All posts in category Windows Server 2022

Webinar: Certificate Automation in Practice – A Technical Deep Dive

If you manage Windows Server workloads that require public TLS certificates like Always On VPN, DirectAccess, Remote Desktop Gateway, Internet Information Services (IIS), and others, you know that certificate expirations don’t send friendly reminders. Certificates expire quietly. Too often, end users are the ones who sound the alarm—when resources are already unavailable. Of course, this never happens at a convenient time. It’s usually the middle of the night, on the weekend.

Current State

Most Windows IT teams are still managing certificates the same way they did years ago, using spreadsheets, calendar reminders, and an assortment of renewal scripts. It usually works… until it suddenly doesn’t.

Free Webinar

I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be joining Todd Gardner from CertKit for a free live webinar on Tuesday, June 16, at 11:00 AM CDT, in which we will break down the following:

Why certificate mismanagement causes so much pain at scale
How to build real automation that works across your full environment, including internal services and vendor appliances
A live demonstration of CertKit showing end-to-end discovery, monitoring, and automated renewal

There will also be time for live Q&A, so bring your questions!

Join Us!

If you’re tired of patching the problem with fragile scripts and assorted reminders, join us to learn about a fully automated solution that can dramatically improve the situation. Register now and don’t miss this opportunity to reduce your TLS certificate management burden and end the need for 2 AM certificate renewal fire drills.

Webinar Details

Webinar: TLS Certificate Automation for Windows Infrastructure
Hosts: Todd Gardner (CertKit) and Richard Hicks (Richard M. Hicks Consulting, Inc.)
Date: Tuesday, June 16
Time: 11:00 AM CDT
Registration: Click here to register!

Recording

If you are unable to attend the live session, be sure to register to receive a link to the recorded session for on-demand viewing.

REMINDER: Windows Server 2016 End of Life January 2027 – Plan Your AD CS Migration Now

With just over six months remaining before Windows Server 2016 reaches end of support, now is the time to begin planning migrations for workloads hosted on this platform. Mainstream support ended on January 11, 2022, and Windows Server 2016 has since remained in extended support. However, extended support ends on January 12, 2027. After that date, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates or technical support, increasing the risk of running production workloads due to exposure to newly discovered vulnerabilities and exploits.

Active Directory Certificate Services

Many organizations are still running critical infrastructure on Windows Server 2016. Administrators often delay upgrading Microsoft Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) due to its complexity. However, a well-planned AD CS migration not only reduces risk but also provides an opportunity to modernize cryptography, certificate templates, and operational practices.

Certificate Authorities

Administrators must carefully migrate Certificate Authorities (CAs) running on Windows Server 2016 to minimize downtime. In environments where ongoing CA maintenance has been limited, migrating the CA database can be especially challenging. If the CA is installed on a domain controller, now is a good time to consider separating these services to ensure reliable operation. Also, it’s a good idea to evaluate the CA’s configuration and security posture during migration to enhance security and improve service resilience.

NDES Servers

Microsoft Network Device Enrollment Services (NDES) servers, commonly deployed to facilitate certificate enrollment via Microsoft Intune, pose a unique challenge during migration. Unfortunately, configuring NDES is exceedingly complex and error-prone. NDES relies on a delicate combination of specialized IIS configuration, AD service accounts, custom certificate templates, and CA permissions, making even minor changes risky without proper planning. Not surprisingly, administrators are often hesitant to touch these systems as they are notoriously difficult to troubleshoot when problems arise.

Pro Tip: We spend an entire day covering NDES configuration in the Mastering Enterprise PKI Certificates with Microsoft Intune training course. The next session is September 1-3, 2026. Register now!

Intune Certificate Connectors

Don’t overlook Windows Server 2016 servers with the Intune Certificate Connector installed. Fortunately, this is one of the more manageable workloads to migrate. All that’s required is to install new connectors on supported servers and delete the old ones.

Summary

With extended support for Windows Server 2016 ending on January 12, 2027, organizations running production workloads—especially critical infrastructure such as Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS), Certificate Authorities (CAs), and NDES servers—face significant security risks from unpatched vulnerabilities once the OS reaches end-of-life. Careful migration planning to newer versions such as Windows Server 2022 or 2025 is essential to minimize downtime, improve security posture, and ensure long-term resilience.

