Question : Terminal Service Error 7024 and 37

I have recently received this error in the Event Viewer of a Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server.  Which has resulted in some computers not being able to get a Terminal Service connection/license.

Event Type: Error

Event ID: 37

Description: Can't start Terminal Services Licensing because of Error 'Can't initialize Cryptographic - error code 5'

Followed by...

Event ID: 7024 - Error

Description: The Terminal Services Licensing service terminated with service-specific error 3221291009

If I try and start the service manually, these messages repeat.

I have searched the MS KB and found Note #312028 http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=312028, however, this note refers to Windows Server 2000. When I look in the registry, the key mentioned does not appear.

Any help from anyone who might have seen this is greatly appreciated.

- Chris N.

Answer : Terminal Service Error 7024 and 37

Check the NTFS permissions on the folder mentioned in the article (%Systemroot%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\S-1-5-18); the error code 5 in your case is very probably "Access denied". Compare the settings with another machine, and/or check the access either by auditing the folder, or by using Sysinternal's FileMon (http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Filemon.html) to find out which account is trying to access the key and failing.