Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Licensing Description
This policy setting allows you to specify the type of Remote Desktop Services client access license (RDS CAL) that is required to connect to this RD Session Host server. You can use this policy setting to select one of two licensing modes: Per User or Per Device. Per User licensing mode requires that each user account connecting to this RD Session Host server have an RDS Per User CAL issued from an RD Licensing server. Per Device licensing mode requires that each device connecting to this RD Session Host server have an RDS Per Device CAL issued from an RD Licensing server. If you enable this policy setting, the Remote Desktop licensing mode that you specify is honored by the Remote Desktop license server and RD Session Host. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the licensing mode is not specified at the Group Policy level. Note: AAD Per User mode is deprecated on Windows 11 and above.
Registry
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_TerminalServer/TS_LICENSING_MODE Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services]
"LicensingMode"=dword:00000002More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LicensingMode' -Value 2 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_TerminalServer/TS_LICENSING_MODE
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="TS_LICENSING_NAME" value="2"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services' -Name 'LicensingMode' -Expected 2 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LicensingMode' -Value 2 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services' -Name 'LicensingMode' -Expected 2 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1
$path = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LicensingMode' -Value 2 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.