HOW TO: Deactivate or Reactivate a License Server Using Terminal Services Licensing

This step-by-step article describes how to either deactivate or reactivate Terminal Services Licensing on a server that is running Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Advanced Server. You must activate a license server before it can issue licenses to Terminal Services client computers. Use Terminal Services Licensing to activate a license server. When you activate a license server, Microsoft provides the server with a digital certificate that validates server ownership and identity. If you use this certificate, a license server can make subsequent transactions with Microsoft to receive client licenses for the servers that have Terminal Services enabled. Terminal Services Licensing has already been installed and activated on the server.

How to Open the Licensing Terminal Services Window

Before you perform each of the procedures that are described in this article, you must open the Terminal Services Licensing window. To do so:

1. Click Start, and then point to Programs.
2. Point to Administrative Tools, and then click Terminal Services Licensing.

If you cannot locate Administrative Tools after you point to Programs, start Terminal Services Licensing in Control Panel:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Terminal Services Licensing.

How to Deactivate or Reactivate a License Server

You may need to deactivate a license server if the certificate of the server has either expired or become corrupted, or if you redeploy the server. You are prompted to reactivate the license server when its registration has expired.

How to Deactivate a License Server

1. Open the Licensing Terminal Services window.
2. In the console tree, right-click the license server that you want to deactivate, point to Advanced, and then click Deactivate Server.
3. After the Licensing wizard starts, confirm that your name, your phone number (optional), and your e-mail address that are listed under Information Needed are correct, and then click Next.
   
   Your request to deactivate the license server is sent to Microsoft where it is processed.
   
   NOTE: Your e-mail address is required if you are using the Internet method.
4. Click Finish.

How to Reactivate a License Server

1. Open the Licensing Terminal Services window.
2. In the console tree, right-click the license server that you want to reactivate, point to Advanced, and then click Reactivate Server.
3. After the Licensing wizard starts, confirm that your name, your phone number (optional), and your e-mail address that are listed under Information Needed are correct, and then click Next.
   
   NOTE: Your e-mail address is required if you are using the Internet method.
4. Click the appropriate reason for reactivating the server in the Reason box, and then click Finish.
5. Your request to reactivate the license server is sent to Microsoft where it is processed.

Troubleshooting

• You cannot deactivate or reactivate a license server by using either the fax or World Wide Web connection methods.
• When you use the telephone to reactivate a license server, you receive confirmation that the license server has been reactivated from over the telephone.
• When you use the telephone to deactivate a license server, you receive a confirmation code from the Customer Support representative. Type this code in the appropriate space in the Licensing wizard.
• If you reactivate a license server, a record of your license is retained. Licenses that were already issued remain valid. If you have any unissued licenses, these licensed are also valid, but they must be reissued by Microsoft.
• When you deactivate a license server, you cannot license additional client computers from this server until the license server is reactivated.

For additional information about how to connect your client computers to a Terminal server, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about how to secure your connection between the client and server, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about how to activate a license server, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: