Event ID 42 — Remote Desktop License Server Activation

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

To install and issue Remote Desktop Services client access licenses (RDS CALs), a Remote Desktop license server must first be activated. When the license server is activated, Microsoft provides the license server with a limited-use digital certificate that validates server ownership and identity. Microsoft uses the X.509 industry standard certificate for this purpose. Using this certificate, a license server can make subsequent transactions with Microsoft.

Event Details

Resolve

Remove and then reinstall the Remote Desktop Licensing role service

To resolve this issue, do the following:

• Make a backup copy of the RD Licensing database folder.
• Uninstall (remove) the Remote Desktop Licensing role service by using Server Manager. Removing Remote Desktop Licensing will require you to restart the server.
• Reinstall (add) the RD Licensing role service onto the computer by using Server Manager.

To perform these tasks, refer to the following sections.

Make a backup copy of the RD Licensing database folder

Before you remove the Remote Desktop Licensing role service from the computer, make a backup copy of the folder that contains the RD Licensing database. This is good standard procedure and a backup can be useful if you need to contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support (CSS) to resolve this issue. When backing up a license server, back up both the System State data and the folder in which the RD Licensing database is installed. This ensures that data in both the registry and the RD Licensing database is backed up.

By default, the RD Licensing database is located in the %systemroot%\system32\lserver folder (where %systemroot% is the folder in which the operating system is installed, which is, by default, c:\windows).

To perform this procedure, you must have membership in the local Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

To confirm the location of the RD Licensing database:

1. On the license server, open Remote Desktop Licensing Manager. To open Remote Desktop Licensing Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Remote Desktop Services, and then click Remote Desktop Licensing Manager.
2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Yes.
3. In the left pane, click All Servers, click the name of the license server, and then on the Action menu, click Review Configuration.
4. The database location is listed at the top of the Configuration dialog box.

Uninstall (remove) the Remote Desktop Licensing role service

To perform this procedure, you must have membership in the local Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

To uninstall (remove) the Remote Desktop Licensing role service:

1. On the license server, open Server Manager. To open Server Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.
2. In the left pane, expand Roles, and then click Remote Desktop Services.
3. Under Role Services, click Remove Role Services.
4. On the Select Role Services page, clear the Remote Desktop Licensing check box, and then click Next.
5. On the Confirm Removal Selections page, click Remove.
6. On the Removal Progress page, removal progress will be noted.
7. On the Removal Results page, you are prompted to restart the server to finish the removal process. Click Close, and then click Yes to restart the server.
8. If you are prompted that other programs are still running, do either of the following:
   • To close the programs manually and restart the server later, click Cancel.
   • To automatically close the programs and restart the server, click Restart now.
9. After the server restarts and you log on to the computer with the same user account, the remaining steps of the removal process will finish automatically. When the Removal Results page appears, confirm that the removal of Remote Desktop Licensing succeeded, and then click Close.

Install (add) the Remote Desktop Licensing role service

To perform this procedure, you must have membership in the local Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

To install (add) the Remote Desktop Licensing role service:

1. On the license server, open Server Manager. To open Server Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.

2. Under Roles Summary, click Add Roles.

3. In the Add Roles Wizard, on the Before You Begin page, click Next.

4. On the Select Server Roles page, under Roles, select the Remote Desktop Services check box, and then click Next.

5. On the Remote Desktop Services page, click Next.

6. On the Select Role Services page, select the Remote DesktopLicensing check box, and then click Next.

7. On the Configure Discovery Scope for RD Licensing page, specify the discovery scope for the license server.

   On the Configure Discovery Scope for RD Licensing page, you can also specify the location where the RD Licensing database will be stored. If you want to specify a database location other than the default location provided, click Browse. Note that the database location must be a local folder on the computer on which the Remote Desktop Licensing role service is being installed.

8. Click Next. On the Confirm Installation Selections page, ensure that the Remote Desktop Licensing role service will be installed, and then click Install.

9. On the Installation Progress page, installation progress will be noted.

10. On the Installation Results page, confirm that installation for the Remote Desktop Licensing role service succeeded, and then click Close.

For more information about configuring and managing the Remote Desktop Licensing role service, see the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager Help in the Windows Server 2008 R2 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=144380).

Verify

To verify that the Remote Desktop license server is activated, use the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager tool.

To perform this procedure, you must have membership in the local Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

To verify that the license server is activated:

1. On the license server, open Remote Desktop Licensing Manager. To open Remote Desktop Licensing Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Remote Desktop Services, and then click Remote Desktop Licensing Manager.
2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Yes.
3. In the left pane, click All Servers.
4. In the right pane, the Activation Status for the license server should be listed as Activated.

Related Management Information

Remote Desktop License Server Activation

Remote Desktop Services