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To configure Remote Desktop licensing through Group Policy, set two computer policies on the RD Session Hosts: Use the specified Remote Desktop license servers and Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode. The first names the server that issues RDS client access licenses (CALs); the second selects Per User or Per Device. These policies do not install or activate the licensing role or add CALs—you must prepare the RD Licensing server separately.
What this configuration does
An RD Licensing server issues and tracks RDS CALs. An RD Session Host runs remote desktops or applications and requests licenses for connecting users or devices. Group Policy configures the Session Host’s licensing-server list and mode; it does not configure the Licensing server itself.
The instructions below apply to Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025. In a deployment with an RD Connection Broker, deployment-level licensing is usually managed in Server Manager or with PowerShell; policy settings applied to a Session Host take precedence over equivalent GUI settings. See Microsoft’s licensing configuration guidance.
Before you begin
- Identify the RD Session Hosts that should receive the policy. Link the GPO to the OU containing those computers, not just to the OU containing the Licensing server.
- Confirm that the RD Licensing role is installed, the server is activated, and compatible RDS CALs are installed. See Microsoft’s guides to activating a license server and installing CALs.
- Confirm that the Session Hosts can resolve the Licensing server’s DNS name and communicate with it through the required network and firewall configuration.
- Choose a licensing mode that matches both the installed CALs and your organization’s licensing agreement. Check CAL-version compatibility with the Session Host and Licensing server versions.
- Have permission to create or edit the GPO and link it to the target OU.
Choose Per User or Per Device
| Mode | License applies to | Often suits | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per User | A named user | Employees who connect from multiple devices | Not supported for workgroup Session Hosts. User CAL compliance must be tracked; it is not enforced in the same manner as Per Device licensing. |
| Per Device | A device | Shared workstations, kiosks, or multiple-shift environments | Plan for the number of devices that need access. The Licensing server tracks device CALs. |
These are licensing choices, not universal cost or security recommendations. Domain-joined deployments can use either mode; workgroup Session Hosts must use Per Device. For details on CAL behavior, consult Microsoft’s RDS CAL documentation.
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Prepare the RD Licensing server
If the role is not installed, use Server Manager’s Manage > Add Roles and Features, select Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Licensing, and complete the wizard. Then open Server Manager > Tools > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Licensing Manager. Select the server and choose Action > Activate Server. Follow the wizard’s activation method, then select Action > Install Licenses to add the CALs.
Automatic activation uses outbound TCP 443 to contact the Microsoft Clearinghouse. If the server cannot make that connection, use the browser or telephone method offered by the activation wizard. Verify activation and the installed CAL version and inventory in Licensing Manager before pointing Session Hosts at the server. Microsoft advises against installing the Licensing role on a domain controller where a dedicated member server is feasible.
Configure domain Group Policy
- On a domain management computer, run
gpmc.mscto open Group Policy Management. - Create a dedicated GPO, for example
RDS - Licensing - Session Hosts, or edit an existing suitable GPO. Link it to the OU containing the intended RD Session Hosts. Use security filtering if only a subset of computers in that OU should receive it. - Right-click the GPO and select Edit. Go to:
Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Licensing - Open Use the specified Remote Desktop license servers, select Enabled, and enter the Licensing server’s DNS name, preferably its FQDN, such as
rdlic01.contoso.com. To specify more than one server, separate the names with commas:rdlic01.contoso.com,rdlic02.contoso.com. Select Apply, then OK. - Open Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode, select Enabled, choose Per Device or Per User, and select Apply and OK.
Both settings belong under Computer Configuration, because they configure the Session Host computer rather than individual users. Avoid linking the GPO broadly to all servers unless that is intentional. Check for conflicting or enforced policies if another GPO already configures licensing.
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Apply and verify the policy
On each target Session Host, open an elevated Command Prompt and refresh policy:
gpupdate /forceIf the settings do not take effect, schedule a restart during an approved maintenance window. Then verify computer policy application:
gpresult /scope computer /r
gpresult /h C:Temprds-gpo.htmlIn the results, confirm that the intended GPO is applied and investigate denied GPOs, security filtering, WMI filters, or other processing issues. In Registry Editor, the policy-backed values are under:
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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows NTTerminal ServicesLook for LicenseServers and LicensingMode. The numeric mode is 2 for Per Device and 4 for Per User. Treat these as diagnostic values; configure the settings through Group Policy rather than editing the registry directly.
