Server 2019 and 2022 Remote Desktop Services installation fails: MultiPointServerRole missing

Question

Server 2019 and 2022 Remote Desktop Services installation fails: MultiPointServerRole missing

steven h 101

Hi everyone,

I've just performed a clean installation of Windows Server 2022 and 2019 Standard (fully up to date) and not having changed anything else, I just tried to perform a Remote Desktop Services installation (server manager > add roles and features > remote desktop services installation) but the installation fails with the following error:

Failed:  
Unable to install the role services. ArgumentNotValid: The role, role service, or feature name is not valid: 'MultiPointServerRole'. The name was not found.

As far as I can tell, MultiPointServerRole is A) not installed on Server Core, but I'm not using that (I checked HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Installation Type and B) MultiPoint Services are no longer actively developed.

Especially point B makes it odd to see that MultiPointServerRole is a hard requirement to be able to use the RDS Installation option.

Could anyone point me to the right direction as to how I can solve this? Is this even intended behaviour?

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Answer 1

I managed to solve the issue: apparently in (somewhat) recent time Microsoft has made the configuration of an AD an unavoidable requirement when using the RDS Installation option.

The quick start option will clearly tell you that an AD is required when you want to take that route. The standard option doesn't and fails with the cryptic error from my original post. Once you do configure the server as a domain controller, you're good to go however without any issues.

An odd design decision considering the RDS Installation Quick Start option is aimed at test labs and small environments. Not to mention that the MultiPointServiceRole is no longer actively developed. I expect this RDS Installation behaviour will be changed in the future.

Another reason this is a weird design decision: installing all RDS roles on your domain controller is against best practice standards. So this recent design decision by Microsoft either brings additional and somewhat unnecessary resource requirements to a single server, or requires you to add an additional server as domain controller (and if you like connection broker), depending on your choices. Very odd as this negatively impacts small environments... still, I'll consider this issue resolved.

Answer 2

Nick t0nZ 11

I solved WITHOUT ACTIVE DIRECTORY.

Windows server 2022 here, datacenter edition, fresh install, unique phishical machine in a dedicated Vlan for testing RDP services.

Installing Remote Desktop Services on Windows Server 2022

Resolved in this mode:
installed the new web based "Windows Admin Center"

after used to install the role directly.

now Windows warning about the license of RDP expiring in 120 days, so we have to:
"Install RDS client access licenses"
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/rds-install-cals?source=recommendations

we have first to activate, and after entering licenses.
(retail licenses, USER CAL , not device CAL)

Done, you can now add local userS, adding to Remote Desktop Users Group, and let users connecting !

Henry Allen Larrymore 1 Reputation point

2022-12-20T04:21:16.293+00:00

The installation of "Windows Admin Center" without adding the VM to AD allowed me to install RDS.

Thank you Nickt0nZ-5322!
D, Shawn 0 Reputation points

2024-12-30T18:22:41.1066667+00:00

This also helped me without having to install the AD role. Thank you for the help.

Answer 3

Anonymous

Afraid the MultiPointServerRole died with Server 2016 and is no longer available in Server 2019

--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--

steven h 101 Reputation points

2021-10-19T14:24:53.707+00:00

Thanks for your quick reply Patrick :)

I suspected MultiPointServerRole would be dead and have no intention of using it. As far as I'm aware it was not a requirement to be able to use the Remote Desktop Services Installation wizard before but it certainly is now. The problem is not so much whether or not I want to use MPSR, but the fact that the RDS Installation seems to require it and fails if you don't provide it.

The screenshot below is an illustration of this specific issue:
Anonymous

2021-10-19T14:27:07.55+00:00

Has it been patched fully? Are you saying same thing happens on both Server 2019 and Server 2022?
steven h 101 Reputation points

2021-10-20T06:42:00.687+00:00

That is correct: I've applied all available updates and the servers say they are fully up to date and cannot be updated further. This happened to me on both Server 2019 and 2022.

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Server 2019 and 2022 Remote Desktop Services installation fails: MultiPointServerRole missing

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