What does NTSTATUS 0xC00A0018 (STATUS_CTX_BAD_VIDEO_MODE) mean?

 
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STATUS_CTX_WINSTATION_BUSY STATUS_CTX_GRAPHICS_INVALID

STATUS_CTX_BAD_VIDEO_MODE

The client and session display capabilities do not overlap

STATUS_CTX_BAD_VIDEO_MODE means that the requested connection reached a session whose video mode is not supported by the current client. It is a capability mismatch between client and session display handling, not automatically a failing GPU driver or a corrupted monitor EDID record.

RDP negotiates display-related capabilities during the connection sequence. Resolution, color depth, multi-monitor layout, graphics features, and the client implementation all matter; changing a server-wide display configuration before recording the negotiated request can remove the evidence needed to identify the mismatch.

Useful evidence

  • Capture the client version, .rdp display settings, requested monitor layout, color depth, and the target session's active graphics configuration.
  • Reproduce with a deliberately simpler supported display request, such as one monitor and a lower resolution, only to isolate the incompatible capability.
  • Check the RDS host and GPU configuration against the supported deployment scenario before changing drivers or disabling graphics acceleration globally.

References


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