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On the Licensing server, open Remote Desktop Licensing Manager and confirm that the server is activated and has the expected CAL version and inventory. Check the RD Licensing service and relevant Event Viewer logs on both servers if licensing still fails. Microsoft’s troubleshooting guide covers policy, registry, event, and availability checks.
Standalone or workgroup Session Hosts
For a standalone computer, sign in to the RD Session Host and run gpedit.msc. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Licensing, then enable the same two policies and specify the Licensing server and mode.
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In a workgroup, use Per Device; Per User CALs are not supported there. Workgroup licensing also has additional credential and security requirements. Microsoft notes that, following the security update associated with CVE-2024-38099, Licensing servers require Session Hosts to present nonanonymous credentials when requesting or querying licenses. Do not weaken authentication as a shortcut. Check the workgroup-specific account, credential, and security-policy requirements in Microsoft’s cross-domain, forest, and workgroup guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Full deployment with an RD Connection Broker
If the deployment includes an RD Connection Broker, the usual deployment-level setting is in Server Manager > Remote Desktop Services > Overview > Edit Deployment Properties > RD Licensing. Choose the licensing mode and add the Licensing server or servers there. You can also configure a Broker-managed deployment with Set-RDLicenseConfiguration:
Set-RDLicenseConfiguration `
-LicenseServer @("rdlic01.contoso.com","rdlic02.contoso.com") `
-Mode PerUser `
-ConnectionBroker "rdcb01.contoso.com"For Per Device mode, change -Mode PerUser to -Mode PerDevice. Use this deployment-level method when appropriate for the Broker-managed deployment. If a GPO also defines licensing settings on a Session Host, the policy takes precedence over the corresponding GUI setting; avoid managing the same setting through competing methods.
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Troubleshoot by symptom
“The licensing mode is not configured”
- Confirm that Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode is enabled in the correct computer GPO and that the GPO is linked to the Session Host’s OU.
- Run
gpupdate /forceand inspectgpresult /h C:Temprds-gpo.htmlfor application or filtering problems. - Check
LicensingModeunder the policy-backed registry path above. Look for another GPO or local policy setting that conflicts. - If you expected Server Manager to control licensing, check whether a policy is overriding it. Remove or change the controlling policy only if the deployment is meant to be managed another way.
“No Remote Desktop license servers are available”
- Confirm the GPO is applied and that the configured server name is correct.
- From the Session Host, test DNS resolution:
Resolve-DnsName rdlic01.contoso.com - Check network reachability as one diagnostic, not as proof that licensing works:
Test-NetConnection rdlic01.contoso.comA successful ping alone does not verify licensing, and ICMP may be blocked.
- Verify the RD Licensing service is running, the server is activated, and suitable CALs are installed.
- Check CAL compatibility, firewall and RPC connectivity, Event Viewer, and any domain trust or credential requirements.
For a focused checklist, see Microsoft’s guidance on connecting when no license server is available.
CALs are installed but licensing still fails
Check both version relationships: whether the CAL version can license the Session Host’s Windows Server version, and whether the Licensing server can host that CAL version. For example, Windows Server 2022 RDS CALs cannot license a Windows Server 2025 Session Host. Consult Microsoft’s version and CAL guidance for the specific versions in your deployment rather than assuming that a newer server resolves every compatibility issue.
Server Manager licensing controls are disabled or changes do not persist
A Group Policy setting may already be defining licensing. Policy-backed values take precedence over the equivalent GUI configuration. Check the applied GPOs and the policy registry path; then choose one intended configuration source and remove conflicting settings.
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Cross-domain and cross-forest licensing can require appropriate trust relationships, firewall rules, and membership in security groups such as Terminal Server License Servers and Terminal Server Computers. Per User issuance across domains has additional requirements. Apply the intended configuration to Session Hosts in each relevant domain and follow Microsoft’s detailed setup guidance; do not assume that DNS resolution alone is sufficient.
Other configuration and maintenance notes
Microsoft documents a WMI-based option for a standalone Session Host without a Connection Broker. It can be useful for targeted administration, but a domain GPO is easier to apply consistently and audit across multiple hosts. The WMI method and its limitations are described in Microsoft’s standalone configuration instructions.
Review CAL inventory and licensing events routinely, document the GPO and its scope, and retest licensing after Session Host, Licensing server, or CAL-version changes. The 120-day RDS grace period is temporary technical behavior, not a substitute for valid CAL entitlement, activation, or correct configuration. Per User licensing still requires administrators to account for licensed users even where enforcement is not performed in the same way as Per Device licensing.
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