Troubleshooting Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation

The Windows Server® 2008 R2 Foundation operating system includes certain licensing limits that affect certain aspects of Active Directory configuration, such as the number of users and trusts. If your configuration is not compliant with these limits, you may receive one or more error messages about checking for licensing compliance. Check the list below for more information about the error message you have received.

Licensing compliance error messages

The left column quotes the most relevant portion of the error message for identification, but not necessarily all of the text in the message.

Error message	Explanation
The server did not finish checking the license compliance. If the server is joined to a domain, make sure that the server can connect to a domain controller.	This error occurs when the server cannot finish checking the number of users. It usually happens when the server cannot connect to a domain controller. You can safely close this message, but you should confirm the connection between the server and a domain controller. The server will not shut down as a result of this issue. If the message does not recur within two hours, the problem is resolved.
The server did not finish checking the license compliance. If the server is joined to a domain, make sure that the server can connect to a domain controller. If the license compliant check cannot be completed, the server will automatically shut down in 0 hour(s) 30 minute(s).	This error occurs when the server cannot finish checking the requirements for the root domain, forest trust configuration, or both. It usually happens when the server cannot connect to a domain controller. Sometimes this error occurs intermittently—if you close the error message and it does not recur within two hours, the problem is resolved. However, if the situation persists, the server will shut down 10 days after the first time the compliance check failed. Each time this error message occurs, it will state the actual time remaining before the server will shut down. If you restart the server after is has shut down because of noncompliance, the server will shut itself down again in 3 days.
The server does not comply with the End User License Agreement (EULA) because it belongs to a domain that contains more than 15 user accounts.	Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation is limited to a total of 15 users in Active Directory Domain Services. The server will not shut down as a result of this issue. For steps to remove user accounts from Active Directory Domain Services, see Delete a User Account (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=150361).
The server does not comply with the End User License Agreement (EULA) because it has more than 15 local user accounts.	Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation is limited to a total of 15 users. The server will not shut down as a result of this issue. For steps to remove user accounts from Active Directory Domain Services, see Delete a User Account (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=150361). For steps to remove user accounts from a workgroup environment, see Delete a local user account (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=150362).
The server detected external Active Directory forest trusts.	The server is in an Active Directory domain that has established a trust with a domain in another forest—which is not allowed in Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation. You should resolve this issue, because otherwise the server will shut down 10 days after the first time the compliance check failed. Each time this error message occurs, it will state the actual time remaining before the server will shut down. If you restart the server after is has shut down due to noncompliance, the server will shut itself down again in 3 days. Resolve this issue by removing any trust with the cross-forest domain. For steps to remove a trust, see Remove a Trust (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=150360).
The server does not meet all of the requirements to belong to the domain.	The server is in a child domain, which is not allowed in Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation. The server must be in the root domain or in a workgroup. You should resolve this issue, because otherwise the server will shut down 10 days after the first time the compliance check failed. Each time this error message occurs, it will state the actual time remaining before the server will shut down. If you restart the server after is has shut down because of noncompliance, the server will shut itself down again in 3 days. To resolve this issue, disjoin the domain, and either leave the server in a workgroup or rejoin the domain at the root. You can find steps to do both in the “Active Directory limits” section of Introduction to Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation.