title: EC2 (Remote Desktop) RDP refuses Administrator credentials
body: <p>My EC2 (Windows Server) instance was accessible through RDP logging in as Administrator and the default password retrieved from EC2 dashboard (AWS Management console).</p>
  
  <p>I relegated my domain name to Route 53, and I also created an Elastic IP address for my instance and modified the DNS CNAME record to point to the EIP.</p>
  
  <p>http access to my app works fine using domain name.</p>
  
  <p>However, RDP broke since my existing rdp link pointed to the old public DNS name given to my EC2 instance.</p>
  
  <p>I tried to recreate the RDP link and all the following attempts failed:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li><p>Using an RDP link downloaded from EC2 dashboard on AWS management console.</p></li>
  <li><p>Enter the Elastic IP's public DNS name into the 'Computer' field of the RCP General tab (click on options on the bottom left of the dialog) </p></li>
  <li><p>Enter the Elastic IP's external IP address (ie the <em>XX.YY.ZZ.VV</em> taken from  <em>ec2-XX-WW-ZZ-VV.compute-1.amazonaws.com</em> ) into 'Computer' field.</p></li>
  <li><p>Enter the EC2 Private IP address taken from the EC2 console into the 'Computer' field</p></li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>In all cases listed above I used the existing password and I double checked by decoding the the Administrator's password again (from EC2 console using the original key file).</p>
  
  <p>And in all cases, I keep getting the invalid credentials error from RDP connection.</p>
  
  <p>For all practical purposes, I am locked out of my running instance.</p>
  
  <p>HELP</p>
  
  <p>Thanks...</p>