at 09:42 names msrdc.exe and lists ntdll.dll and 0xc0000409. The useful match is the time, application and resource: send the client version and event to the Windows App support team. The module and code alone do not tell you which component caused the failure. Do not download a replacement DLL. If the only matching event instead names a program inside the Cloud PC, send it to the team supporting that remote program.
Decide whether to update Windows App or migrate the legacy client
In September 2026, ControlUp observed crashes chiefly associated with msrdc.exe build 1.2.7391 on about 1,500 devices across more than 180 organizations it monitored. That makes the build worth recording; it does not establish why your session failed. Microsoft lists 1.2.7391 as the last public release of the MSI client. The executable name alone does not mean your installed app is obsolete.
- Windows App: Check for an approved update through your usual Store or managed software channel. Preserve logs first and compare the same remote resource afterward. If the fault began after a rollout, give IT both the app version and the session executable version. Do not install an older binary from a download site.
- Legacy Remote Desktop MSI: Microsoft ended public-cloud support on March 27, 2026; the extension for Azure Government, Azure operated by 21Vianet and AVD classic ended September 28. For a supported cloud deployment, ask IT for its Windows App migration steps and confirm access to the intended workspace before removing the old installation. If the deployment itself is legacy, have the administrator check platform support first.
When the host administrator should investigate
Microsoft’s September 2026 RDS bulletin describes connections failing after several minutes, sign-in problems and some servers hanging during configuration. Microsoft explicitly excludes Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop from that issue. For a self-managed RDS environment where several people lost the same host, give the administrator the host, affected times and symptoms so they can compare the server build and update history with the bulletin. A local msrdc.exe event on a Cloud PC user’s laptop is not a reason to install a server hotfix or roll back security updates.
After an approved change, reopen the same resource from the same client, repeat the action that triggered the exit, and check for a new matching event. Report how long the session stayed open relative to the original failure. If it still fails, send support the client package and file versions, resource type, failure time, event fields and copied logs. Keep the existing RDP access controls in place while testing.
If someone on an unsolicited call asked you to start remote access, follow the remote-access scam recovery steps. An unrecognized executable with a suspect origin or a separate security alert warrants a file check with Gridinsoft Anti-Malware. A scan cannot diagnose a crash in a legitimate Microsoft client.
References
- Microsoft. Collect logs from Windows App. Microsoft Learn. Accessed November 12, 2026.
- ControlUp. Remote Desktop Protocol Client (msrdc.exe) v1.2.7391 Crashes at an Increasing Rate. Finding CUA-2026-017, September 28, 2026.
- Microsoft. What’s new in the Remote Desktop client for Windows. Microsoft Learn. Accessed November 12, 2026.
- Microsoft. Troubleshoot Remote Desktop Services instability after September 2026 Windows security updates. Microsoft Learn. Accessed November 12, 2026.
