Windows Server 2022 RDS – 50 User CALs – License Key

Windows Server 2022 RDS User CAL 50 pack: stay compliant on your Remote Desktop session hosts

Remote Desktop Services turns a Windows Server into a shared workspace where dozens of people run applications or full desktops at once. Microsoft licenses that capability separately from the server itself: every user who connects needs a Remote Desktop Services client access license, and this pack provides 50 of them for Windows Server 2022. The Windows Server 2022 RDS User CAL is the exact match for the many US businesses that built terminal servers, RemoteApp deployments and hosted desktops on Server 2022 and now need to license users properly before the 120-day grace period expires or as headcount grows. It is a genuine license, a one-time purchase and perpetual.

We email the license information, a link to Microsoft's Remote Desktop Services documentation and our own step-by-step guide to Remote Desktop Licensing Manager, usually within minutes of payment, seven days a week. The same details are stored under My Account. Every order is covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee and by support from real people who have installed these licenses many times. The license type is shown in the Product Overview table on this page.

Who needs Windows Server 2022 RDS CALs

• Businesses running a Server 2022 terminal server where staff use accounting, ERP, practice management or CAD software over Remote Desktop
• Companies providing remote and hybrid employees a hosted Windows desktop rather than managed laptops
• Organizations publishing a single legacy application through RemoteApp to many users
• MSPs and hosting providers who run Server 2022 session hosts for several client companies
• Any server where more than two people connect by Remote Desktop, since only two administrative sessions are permitted without RDS CALs

What is included and how the license works

• 50 Remote Desktop Services User CALs for Windows Server 2022
• Perpetual license: one-time purchase, no subscription, no renewal
• Per user licensing: each named user connects from any number of devices
• Valid for Windows Server 2022 session hosts and, under Microsoft's version rules, for 2019 and 2016 session hosts as well
• Installed through Remote Desktop Licensing Manager after activating the license server
• Documentation link, installation guide and email support included

User CAL vs Device CAL, and how RDS CALs relate to Windows Server CALs

Choosing between user and device licensing is the first decision in any RDS deployment. A user CAL belongs to a named person and covers every device that person uses. A device CAL belongs to a specific machine and covers everyone who uses it. This pack contains user CALs. Remember also that RDS CALs sit on top of the base Windows Server CAL that every user or device already needs.

Most offices choose user CALs because employees work from more than one device. If your deployment is a set of shared terminals used across shifts, contact us about device licensing before you order.

Version compatibility: 2022 CALs and your session hosts

Microsoft's rule is that the RDS CAL version must be equal to or higher than the session host version. A Windows Server 2022 RDS User CAL licenses connections to a 2022 host and to older 2019 or 2016 hosts, but it cannot be used for a Windows Server 2025 session host. If you have started planning a move to 2025, our Windows Server 2025 RDS 50 User CAL pack is backward compatible with 2022 hosts and saves you from buying twice. If your farm will stay on 2022 through its extended support to October 14, 2031, this pack is the exact match.

System requirements and prerequisites

• A licensed Windows Server 2022, 2019 or 2016 with the Remote Desktop Session Host role installed
• A Remote Desktop Licensing server role, on the session host for small deployments or on a dedicated server for farms
• The license server activated with Microsoft in Remote Desktop Licensing Manager, by automatic connection, web browser or telephone
• Licensing mode set to Per User and the license server specified on the session host through Server Manager or Group Policy
• A Windows Server 2022 CAL for each user, since the base access license is separate from the RDS CAL
• Remote Desktop clients on Windows, macOS, iOS or Android; no special hardware required

Licensing explained: grace period, per-user tracking, transfers

A new Remote Desktop Session Host accepts connections for 120 days without a license server. When that period ends, users are refused until RDS CALs are installed and the host points to the license server, so we recommend installing this pack as soon as the host goes live. In Per User mode the license server records CAL issuance in Active Directory and reports usage; there is no hard lockout when the count is exceeded, but you must hold a CAL for every user who connects, so buy enough 50-packs for your headcount and add more as you hire.

RDS CALs are perpetual and never expire. Because user CALs are assigned to people rather than hardware, they are not bound to a specific server and may be reassigned from a departed employee to a new one under Microsoft's reassignment rules. Transfer rights for the pack itself depend on the license type in the Product Overview table. The session host still needs its own operating system license, such as a Windows Server 2022 Standard license or Datacenter license, sold separately.

Sizing your RDS CAL purchase

Count named people, not concurrent sessions. Microsoft licenses RDS user CALs per user, so a business with 80 staff who ever sign in to the session host needs 80 user CALs even if only 35 are connected at any moment. Include part-time employees, contractors and any service accounts that open interactive sessions. Two packs of Windows Server 2022 RDS User CALs cover up to 100 users and combine on one license server without extra configuration. Administrators who connect only for maintenance use the two built-in administrative sessions and do not consume a CAL.

Where a fixed number of shared devices is smaller than the number of people using them, device CALs may be more economical, and we are glad to help you compare. For the usual case where each employee uses a desk PC plus a laptop or home computer, user CALs are correct and this pack applies.

Order of operations for a new farm

• License each session host's operating system first with a Windows Server 2022 Standard or Datacenter key
• Install the Remote Desktop Session Host role on the hosts and the Remote Desktop Licensing role on one server
• Activate the license server in Remote Desktop Licensing Manager and install this 50-user pack
• Set Per User licensing mode and specify the license server on every session host
• Purchase Windows Server 2022 CALs for the same users, since RDS CALs do not replace them
• Run RD Licensing Diagnoser on each host and keep a record for compliance

Support lifecycle for Windows Server 2022 Remote Desktop

Windows Server 2022 mainstream support ends October 13, 2026 and extended support, with security updates, ends October 14, 2031. A 2022 session host built or maintained today has years of supported life ahead, and Windows Server 2022 RDS User CALs bought now remain valid for that entire period. When the farm eventually moves to 2025, you will need 2025 CALs for the new hosts.

Why buy this key from Software in Store

Software in Store is operated by MAKERS UNITY LLC in Sheridan, Wyoming, an independent reseller not affiliated with Microsoft. We supply genuine licenses that install in Remote Desktop Licensing Manager and back them with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Delivery is by email within minutes in most cases, seven days a week, and support comes from a person who answers every day. Installing RDS CALs trips up many administrators the first time, so our guide covers license server activation and the Install Licenses wizard in detail, and our team stays with you until RD Licensing Diagnoser reports a clean result. See our Why Trust Us page for how we resolve any license that will not install.

Related products

A Remote Desktop deployment needs a server license as well. Pair this pack with Windows Server 2022 Standard 16-Core for a single session host, Windows Server 2022 Datacenter 16-Core for a virtualized farm, and SQL Server 2022 Standard when your published application needs a database. Every server product is listed in the Windows Server 2022 category.

Add the Windows Server 2022 RDS User CAL 50 pack to your cart, pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and the license arrives by email within minutes in most cases. Our How It Works page explains delivery and installation, and the FAQs cover refunds and support hours.