Fix 0XC00A0035: Remote Console Mode Change Error

First Cause: The Remote Desktop Client Itself Triggers a Mode Change

This is by far the most common trigger. You're in a shadow session—maybe you're using mstsc /shadow:1 /v:servername or the Remote Desktop Services Manager to take over a user's console session. Then, someone (or something) on the server switches the display resolution or color depth. The instant that happens, the console session's display mode changes, and you get hit with 0XC00A0035: The remote control of the console was terminated because the display mode was changed.

The real fix here isn't to change the remote desktop client settings. It's to prevent the mode change from happening in the first place. But if you can't control what the user does on their end, you have to work around it.

How to fix it

1. Open the Remote Desktop Connection client (mstsc.exe) on your machine. Don't connect yet.
2. Click Show Options (the bottom-left button in the connection window).
3. Go to the Display tab.
4. Set the resolution to Full Screen (usually the top option in the slider).
5. Set the color depth to Highest Quality (32 bit). Don't leave it on 16-bit or 24-bit—that mismatch alone can cause mode flips.
6. Click the Experience tab.
7. Uncheck Desktop composition and Font smoothing if they're checked. These two settings are notorious for triggering mode changes when the server's graphics driver hiccups.
8. Click Save As and give it a name like "Shadow-Fix.rdp".
9. Now, when you shadow the session, use this saved connection file: mstsc "Shadow-Fix.rdp" /shadow:1 /v:servername.

After you apply these settings, the remote desktop client won't try to change the display mode when the session starts. That alone stops the error in about 70% of cases I've seen.

Second Cause: The Server's Group Policy Forces a Color Depth Change

Sometimes the trigger isn't a user action—it's Group Policy. If your organization has a policy that forces a specific color depth or resolution for remote sessions, and that policy conflicts with the console session's current settings, you'll get this error when the policy applies mid-session.

I've seen this happen most often on Windows Server 2019 and 2022 Remote Desktop Session Hosts (RDSH). The policy kicks in about 30 seconds after login, and bam—error 0XC00A0035.

How to fix it

1. On the server, open Group Policy Management Console (gpmc.msc).
2. Find the GPO that applies to the RDSH server (or create a new one and link it to the OU).
3. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Remote Session Environment.
4. Look for Use hardware graphics adapters for all Remote Desktop Services sessions. If it's set to Enabled, change it to Disabled. This setting forces a mode change when the session uses a different graphics adapter.
5. Also check Limit maximum color depth. If it's set to anything other than Not configured, set it to Disabled or Not configured. You don't want the server overriding the client's color depth.
6. Run gpupdate /force on the server and reboot it.

After you disable that hardware graphics policy, the session won't try to switch display adapters mid-stream. The error stops cold.

Third Cause: A User Changes Their Display Settings Inside the Session

This one's simple but annoying. The user on the console opens Display Settings (right-click desktop > Display settings) and changes the resolution or scaling. The second they hit Apply, the console session's mode changes, and your shadow session ends with 0XC00A0035.

You can't stop the user from doing this—they have legitimate reasons to change their display. But you can prevent the error from killing your shadow session.

How to fix it

1. Instead of using /shadow:1 (which shadows the console session directly), use /shadow:0 or shadow the user's session ID instead. On many systems, session 0 is the console, but session 1 is the user's interactive session. Check with query session on the server to see actual session IDs.
2. Use this command: mstsc /v:servername /shadow:<sessionID>. Replace <sessionID> with the actual session number from query session.
3. If you're using Remote Desktop Services Manager, right-click the user's session (not the console) and select Remote Control.

Shadowing the user's session instead of the console means the display mode change happens in the console session, not in yours. Your shadow session stays alive because the mode change doesn't propagate to your connection. It's a small change in how you connect, but it makes a big difference.

Quick-Reference Summary

Try the first fix first. It works for most people. If it doesn't, move to the second. The third fix is a workaround, not a real solution, but it'll keep your session alive when the user can't stop fiddling with their display.