MS Licensing - How to COMPLETELY and PERMANENTLY delete old users.

[haemphyst]

I have yet another issue with my 2K server. I keep getting messages in my logs that the Windows 2000 Server is out of Licenses. I then go to my Administrative Tools in the Control Panel, and check the Licensing. Sure enough there can be as many as 10 bangs! Strange thing is, AT LEAST eight of them are for user or computer logons that no longer exist on the domain. I have revoked them. I have deleted them. I have revoked them, then deleted them. I have made certain the users are no longer listed in the AD Users and Computers, those have never shown up after I deleted them. Example: In AD UandC, I have deleted user WDavies, and his name will re-appear as using a License after every reboot of the DC, BUT it does not show up as JUST WDavies. It also shows up as DOMAINNAME\WDavies in the clients tab of the Licensing window, thusly using two licenses. If I delete him in both locations, when I reboot the server, he will be back in place, even before anybody else can log-on. I was thinking he might have been registered as a Local Admin on the other server, but that is not the case. I have deleted his profiles and all folders with his name on them across the network. I don't really know where else to go with this one. The server is SP3 (I have an application that is incompatible with SP4, according to the software provider.) WDavis was the previous NetAdmin, before me. I inherited this entire mess from him. I have never seen this kind of behavior before... ANY suggestions would be helpful.

e-mail me at ddraper at igalaxy dot net

 

[mlichstein]

Disable the license logging service on all of your servers and get back to enjoying life.

Seriously.

If you have physical proof (read: documentation) that you have enough licenses to cover everyone, that's all you need.

 

[bowfonz]

Does anyone know if there are there any concerns with disabling License Logging when a Terminal Server is being used in Application Mode?

 

[mlichstein]

Not as long as your terminal server license server is activated and has TS CALs available.

 

[NetIntruder]

You will noly need MS License Logging in newer versions of Citrix on top of your TS Server. if you don't have Citrix... I agree - disable it!

~Intruder~

"The Less You Do, The Less Can Go Wrong"

 

[Donkey1]

If you wish to reset your licencing for your servers, follow the following advice from MS:

THIS MUST BE APPLIED TO ALL SERVERS IN YOUR DOMAIN...

1. Stop the license logging service.
2. Delete or rename the following files

system32\Cpl.cfg (purchase history)
system32\LLS\Llsuser.lls (Connection history)
system32\LLS\Llsmap.lls (Group information)

Note: you may not find all the files on all of your servers.

3. Restart the license logging service.
4. Re-add the appropriate license information (DC only).

I do this procedure roughly every 6 months to clear out old users. What happens is that an old user may have connected to one of your servers and the info is not deleted until you carry out the procedure above.

Hope this helps...Andy.