RDP stops working – grace period issues

RDP basically has three modes:

1. Per user
2. Per device
3. Administrative power user

#1s and #2s cost $ where as #3 cost $0.

So power users use option #3. Option #3 is normally restricted to ONE USER ONLY, but with some registry hacking, you can have TWO USERS.

Alas! Our client contacts us. We are not using #1, nor #2, and we get this gem:

The Remote Desktop Session Host server does not have a Remote Desktop license server specified. To specify a license server for the Remote Desktop Session Host server, use the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration tool.

This is confusing? We’re not using #1, nor are we using #2, so what gives? We start researching. We found this, it looks promising:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/remote/cannot-connect-rds-no-license-server

We read it through, a few times. It only mentions #1 and #2, and not #3. What now? More Google? More AI? More Bing??

Here is the fix:

1. Log onto the server
2. Open the Command Prompt as an Administrator
3. Type regedit and press enter.
4. Navigate to the following key: HKLM/CCS/Control/TerminalServer/RCM/GracePeriod
5. Right click the GracePeriod key as you’ll be re-assiging the owner
6. Click Permissions
7. Click Advanced
8. Fiddle, and make the new owner something like Administrator. If there are groups involved, make them Administrators.
9. Delete the L$RTMTIMEBOMB

Have a nice day.

Before screenshot: