Learning has never been so easy!

With the Release of Server 2012 R2 Microsoft completely changed how Remote Desktop Services are deployed and managed. This change tossed many like myself for a loop as I could not find any documentation on how to do what was once a 5 minute task.

How to add a license to RDS license server in Windows 2012 R2. Allow Multiple Remote Desktop Sessions- server 2012 part- 6. How to Activate Remote Desktop License Server Per User or Per. I did this years ago, but want to make sure about MS licensing. Suppose I have a Virtualized Windows 2012 R2 RDP Terminal Server. Suppose this RDP (Terminal) server is virtualized on VMWare. Suppose that all of my clients are Windows 7 Pro or higher.

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Hopefully after reading this article this once simple task will be simple once again

13 Steps total

Step 1: Open Server Manager

Click Manage and Select Add Roles and Features

Step 2: Select Remote Desktop Services installation

Select Remote Desktop Services installation and click next

Step 3: Select Quick Start

Select Quick Start and click next

Step 4: Select Session-based desktop deployment

Select Session-based desktop deployment and click next

Step 5: Server Pool

Terminal Server License Server 2012

Make sure the server you are installing on is listed in the server pool.

If you are installing on the same server you are physically logged into then the server should be there by default

Click Next

Step 6: Installation Checks

Once the installation checks are completed choose to allow (or not) your server to restart automatically if required as part of the install and click Deploy

Step 7: Wait

Hurry up and wait while your server does the install

Step 8: Success!

Click Close to continue

Step 9: Add TS Licensing

Open Server Manager and go to 'Remote Desktop Services' on the left menu. This will show you the Overview with the status and settings for your terminal server.

If you plan to install the licensing services locally on this server click the RD Licensing icon in the 'deployment overview' window. Then follow the instructions to install the licensing service locally and add your purchased licensing.

I am going to use a licensing server in this example so I won't go into detail on this option

Step 10: Add Licensing Server

If you have more than one TS like I do you will want to use a Licensing server. This allows you to share your client TS licenses across all of your terminal servers making it easier to purchase and manage your license needs.

To uses this option click 'Tasks' and Edit Deployment Properties'

Step 11: Edit Deployment Properties

Click 'RD Licensing'

Install Terminal Services Licensing Server 2012 R2

Select your licensing type, I am using Per User

type in the name of your licensing server and hit add. Your licensing server will be contacted, verified and added to the list.

Click OK

Step 12: Set Who Can Log into this server

Go to System >> Remote Settings >> Select Users and add the Group or Users who will be allowed to connect to this server

Step 13: Verify User Connectivity

At this point users should now be able to log into this server. Test your connectivity out with a regular user account and you should be good to go!

The process as been re-arranged and is very different when compared to previous versions, but once you get a grasp for where things have been moved to it still works very much the same as it always did.

Published: Sep 15, 2015 · Last Updated: Oct 07, 2016

References

  • RD Licensing Configuration on Windows Server 2012
  • Windows Server 2012 R2 Remote Desktop Services (RDS) Installation And Publish RemoteApp

Terminal Server Licensing 2012 Reset Grace Period

17 Comments

  • Chipotle
    mdcarver Jan 29, 2016 at 03:07pm

    Thanks, This was exactly what I was looking for. Got us upgraded.

  • Tabasco
    MichaelT@ToE Sep 20, 2016 at 02:45pm

    Awesome - so easy to follow. Thanks!!!

    Question - is terminal services licensing similar to open licensing in that it's on a trust basis with Microsoft? Don't really see where to add CALs.

  • Pimiento
    danstones Jan 12, 2017 at 01:16am

    @MichaelIT@ToE - Hopefully you've found the answer by now, but for future readers..

    Absolutely not. Once you install RDS, you are in a 120-day grace period for licensing. After 120 days, if you don’t install a license server, add licenses to it and configure the RDS server to point to the license server your RDS will be unusable until you fix that. When you install licenses, it registers with Microsoft Clearing House.

    After step 11 above, if the License Server Manager role is not already installed, it will install it. From there you need to launch the License Server Manager, click the 'Review' button under Configuration column > Click 'Add to Group' > Click OK.
    Right-click the server and click Activate > Follow the wizard and fill in the contact and address details from your license order, and add your license details. You should then see them as active. Check the RD License Diagnoser console to confirm that RDS is seeing the licenses.

