Remote Desktop Services (RDS) licensing is one of the most common pain points for Windows Server administrators. Whether it's the sudden disappearance of a grace period or cryptic errors that bring remote access to a halt, RDS licensing issues can quickly disrupt business operations. At the center of these configurations lie critical Windows registry keys—the control panel that determines how your RDS environment behaves.
: Determines if the server is in "Per User" or "Per Device" mode.
$RDSCALMode = 4 # 4 = Per User, 2 = Per Device $RDSlicServer = "<server_full_fqdn>"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\RCM Value Name SpecifiedLicenseServers (Multi-String) : Enter the FQDN or IP of your license server. Microsoft Learn 2. Resetting the 120-Day Grace Period rds cal license registry key
: Use the following script to set both values:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\RCM\Licensing Core Value Name LicensingMode Data Values Per Device Specified License Servers
Effective management of RDS CAL license registry keys is crucial to ensure compliance, avoid licensing issues, and maintain a smooth RDS environment. Here are some best practices for managing RDS CALs: Remote Desktop Services (RDS) licensing is one of
: Open PowerShell as administrator and run:
You can check how many days remain in your grace period using PowerShell:
(invoke-cimmethod -inputobject (get-ciminstance -namespace root/CIMV2/TerminalServices -classname Win32_TerminalServiceSetting) -methodname GetGracePeriodDays).DaysLeft : Determines if the server is in "Per
When a device connects to an RDS host, the host issues a digital token (CAL) to the client machine. This is stored locally on the user's computer at: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MSLicensing
Understanding the specific registry keys associated with RDS CALs is essential for system administrators tasked with troubleshooting activation issues, resetting grace periods, or migrating license servers. Where is the RDS CAL License Registry Key Located?
The registry keys for Remote Desktop Services (RDS) Client Access Licenses (CALs)