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RDS CAL License Issue

DDC 0 Reputation points
2026-06-10T04:49:03.68+00:00

Hi,

Our server was recently reformatted due to a malware infection. As a result, our Remote Desktop Services (RDS) CAL licenses are no longer working. I am unable to reinstall the licenses because I do not have the Key Pack ID. I am new to the company, and the previous IT personnel is no longer connected with us, so I do not have access to the original licensing information.

I have already contacted Microsoft Volume Licensing Support for assistance. However, they were unable to help generate or recover the Key Pack ID due to an error on their end. Instead, they provided us with a temporary 180-day license.

At this point, I am unsure which Microsoft team or support channel can assist us in recovering or reactivating our purchased RDS CAL licenses. Could you please advise on the appropriate team to contact or the next steps we should take to resolve this issue?

Thank you for your assistance.

Windows for business | Windows Server | Devices and deployment | Licensing and activation
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  1. VPHAN 36,170 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-06-10T05:27:01.8266667+00:00

    Hi DDC,

    To permanently reactivate your client access licenses, you must bypass the standard Volume Licensing Support that encountered the error and contact the Microsoft Clearinghouse directly. Before placing this call, work with your company's Global Administrator to log into the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. Microsoft has migrated all volume licensing data to this portal. Have your administrator navigate to the billing section, proceed to the products area, and open the volume licensing tab to extract your original License Program and Agreement Number, which are strictly required to prove corporate ownership.

    Once you have those contract numbers, open the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager on your server, right-click your server name, view its properties, and change the connection method to telephone. This interface will display the specific toll-free phone number for your region. Explain your malware rebuild situation to the Clearinghouse agent and request a manual license recovery. Because the standard support channels failed, the Clearinghouse agents will use their administrative authority to validate your purchase history and issue a new Key Pack ID over the phone, which you can input into your Licensing Manager.

    After installing the new key, you must ensure the server is technically configured to distribute the licenses, as reformatting often strips these internal configurations. Open the Local Group Policy Editor and navigate to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Remote Desktop Services, RD Session Host, and finally Licensing. Here, explicitly set the licensing mode and specify your local server as the license server, which directs the host to actually look at your newly activated key pack. Additionally, you can verify your server's underlying licensing health by checking the registry key at HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\RCM\Licensing Core. This specific registry location is where Windows tracks the internal licensing state and grace period timers, confirming that the machine recognizes the permanent license over the temporary 180-day fix.

    Hope this answer has brought you some useful information. If it did, please hit “accept answer”. Should you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.

    VPHAN

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  2. AI answer

    2026-06-10T04:49:31.75+00:00

    For recovering or reactivating purchased RDS CALs after a server rebuild, the next steps depend on what information is still available and which Microsoft licensing channel was used.

    1. Confirm the licensing program and agreement details
      Use the guidance for volume licensing RDS CALs to identify the License Program and Agreement Number that were used when the CALs were purchased. During RDS CAL activation, the wizard requires selecting the License Program and Agreement Number and then entering either a license code or agreement number. If unsure of the program type, check the Parent program for the License ID on the Contracts page as described in the volume licensing documentation.
    2. Use the Microsoft 365 Admin Center / Volume Licensing channel
      For volume-licensed RDS CALs, all license management (including RDS-related agreements) is now handled through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center volume licensing area. The appropriate support team is the Microsoft Volume Licensing team. Actions:
      • Ensure access to the organization’s Microsoft 365 Admin Center (or the account that replaced VLSC) and verify the RDS CAL purchase under the correct License ID.
      • Use the License Program and Agreement Number in the RDS Licensing Manager “Obtain Client License Key Pack” wizard to request migration/installation of CALs via the Microsoft Clearinghouse.
    3. Migrate or reinstall CALs via Microsoft Clearinghouse
      Once the agreement details are confirmed, use the standard RDS CAL migration/installation flow with the Microsoft Clearinghouse:
      • In RD Licensing Manager, start Manage CALs / Obtain Client License Key Pack.
      • Select the correct License Program.
      • Provide the required license code or agreement number and specify the RDS CAL type and quantity to migrate or reinstall.
      • Submit the request to the Microsoft Clearinghouse (online or by phone). The Clearinghouse returns a license key pack ID.
      • Enter the license key pack ID in RD Licensing Manager to complete the migration/installation.
      If internet activation is not possible, use the telephone option on the Obtain Client License Key Pack page to contact the Microsoft Clearinghouse directly and provide the Remote Desktop license server ID and licensing program details. The Clearinghouse is the correct team to generate a new license key pack ID for the existing CALs when proper proof of license is provided.
    4. If the license server ID changed (post-rebuild)
      If the server was rebuilt and the RD Licensing role reinstalled, a new License Server ID (LSID) may have been generated. In that case, use the Manage CALs option in RD Licensing Manager to migrate existing CALs to the new LSID via the Microsoft Clearinghouse (online or via https://activate.microsoft.com/ as documented). This is the supported path to move existing CALs to a rebuilt server.
    5. When Volume Licensing Support cannot generate the key pack ID
      If Volume Licensing Support has already provided a temporary 180‑day license due to an internal error, the correct escalation path remains within the Microsoft Volume Licensing / Microsoft Clearinghouse channel. Provide:
      • License Program type (Open, MPSA, etc.).
      • Authorization/License ID or Purchase Account Number (for MPSA).
      • Proof of purchase and organization details.
      Request that the case be escalated so the Clearinghouse can issue a replacement license key pack ID tied to the existing agreement. The Clearinghouse is the only supported mechanism to generate or reissue RDS CAL key packs for existing volume-licensed purchases.
    6. Verify RD Licensing configuration after reactivation
      After CALs are reinstalled:
      • Confirm the RD Licensing role is installed and the license server is activated.
      • Verify that the license server has sufficient CALs for all users/devices.
      • Ensure the RDS deployment is configured to use the correct licensing mode and license server.
      If clients still report no CALs or licensing errors, use RD Licensing Diagnoser to identify configuration or compatibility issues and verify that the CAL versions are compatible with the RD Session Host and license server versions.

    In summary, the appropriate teams and channels are:

    • Microsoft Volume Licensing Support (for agreement and License ID validation and access to volume licensing data).
    • Microsoft Clearinghouse (online or telephone via the RDS Licensing Manager wizard) to issue or reissue the license key pack ID and migrate CALs to the rebuilt license server.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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