Hi Johnson Fu,
I’m following up to check whether the issue has been resolved. Feel free to reply if you need further information. If the information provided was helpful, please click "Accept Answer" to help others in the community. Thank you!
How to revert downgraded RDS license from Windows 2019 to Windows 2022
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(80, 42%, 17%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EJF%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Johnson Fu
0
Reputation points
how to install Microsoft Remote Desktop license?
background: we have old RDS licensing installed on Windows 2019, purchased RDS license was in Windows 2022 but downgraded to Windows 2019. Now we have built new RDS licensing in Windows 2022 I got the below from activate.microsoft.com, I was asking "manage client access license", submitted source and target license server ID and the original license code of 25 character: (i selected license pack). I tried and it can install windows 2019 RDS cal but not we expect.
I have another license information (p/n in windows server 2022 remote desktop services 1 user CAL:, Qty 45, DG7GMGF0D7HX:0009) but dunno how to use.
Windows for business | Windows Server | Devices and deployment | Licensing and activation
2 answers
Sort by: Most helpful
-
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(172.8, 86%, 26%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EJN%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Jason Nguyen Tran 21,615 Reputation points Independent Advisor2026-07-03T04:26:40.38+00:00 -
Jason Nguyen Tran 21,615 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2026-07-02T07:14:53.9866667+00:00 Hi Johnson Fu,
Let me clarify how RDS CALs work across versions and what you can do next.
When you purchase RDS CALs for Windows Server 2022, you can downgrade them to work with a Windows Server 2019 license server. That’s why you were able to install them successfully on 2019. However, once you’ve built a new RDS licensing server on Windows Server 2022, you should install the CALs in their native version (2022) rather than trying to reapply the downgraded 2019 pack.
Here’s the recommended approach:
- Use the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) or your CSP portal to retrieve the correct license information for the Windows Server 2022 RDS CALs.
- On your Windows Server 2022 RDS Licensing Manager, choose Activate Server first if you haven’t already.
- Then select Install Licenses and enter the license program (CSP, Open, or Select) and the agreement information. For CSP, you’ll need to use the license pack details provided (like the part number DG7GMGF0D7HX:0009 and quantity 45).
- The 25-character license code you mentioned earlier is tied to the downgraded 2019 installation. For the new 2022 server, you should use the 2022 CAL pack information instead.
Important notes:
CALs are version-specific but backward compatible. A 2022 CAL can connect to 2019 or 2022 servers, but a 2019 CAL cannot be upgraded forward to 2022.
If you encounter issues with the CSP license entry, you may need to contact your licensing provider or Microsoft Support to have the license pack reissued for the 2022 server.
In short: activate the new 2022 license server, install the 2022 CAL pack using the CSP details, and avoid reusing the downgraded 2019 key. That should align your environment correctly.
I hope the response provided some helpful insight. If you find this answer useful, please hit “accept answer” so I know it addressed your concern.
Jason.