CUDA programs cannot be started on Remote Desktop. Need to use VNC instead.
Only exception is Tesla on TCC drivers.
damn, i lost hours before discovering this!

can it start if you use the /console switch?

Open a DOS prompt with administrator privileges
and run a script like this
tscon 0 /dest:console
cd "cudaminer directory"
cudaminer.exe arguments blah blah
Works for me, but it temporarily logs you out of your Remote Desktop session
This also gets OpenGL programs to run (these have the same issue with Remote
Desktop. Thank you Microsoft for obstructing competing technologies).