Event 38, Server Infrastructure Licensing

Question

The User Count Check detected a condition in your environment that is out of compliance with the licennsing policy. This server will be automatically shut down if the issue is not corrected in 2 day(s), 6 hour(s), 30 minute(s). Please look for additional events for User Count Check to

Answer 1

Hello,

Event ID 38 from Server Infrastructure Licensing is a critical compliance alert. It means the server has detected that the number of users or connections exceeds the licensed limit defined by your current edition or CAL (Client Access License) configuration. The “User Count Check” is part of the Remote Desktop Services licensing enforcement mechanism. When this condition is triggered, the system starts a countdown and will forcibly shut down the server if the licensing violation is not corrected.

The first step is to check the RD Licensing Diagnoser (rdlicmgr.msc) and confirm whether you have enough CALs installed and activated for the number of users connecting. If you are running Windows Server in RDSH mode without a properly configured RD Licensing server, the system defaults to a grace period. Once that grace period expires, you see exactly this type of event. You should also verify the role configuration: if the server is acting as a Session Host, it must be paired with a valid RD Licensing server that has CALs installed.

If you are not intentionally running Remote Desktop Session Host for multiple users, this error can also appear if the role was mistakenly installed. In that case, removing the RDSH role will stop the licensing enforcement and the shutdown countdown. If you do require RDSH, you must purchase and install the correct number of RDS CALs, then activate them on your RD Licensing server.

There is no supported way to bypass this check. Microsoft enforces licensing compliance at the OS level, and the only remedies are either correcting the role configuration or ensuring that valid CALs are installed and activated. If you ignore the warning, the server will shut down automatically once the countdown expires.

I hope you've found something useful here. If it helps you get more insight into the issue, it's appreciated to accept the answer. Should you have more questions, feel free to leave a message. Have a nice day!

Domic Vo.

Answer 2

The event indicates that the server’s Remote Desktop Services (RDS) licensing or related server infrastructure licensing is out of compliance and that, under the soft‑enforcement policy, the server will be forced to shut down if the issue is not fixed within the stated grace period. This is similar in nature to RDS soft‑enforcement behavior where users are warned and then disconnected when licensing is misconfigured or unavailable.

To prevent shutdown, the licensing problem must be corrected before the countdown expires. Use the following checks, which align with how RDS licensing soft enforcement works:

1. Verify the licensing service is running
   • On the licensing server, open Services.msc.
   • Locate Remote Desktop Licensing (or equivalent licensing service) and ensure its status is Running.
   • If it is Stopped, start it and set Startup type to Automatic.
2. Confirm the correct licensing role and server assignment
   • Open Server Manager on the server.
   • Go to Remote Desktop Services → Overview.
   • In Deployment Servers, verify that the RD Licensing role is installed on the correct server and is listed properly.
3. Check licensing configuration (mode and license servers)
   • In Server Manager on the RD Connection Broker or RD Session Host:
     1. Select Remote Desktop Services → Overview.
     2. Under Deployment Overview, select Tasks → Edit Deployment Properties.
     3. Select RD Licensing and verify:
        • The licensing mode (Per User or Per Device) matches the CALs purchased and installed.
        • The license servers list includes the correct RD Licensing server(s).
     4. Correct any mismatch and select OK.
4. Validate Group Policy licensing settings
   • If licensing is managed via Group Policy:
     1. Open the Group Policy Management Console (domain GPO) or Local Group Policy Editor (server‑local).
     2. Navigate to:
        Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Remote Desktop Services → Remote Desktop Session Host → Licensing.
     3. Check:
        • Licensing mode (Per User / Per Device).
        • Configured license server names.
     4. Fix any incorrect values and allow Group Policy to refresh.
5. Confirm registry licensing configuration (if needed)
   • If Group Policy is used, check:
     • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services
       • LicenseServers (string)
       • LicensingMode (DWORD)
   • If configured via Server Manager instead of GPO, check:
     • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\RCM\Licensing Core
       • LicensingMode (DWORD)
     • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\TermService\Parameters\LicenseServers\SpecifiedLicenseServers
       • SpecifiedLicenseServers (multi‑string, if present)
   • Ensure these values match the intended licensing mode and correct license server names.
6. Ensure CAL versions and connectivity are correct
   • Confirm that the installed CAL version is compatible with the RD Session Host and RD Licensing server versions.
   • Check firewalls between RD Session Host(s) and the licensing server and ensure required RDS ports are open as per the documented RDS port requirements.
7. Check for domain/trust issues
   • If RD Session Host, RD Licensing server, and users are in different domains or forests, verify that trusts are configured according to RDS licensing best practices so that license issuance and user/device counting work correctly.
8. Review Event Logs for related errors
   • Open Event Viewer and review Application and System logs for additional licensing‑related events (for example, User Count Check, RD Licensing, or certificate/certificate‑store issues) that may indicate why the environment is considered out of compliance.

If the configuration is corrected and the licensing server is healthy, the countdown and forced shutdown behavior should stop. If the environment is correctly licensed and configured but the event continues to appear, contact Microsoft Support and provide the relevant event log entries and configuration details.

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References:

• "Your session will be disconnected in 60 minutes" message when you connect to RDS