  • Pimiento
    Schikitar Jan 23, 2017 at 10:05am

    Hi, I know this comment is coming a bit late but I've recently attempted this on Windows Server 2016 but it will not allow more than one person to connect at a time;

    Remote Desktop Connection
    Do you want to allow to connect to this machine?
    Click OK to disconnect your session immediately or click Cancel to stay connected.
    No action will disconnect your session in 30 seconds.

    Did something change between 2012R2 and 2016 - is it possible to have a traditional terminal server anymore?

  • Poblano
    SeansPCPower IT Mar 20, 2017 at 09:00am

    This might help.
    Open RD Gateway Manager.
    Under configuration tasks click View or modify certificate properties.
    In the general tab make sure Allow maximum supported simultaneous connections.
    Or perhaps there is a limit set. Note the default is 1.

  • Thai Pepper
    camerones Aug 30, 2017 at 11:22pm

    well done sir. this was good insight into setting up new features and roles. Straight forward and to the point.

    Glad I happened across it.

  • Pimiento
    curtisvaughan Sep 7, 2017 at 04:13am

    Ok, I'm having issues. Every time I try to add TS it errors out, all services provided the Server Manager go red and the only way to fix it, as it suggests, is to reboot. I've tried 3 times, hoping maybe something was a fluke. BTW, I have all licenses, etc. But haven't gotten to the point to even apply them. Any ideas?

  • Mace
    molan Sep 7, 2017 at 05:45am

    Make sure no group policies are applied to the server by moving it to an OU with no attached policies and then force a gpupdate. Then try the install again.

    Certain policies can cause the install to fail.

    Also if you have antivirus or other security software installed remove it until after the ts roles are installed.

  • Pimiento
    curtisvaughan Sep 7, 2017 at 01:02pm

    Thank you for responding. Ok, I think I've figured out something. I don't have WID installed. That is, it was installed, but because, as I now know, I changed to an AD server that cause WID to be unable to login. So I changed to the login to Administrator. Based on MS articles I should have changed it to login as service. Anyhow, now it's seems to be gone.
    However, I got it reinstalled. Switched to login as service. Tried installing TS and it failed...
    After reboot. WID is gone again.
    As for your suggestion, I created a new group, made sure it didn't have any policies, moved the server to that group and did a gpupdate. However, user policies still applied! Also turned off the AV app.
    Nonetheless, same result.

  • Pimiento
    jacobouaknine Dec 15, 2017 at 12:01pm

    Hi All,

    Like many I came across this article because of i was looking to understand what changed from 2008 to 2012. I really like the article and thank you very much for taking time to share.

    I have a question: we setup Remote Desktop server 2012 (under role based features) instead of this option (your first or second print screen)

    Is there a major different? Should role back and set it up this way instead ?

    What we are simply trying to do is give external users a Remote session with a familiar windows7 /windows 10 feel so they can work remotely (Quickbooks etc.. ).

    Right now with the standard Remote Desktop setup, they get the 2012 theme without start menu and can see the admin tools etc.. they get frustrated and don’t want to use it.

    Any advise or guidance will very much appreciated.

  • Serrano
    ITGirl and Cat5 Feb 6, 2018 at 06:22pm

    Why does it always seem like MS can take a 5 second process and make it into 10 min? Thanks for saving me the headache on this one. Due to some Citrix restrictions, I am only just now making 2012 terminal servers for the first time.

  • Pimiento
    jrosique Apr 4, 2018 at 10:09pm

    I am struggling to understand this new RDS. All we want is to provide the same RDC experience my users had with 2008 Terminal Server. I have followed Molan's tutorial as well as many others and can't get it to work. At this point, I am willing to pay anyone (out of my pocket) to get it done.

    Here's the issue, my 200+ users in three countries are used to open remote desktop connection on their Windows desktops and connect to corporate.mypublicdomain.com which resolved to an NLB cluster of two 2008 R2 servers. In my lab deployment there is no NLB anymore (as Connection Broker should take care of the load balancing) so when I connect (using Remote Desktop) to newcorporate.mypublicdomain.com (resolves to the public IP of the RDS Gateway), I am presented with the 'Only members of the Remote Desktop Users group is allowed' message which makes no sense as I am using my domain admin account for testing.

