Remote Desktop Connection stops working when connection is closed

Question

I just started using a new HP laptop with Windows 8.1 using the same domain account I've used for years. I can remote desktop to any server / VM on the local network, however when I disconnect the session from my laptop (close the window) the RDP client crashes with the typical "has stopped working" message. This only happens with RDP connections to Windows 8 / Server 2012. Windows XP and Server 2003/2008 doesn't cause this.

In the event log on my laptop I get the following error (Event ID 1000):

Faulting application name: mstsc.exe, version: 6.3.9600.17415, time stamp: 0x5450434f
Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 6.3.9600.17736, time stamp: 0x550f4336
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x000000000003d85e
Faulting process ID: 0x2164
Faulting application start time: 0x01d0ba5205a5c537
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\System32\mstsc.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
Report ID: 9f129310-2645-11e5-826b-3ca82a837a3a
Faulting package full name: 
Faulting package-relative application ID: 

Googled a lot and only found instances where the RDP connection failed when trying to connect. Some solutions involved unchecking remote printers, audio, etc which I also tried.

As a final note, RDP works so it's not a major problem, just irritating having to constantly close the "has stopped working" boxes as I RDP quite a lot.

Solution

The crash seams to be caused by a HP dll (storeng.dll) which causes an access violation:

00 ntdll!NtWaitForMultipleObjects
01 KERNELBASE!WaitForMultipleObjectsEx
02 kernel32!WerpReportFaultInternal
03 kernel32!WerpReportFault
04 KERNELBASE!UnhandledExceptionFilter
05 ntdll!RtlUserThreadStart$filt$0
06 ntdll!_C_specific_handler
07 ntdll!RtlpExecuteHandlerForException
08 ntdll!RtlDispatchException
09 ntdll!KiUserExceptionDispatch
0a ntdll!RtlpWaitOnCriticalSection
0b ntdll!RtlpEnterCriticalSectionContended
0c storeng!IsMachineInLDAPStore
0d storeng!CloseStorageDriver
0e vchannel!VirtualChannelOpenEvent
0f mstscax!CChan::IntChannelCallCallbacks
10 mstscax!CChan::ChannelOnDisconnected
11 mstscax!CMCS::OnDisconnected
12 mstscax!CTSProtocolHandlerBase::OnDisconnected
13 mstscax!CTSX224Filter::OnDisconnected
14 mstscax!CTSProtocolHandlerBase::OnDisconnected
15 mstscax!CTscSslFilter::OnDisconnected
16 mstscax!CTSProtocolHandlerBase::OnDisconnected
17 mstscax!CTSFilterTransport::OnDisconnected
18 mstscax!CTSTransportStack::OnDisconnected
19 mstscax!CTSTcpTransport::DropLink
1a mstscax!CTSTransportStack::Disconnect
1b mstscax!CTSFilterTransport::Disconnect
1c mstscax!CTSProtocolHandlerBase::Disconnect
1d mstscax!CTSProtocolHandlerBase::Disconnect
1e mstscax!CTSX224Filter::Disconnect
1f mstscax!CMCS::Disconnect
20 mstscax!CSL::Disconnect
21 mstscax!CTSProtocolHandlerBase::Disconnect
22 mstscax!CoreFSM::StartStackDisconnection
23 mstscax!CoreFSM::CCFSMProc
24 mstscax!CoreFSM::CC_Event
25 mstscax!CoreFSM::StartShutdown
26 mstscax!CTSCoreApi::ForceShutdown
27 mstscax!CRdpBaseCoreApi::AsyncForceShutdownRecvThread
28 mstscax!CTSMsg::Invoke
29 mstscax!CTSThread::RunQueueEvent
2a mstscax!CTSThread::RunAllQueueEvents
2b mstscax!CTSThread::internalMsgPump
2c mstscax!CTSThread::internalThreadMsgLoop
2d mstscax!CTSThread::ThreadMsgLoop
2e mstscax!CRCV::RCVMain
2f mstscax!CTSThread::TSStaticThreadEntry
30 mstscax!PAL_System_Win32_ThreadProcWrapper
31 kernel32!BaseThreadInitThunk
32 ntdll!RtlUserThreadStart

BUCKET_ID:  NULL_CLASS_PTR_WRITE_AVRF_storeng!IsMachineInLDAPStore+11e1

PRIMARY_PROBLEM_CLASS:  NULL_CLASS_PTR_WRITE_AVRF_storeng!IsMachineInLDAPStore+11e1

FAILURE_PROBLEM_CLASS:  NULL_CLASS_PTR_WRITE_AVRF

FAILURE_EXCEPTION_CODE:  c0000005

FAILURE_IMAGE_NAME:  storeng.dll

FAILURE_FUNCTION_NAME:  IsMachineInLDAPStore

FAILURE_SYMBOL_NAME:  storeng.dll!IsMachineInLDAPStore

FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  NULL_CLASS_PTR_WRITE_AVRF_c0000005_storeng.dll!IsMachineInLDAPStore

    Image path: C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\SimplePass\storeng.dll
    Image name: storeng.dll
    Browse all global symbols  functions  data
    Timestamp:        Mon Oct 14 18:23:32 2013 (525C1A84)
    CheckSum:         000B720E
    ImageSize:        000AD000
    File version:     8.0.0.57
    Product version:  8.0.0.0
    File flags:       0 (Mask 3F)
    File OS:          4 Unknown Win32
    File type:        2.0 Dll
    File date:        00000000.00000000
    Translations:     0409.04b0
    CompanyName:      Hewlett-Packard
    ProductName:       HP SimplePass
    InternalName:     storeng.dll
    OriginalFilename: storeng.dll
    ProductVersion:   8.0
    FileVersion:      8.0.0.57
    FileDescription:  Storage Engine Dll
    LegalCopyright:   Copyright(C) 2001 - 2013 Softex Inc.

Try to update this DLL.

Comments

[CIA]

Are you saying when you disconnect your session on the server (and not your desktop) crashes? Or do you mean RDP crashes? Please provide more info. Are you using RDP on the local network? Or are you using it remotely over VPN?

[Andrie Schoombee]

On local network, when I close the session from my laptop (client side) remote desktop crashes. I updated the question. Also, I've used RDP in the past on Windows 8.1 without problems, it's only on the new HP laptop.

[CIA]

Have you tried reinstalling the MSTSC.exe app?

[CIA]

Nevermind. I did some further research and it reminded me of similar problems I saw with RDP and print drivers. On your next RDP session, before establishing a connection, go to Show Options > Local Resources and uncheck the Printers option; then try to connect and disconnect to see if RDP will crash.

[Andrie Schoombee]

Hi CIA, thanks but I already tried this. I unchecked all resources (printers, clipboard, audio), didn't help.

[CIA]

Then you might be better off reinstalling the OS.

[magicandre1981]

capture a crash dump after importing this reg file (dropbox.com/s/7qejwya898rgdlv/WER_mstsc_full.reg?dl=0). Go to C:\localdumps, zip the dmp, upload it to a cloud service and post a link here. After uploading the zip, import this .reg file to disable dump creation (dropbox.com/s/bipy6byzdu809jk/WER_mstsc_full_uninstall.reg?‌​dl=0)

[Andrie Schoombee]

Hi magicandre, here is the dmp: dropbox.com/s/6453eiettti07xu/mstsc.exe.2380.dmp?dl=0

[magicandre1981]

I posted an answer. Next time notify me about your reply with @ my username

[magicandre1981]

is the issue fixed?