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Nubis Novem

Consulting On Cloud Nine

Tag: networking

Server Name Change Surgery

Say, you have a stand-alone Windows 2008 R2 server that is not part of a domain. You decide that it would make more sense to adjust the server name in the system properties (Computer name – Change) from WinServ1 to a more meaningful WinDevelServ1. After mandatory server reboot you discover that (surprise!) Remote Desktop licensing is not active anymore. A brief error message on dashboard icon makes it clear that you have 120 days to activate the license or else users will lose their ability to connect via Remote Desktop.

What went wrong is one of the gotchas of Windows networking. Server name needs adjustments in various places of the system during name change and the Remote Desktop license server setting is apparently one that they forgot to take care of.

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