Steps to Reset the 120-Day RDP Grace Period
Step 1: Open the Run Dialog
The Run dialog box can be opened by pressing Windows Key + R.
Step 2: Access the Registry Editor
To launch the Windows Registry Editor, type regedit into the Run box and click OK.
Step 3: Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following path:
Navigate to the following path in the Registry Editor:
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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\RCM\GracePeriod
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Step 4: Modify Permissions on the GracePeriod Key
To access Permissions, right-click on the GracePeriod key and choose it.
By default, this key has no permissions set, even for administrators. You will need to take ownership in the next step.
Step 5: Take Ownership of the GracePeriod Key
In the Permissions dialog, click Advanced.
In the text field labeled Owner, click Modify.
Click on Change
Enter: Administrator
Choose the local administrator’s group or the relevant user/group that should manage the key.
Check the options to Replace owner on subcontainers and objects and Replace all child object permissions.
Step 6: Grant Full Control to Administrators
After changing ownership, adjust the permissions by granting the Administrators group full control over the GracePeriod key. Select Full Control in the permissions dialog.
Step 7: Delete the TimeBomb Value or the Entire GracePeriod Key
With the correct permissions set, right-click on the TimeBomb value under the GracePeriod key and select Delete. Alternatively, you can remove the entire GracePeriod key from the Registry.
Step 8: Confirm Deletion
Confirm that you want to delete the registry entry.
Step 9: Restart the Server
Restart your server. After rebooting, the full 120-day grace period for your RDP server will be reset, allowing continued use in your lab environment.
Step 10: Adjust Group Policy Settings
Type gpedit.msc in the Run dialogue box once more after restarting.
Go to Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Connections to open the Remote Desktop Session Host.
Enable Limit number of connections and set it to 999999.
- Go to Search Section and type “CMD”
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
- Type “gpupdate /force” and Press Enter.
- Let’s Reboot your server once.