    As I mentioned, at this point, I am ready to pay ayone that makes this thing works. I am tired of roaming the internet searching for answers.

  • Sonora
    Doug7207 Apr 19, 2018 at 08:55pm

    I am having the same problem. I just cannot get RDS to work on this brand new server. I am just going to call Microsoft and pay. I cannot afford to dump any more time down this hole. I am glad MS gets rewarded for making their products next to impossible to configure.

  • Pimiento
    spicehead-r081 Nov 2, 2018 at 07:34am

    Recently, I tried to install using the way mentioned above but getting an exception/error as mentioned below;

    I got Index out of Bound error on the Installation/Deployment Wizard.

  • Pimiento
    spicehead-lw9xi Feb 27, 2019 at 02:54am

    i have struggled with this issue myself until i took the time out and figured out what was missing from our friends explanation. even after configuring all the necessary settings which im sure everyone was able to do yet it still did not work because the missing piece is editing the 'allow remote desktop users logon' under group policy. in defining this policy every user with remote access still has to be included here for the remote desktop service to work, even admins.
    hope im not too late

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Once you have an Remote Desktop Services [RDS] environment setup and want to continue using it past the 120 day trial period you will need to setup the RD Licensing role. This blog post will document how to setup the role, activate the license server with Microsoft, add a license key, then configure RDS with the license.


vBoring Blog Series:

Installing the Remote Desktop Licensing Role:

First the licensing role needs to be installed. On your license server go to Manage -> Add Roles and Features

Click Next

Select Role-base or feature-based installation and click Next

Select the license server from the server pool. Click Next

Scroll down and select Remote Desktop Services then click Next

Click Next without selecting a Feature

Click Next

Select the Remote Desktop Licensing role

Terminal Service License

Click Add Features on the pop up

Click Next

Select the Restart the destination server automatically if required then click Install

Once finished click Close.

Activate Licensing Server:

Now the RD Licensing role is installed we need to activate it with Microsoft. To do this we need to launch the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager.

Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Remote Desktop Services-> Remote Desktop Licensing Manager

Right click your server name then click Activate Server

Click Next

If your computer is connected to the internet leave it on Automatic connection and click Next

Enter your information and click Next

[Optional] Enter additional information and click Next

Check the box to Start Install Licenses Wizard now then click Next

Install Licenses:

If you did not start the Install Licenses Wizard in the previous step it can be access by right clicking your server name in the RD Licensing Manager then click Install Licenses

Click Next

Pick the type of license you want to install. I am installing a retail RDS Server 2012 license. Click Next

Enter your license click then click Add. It should populate the License Codes Entered section if the license key was correct. Click Next

Click Finish to complete the license install.

The license key you just added will show

Add license server to Activate Directory:

Cost Of Terminal Server Licensing For Windows 2012

We can fix the yellow splat next to your license server name. Click on All servers then click Review

Since installing the license server we never moved it to the Terminal Server License Servers group in Active Directory. Click the Add to Group button for this to happen.

It will give you a pop up confirming the add. Click Ok

Now you should see all green. Click Ok

Configuration should now show green with a green check beside your server name.

To confirm the license server is added to the AD group you can check the computer account or the actual Terminal Server License Servers group.

Add License Server to your RDS Environment:

From one of your RDS servers open Server Manager. If the license server is on a different server you must first add it to the server pool by going to Manage -> Add Servers

Enter the name of your license server -> Click Find Now -> Select the server -> Click the right Arrow -> Click Ok

Now the license server is added to the server pool, Click Remote Desktop Services ->RD Licensing

Select the server you added above -> click the Arrow button -> then click Next

Click Add

Once finished click Close

Terminal License Server 2012 R2

RD Licensing now has an icon!

An easy way to validate your RDS license is to open the RD Licensing Diagnoser. Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Remote Desktop Services -> RD Licensing Diagnoser.

You can now see the number of licenses installed and available.

Windows 2012 Terminal Server

You should now have a licensed RDS environment!

Terminal Server License Server 2012 Key

Continue reading – Part 3: Setup RD Gateway Role on Windows Server 2012 R2