Start Planning Now

Don’t leave these mission-critical infrastructure services to the last minute! Begin planning your migration today. If you’d like expert guidance, I have many years of experience migrating these workloads. I have developed specialized tools and techniques to ensure a smooth, secure, and successful transition. Fill out the form below to schedule a free one-hour consultation to assess your Windows Server 2016 AD CS workloads, identify migration risks, and outline next steps.

Additional Information

Windows Server 2016 Lifecycle Policy

PKI Fundamentals with Microsoft Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) Online Training Course

Mastering Enterprise PKI Certificates with Microsoft Intune Online Training Course

Troubleshooting NDES Error 0x80094800 Unsupported Cert Type on Windows Server 2025

With Windows Server 2016 fast approaching end of life (EOL – January 2027) I’ve been helping many customers get their existing Network Device Enrollment Service (NDES) server upgraded to Windows Server 2025. In the past I’ve had few problems deploying NDES on Windows Server 2016, 2019, and 2022. However, NDES deployments on Windows Server 2025 have proven more challenging. Unlike previous releases, many installations fail during initial configuration with little indication of the underlying cause. The error described below is quite common, in my experience.

Unsupported Cert Type

When configuring the NDES role on Windows Server 2025, administrators may encounter an installation failure with the following error message.

Failed to enroll RA certificates. The requested certificate template is not supported by this CA. 0x80094800 (-2146875392 CERTSRV_E_UNSUPPORTED_CERT_TYPE)

Investigation

Inspection of the issuing CA confirmed that the required NDES certificate templates had been published successfully and were visible on the target issuing CA server.

After confirming the templates were published, I validated connectivity between the NDEs server and the issuing CA to rule out communication issues.

certutil.exe -config <servername\commonname> -ping

Root Cause

Although the precise root cause remains unclear, the issue appears related to timing or object availability during NDES configuration. In many cases it behaves like a delay in template publication visibility, Active Directory replication latency, or another dependency timing issue encountered during setup.

Note: This error can also occur if the administrator is not a member of the Enterprise Administrators group, or if the security permissions on these default templates has changed.

Recovery

Fortunately, if you encounter this issue you can usually just remove the configuration using PowerShell and run it again.

Uninstall-AdccsNetworkDeviceEnrollmentService -Force

However, in my experience running the installer again results in another error, usually the 0x80070003 ‘Path Not Found’ error. If that happens, see my published guidance for recovering from this error here.

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2026/05/26/troubleshooting-ndes-error-0x80070003-path-not-found-on-windows-server-2025

While recovery is usually straightforward, preventing the issue entirely is preferable.

Recommendation

I recommend publishing the required templates on the target issuing CA before proceeding with the NDES configuration. Publishing these templates manually before running NDES configuration ensures they are already visible and available to the CA, potentially avoiding timing-related enrollment failures during setup. The following default templates are required for NDES configuration.

IPsec (Offline request)
CEP Encryption
Exchange Enrollment Agent (Offline request)

Note: Best practice is to remove these templates after configuration because they are intended only for NDES registration authority enrollment and are not typically required for ongoing issuance.

Summary

When deploying NDES on Windows Server 2025, administrators may encounter the 0x80094800 CERTSRV_E_UNSUPPORTED_CERT_TYPE error even when the required templates appear correctly configured. Although the exact cause remains uncertain, the issue appears related to timing or template availability during setup. In most cases, removing and re-running the NDES configuration resolves the problem, while pre-publishing the default NDES templates before configuration can help prevent it entirely.

Additional Information

Troubleshooting NDES Error 0x80070003 Path Not Found on Windows Server 2025

Intune PKCS and SCEP Certificate Validity Period

TRAINING: Mastering Enterprise PKI Certificates with Microsoft Intune

2 Comments

by Richard M. Hicks on May 26, 2026 • Permalink

Posted by Richard M. Hicks on May 26, 2026

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2026/05/26/troubleshooting-ndes-error-0x80094800-unsupported-cert-type-on-windows-server-2025/

Richard M. Hicks Consulting, Inc.

Microsoft MVP

TechMentor 2026

Consulting

Pluralsight

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