If you see the error message The remote session was disconnected because there are no Remote Desktop License Servers available to provide a license while connecting to Remote Desktop Services, here are some suggestions to help you resolve the issue. If you cannot connect to RDS because no RD Licensing servers are available, you will have to check the RD Licensing configuration, configure licensing using Server Manager or Group Policy, etc.
Remote Desktop Session Host (RDSH) is a role in Remote Desktop Services (RDS) that hosts Windows applications or desktops. These can be accessed using the Remote Desktop connection. The Remote Desktop Services license server issues client access licenses to users and devices when they access the RD Session Host. That cleared when a user tries to connect can face two issues. One where no Remote Desktop License Servers are available, and second, access is denied because of security issues. The complete error message you see would be:
The remote session was disconnected because there are no Remote Desktop License Servers available to provide a license
Please contact the server administrator.
While we are looking at the missing Remote Desktop License Servers, we also share what needs to be done if the cause of this is a security issue. So let’s find out what caused the problem. To do that, we will have to sign in to the RD session as the domain administrator and open the RD License Diagnoser.
Causes of missing Remote Desktop License Servers
- Signs of missing Remote Desktop License Servers: If the logger has messages that talk about the grace period of the RDSH has expired, and the server hasn’t been configured with any license server. It may also message where it says License server <computer name> is not available and points out to network connectivity problems; service stopped, etc. In this case, you need to configure the RD licensing service.
- Network / Certificate Issues: If you see any other issue that talks about network protocols, disconnected clients, and then its security error. In this case, you need to refresh the X509 Certificate registry keys.
The remote session was disconnected because there are no Remote Desktop License Servers available to provide a license
To fix the error message The remote session was disconnected because there are no Remote Desktop License Servers available to provide a license in Windows, follow these suggestions:
- Check the RD Licensing configuration
- Configure licensing using Server Manager
- Configure licensing using Group Policy editor
- Refresh the X509 Certificate registry keys
Let us see this in detail.
1] Check the RD Licensing configuration
Use Server Manager and RD Licensing Manager to verify the following:
- The RD Licensing role is installed and the license server is activated.
- The license server has a client access license (CAL) for each device and user that can connect to RDS.
- The RDS deployment uses the correct license server, licensing mode, and policy settings.
2] Configure licensing using Server Manager
RD Licensing service makes sure every license is validated, and it is available to provide a license. Follow the steps to fix it through the Server Manager.
- Open Server Manager and navigate to Remote Desktop Services.
- On Deployment Overview, select Tasks, and then select Edit Deployment Properties.
- Select Remote Desktop Licensing, then select the appropriate licensing mode for your deployment (Per Device or Per User).
- Enter the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of your RD License server, and then select Add.
- If you have more than one RD License server, repeat step 4 for each server.
3] Configure licensing using Group Policy editor
On the RD Session Host computer, press Win+R and type ‘gpedit.msc‘ in the Run dialogue. Then navigate to the following path in the Local Group Policy Editor window:
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Licensing
Right-click Use the specified Remote Desktop license servers, and then select Properties. Select Enabled, and enter the name of the license server under License servers to use. Select OK.
Now in the policy list, right-click Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode and select Properties > Enabled. Depending on your deployment, select Per Device or Per User under Specify the licensing mode for the Remote Desktop Session Host server.
Select Apply followed by OK and Exit the Group Policy editor.
4] Refresh the X509 Certificate registry keys
Make sure to follow the instructions carefully as we will have to modify the registry. So make sure you back up the registry so you can restore it in case something goes wrong. Once done, we will have to remove the X509 Certificate registry keys, restart the computer, and then reactivate the RD Licensing server. Follow these steps on each of the RDSH servers to reactivate the RD Licensing server:
Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\RCM
On the Registry menu, select Export Registry File. Enter exported- Certificate into the File name box, then select Save. Right-click each of the following values, select Delete, and then select Yes to verify the deletion:
- Certificate
- X509 Certificate
- X509 Certificate ID
- X509 Certificate2
Once deleted, exit the Registry Editor and restart the RDSH server. Once the server reboots, it will refresh the keys automatically.
All these should help you fix the no Remote Desktop License Servers available to provide a license problem.
How do I resolve a remote desktop license issue?
Make sure that your Remote Desktop Services (RDS) license is valid and activated. Check the network connectivity and firewall settings to confirm that the client and server are communicating properly. Then, try restarting the Remote Desktop Services RDS on both the license server and the affected client and see if it fixes the issue. Also, review Group Policy settings and ensure they are correctly configured and applied to the affected machine.
How do I reactivate my remote desktop license server?
Select Remote Desktop Services > Servers in Server Manager. Right-click the server where you’ve installed the Remote Desktop Licensing role and select Remote Desktop Licensing Manager. Right-click the server in the RD Licensing Manager and select Reactivate Server. This will launch the Reactivation Wizard that will guide you through the process of reactivating the Remote Desktop CALs with Microsoft.
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