RemoteApp Certificate Warnings After Certificate Renewal
Symptoms
Users launching RemoteApps may experience one or more of the following issues:
"The identity of the remote computer cannot be verified."
"The remote computer could not be authenticated because there is a problem with its security certificate."
"The certificate is not from a trusted certifying authority."
"The publisher of this remote connection cannot be identified."
RemoteApp launch failures.
RD Gateway connection errors.
These issues are typically encountered after an RDS certificate has been renewed, replaced, or has expired.
Cause
This issue occurs when users save a RemoteApp shortcut (.RDP file) locally, such as on their desktop, rather than launching the application directly from the RDWeb portal.
When the RDS certificate is renewed or replaced, the saved shortcut continues to reference the previous certificate information. Because the shortcut no longer matches the current RDS environment, certificate validation fails and connection issues may occur.
Impact
Users may experience:
Security certificate warning messages.
Publisher verification prompts.
RemoteApp launch failures.
RD Gateway connection failures.
These issues will persist until the user obtains an updated RemoteApp shortcut.
Background
Microsoft and other industry vendors are reducing SSL/TLS certificate lifetimes to improve security and promote automated certificate management.
The maximum public certificate lifetime is being reduced as follows:
Effective Date | Maximum Certificate Lifetime |
15 March 2026 | 200 days |
15 March 2027 | 100 days |
15 March 2029 | 47 days |
As certificates are renewed more frequently, users who rely on saved RemoteApp shortcuts are increasingly likely to encounter certificate-related warnings or connection failures.
Resolution
Download a new RemoteApp shortcut from the RDWeb portal and launch the application using the updated shortcut.
Best Practice
To minimise certificate-related issues:
Launch applications directly from the RDWeb portal whenever possible.
If a desktop shortcut is required, download a new RemoteApp shortcut after any certificate renewal or replacement.
Avoid using previously saved .RDP files following certificate changes.
Following these recommendations ensures that the RemoteApp shortcut contains current certificate information and remains aligned with the RDS environment configuration.