Monday, February 20, 2006

RDP Terminal Server License

Terminal Server License Expiring Ever come across a Microsoft terminal server license for a desktop expiring for a desktop? Ah yes, the infamous "your terminal server license will expire" message with the days counting down. There's a simple reg hack to have the desktop get a new temporary license. I've done this a hundred times. I really like what Microsoft has done with the remote desktop protocol and terminal server licensing in windows 2003 Server. It's great for server remote support. Although it wasn't intended to be computer remote support software, it really help supporting servers for remote computer support. Delete the registry keys in HKLM software> Microsoft > MSLicensing there will be two of them in there: Hardware and Store Just right click and delete them both. Try connecting to your terminal server again and see them come back but this time without the count down message. This is great if you can't get additional licenses right away or for some other reason you just need to get a desktop working right away. You could do this as a temporary fix many times but it's best to get real licenses from Microsoft. There not that expensive either.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

this tip works great. I have a customer whom I've setup Microsoft terminal server for and I had to reset the license while still in the testing phase. They have since bought licenses but I had to show the customer that their applications would work fine before they purchased the actual Microsoft terminal server licenses.