Have you ever received a “Remote Desktop licensing mode is not configured” error message on your computer? Don’t worry. This post from NewsPivot will share with you several effective methods to solve this problem.

What Causes Remote Desktop Licensing Mode Not Configured

If you are a system administrator who uses Remote Desktop Services (RDS) and regularly works with Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2012 R2, you may encounter the “Remote Desktop licensing mode is not configured” error at some point.

According to Microsoft, there is a 120-day trial period for users to connect to RDS hosting servers. No license is required during this period. If you access it after this period, a “Remote Desktop licensing mode is not configured” notification will remind you to purchase a license.

It is worth noting that this notification only serves as a reminder and does not prevent you from entering Remote Desktop Services. However, exceeding the 120-day grace period will cause this notification to turn into an error. Subsequently, obtaining a license is critical to maintaining uninterrupted access.

While this is the primary cause of the “Remote Desktop licensing mode is not configured” error, there are other potential factors. For example, incorrect settings in the Registry, Group Policy Object (GPO) configuration, or incompatible RDS CAL (Client Access License) licenses can also cause this error.

Below you will find some useful solutions to resolve this issue.

How to Fix Remote Desktop Licensing Mode Not Configured

According to Microsoft, Windows will provide a 120-day probation period for users, no license is necessary during that timeframe. If not, you can try the solutions below to solve it.

Solution 1: Check the Compatibility

Verifying RDS CAL license compatibility is critical because RDS CAL licenses are not backward compressible.

If your RDS CAL license is not compatible with Windows Server, you will encounter a “Remote Desktop licensing mode is not configured” error on your computer. If you have RDS CALs with a newer version than Windows Server, consider upgrading your appliance or purchasing a CAL that matches the version you currently have.

Solution 2: Use the Appropriate Type of RDS CAL

Sometimes, the “Remote Desktop licensing mode is not configured” error can be caused by using an incorrect CAL type in an RDS environment. Typically, per-user and per-device CALs are available for domain-joined servers. In contrast, exclusive utilization of per-device CALs is advisable for workgroup servers.

To resolve this issue, it is recommended to evaluate whether you are using a CAL that is appropriate for your connectivity needs.

Solution 3: Use Windows Registry

Configuring RDS licensing mode through Windows Registry is also a way to solve this problem. Here are the steps.

Step 1: Press the Win + R keys at the same time to open the Run window.

Step 2: Type “regedit” in the box and click on the OK button.

choose OK

Step 3: In the Registry Editor window, navigate to: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet \Control\Terminal Server\RCM\Licensing Core.

Step 4: In the right pane, double-click on LicensingMode to modify its value. Proceed to adjust the Value data as per your specific requirement:

  • Set the Value data to 2 for per device RDS licensing mode.
  • Set the Value data to 4 for per user RDS licensing mode.

Step 5: Confirm your changes by clicking the OK button, thereby saving the modifications.

Step 6: Restart your computer and check if the error has been fixed.

Solution 4: Check the Firewall on Your PC

Sometimes, a firewall may prevent you from accessing a remote server. You can try disabling the firewall for a few minutes and then try connecting to the remote desktop again.

However, it is not a permanent solution, you can just use it as a temporary check. To have a permanent fix to this error, you need to open the below-mentioned ports to connect from the RDSH host to the RDS licensing server.

  • UDP–137 and 138.
  • TCP–135, 137, 139, and anything in the RPC range.

Bottom Line

By implementing these four solutions, you can effectively solve the “Remote Desktop licensing mode is not configured” error. Hope this article is helpful to you.

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