Super user can't access or recover expired content in Windows Server 2012 R2

View products that this article applies to.

This article describes an issue that occurs on a Windows Server 2012 R2-based computer that has the Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS) role installed. A hotfix is available to fix this issue. The hotfix has a prerequisite.

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Symptoms

Assume that you create protected content and set an expiration date. You enable the AD RMS super user feature for the content. After the content expires, it becomes completely inaccessible to the super user, and becomes permanently irrecoverable. This may cause data loss.

Note Up until Windows Server 2012, the expiration doesn't affect the super user access to the content so that the content access isn't completely lost.

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Resolution

To fix this issue, we have released a hotfix. After you install this hotfix on all AD RMS servers in a Windows Server 2012 R2-based cluster, expiration will only affect access of regular users. However, it won't affect accounts that are granted super user roles on AD RMS. Therefore, accounts that have super user permissions will be able to open expired content, and other users will lose access to the content after expiration.

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Hotfix information

Important If you install a language pack after you install this hotfix, you must reinstall this hotfix. Therefore, we recommend that you install any language packs that you need before you install this hotfix. For more information, see Add language packs to Windows.

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that's described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

If the hotfix is available for download, there's a "Hotfix Download Available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section doesn't appear, submit a request to Microsoft Customer Service and Support to get the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that don't qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft website:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note The "Hotfix Download Available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you don't see your language, it's because a hotfix isn't available for that language.

Prerequisites

To apply this hotfix, you must have April 2014 update rollup for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (2919355) installed in Windows Server 2012 R2.

Registry information

To use the hotfix in this package, you don't have to make any changes to the registry.

Restart requirement

You may have to restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix doesn't replace a previously released hotfix.

File information

The global version of this hotfix installs files that have the attributes that are listed in the following tables. The dates and the times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The dates and the times for these files on your local computer are displayed in your local time together with your current daylight saving time (DST) bias. Additionally, the dates and the times may change when you perform certain operations on the files.

Windows Server 2012 R2 file information and notes

Important Windows 8.1 hotfixes and Windows Server 2012 R2 hotfixes are included in the same packages. However, hotfixes on the Hotfix Request page are listed under both operating systems. To request the hotfix package that applies to one or both operating systems, select the hotfix that's listed under "Windows 8.1/Windows Server 2012 R2" on the page. Always refer to the "Applies To" section in articles to determine the actual operating system that each hotfix applies to.

The files that apply to a specific product, milestone (RTM, SPn), and service branch (LDR, GDR) can be identified by examining the file version numbers as shown in the following table:

Version Product Milestone Service branch
6.3.960 0.17xxx Windows Server 2012 R2 RTM GDR
The MANIFEST files (.manifest) and the MUM files (.mum) that are installed for each environment are

listed separately in the "Additional file information" section. MUM, MANIFEST, and the associated security catalog (.cat) files, are very important to maintain the state of the updated components. The security catalog files, for which the attributes aren't listed, are signed with a Microsoft digital signature.

Version	Product	Milestone	Service branch
6.3.960 0.17xxx	Windows Server 2012 R2	RTM	GDR

For all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2012 R2

File name	File version	File size	Date	Time	Platform
Microsoft.rightsmanagementservices.pipeline.dll	6.3.9600.17996	343,040	25-Jul-2015	22:15	x86

Additional file information

Additional file information for Windows Server 2012 R2

Additional files for all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2012 R2

File property	Value
File name	Amd64_883ec4092ab7c509bb2b49863bcfe9c8_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.17996_none_b84ead0ba4d9539a.manifest
File version	Not applicable
File size	716
Date (UTC)	25-Jul-2015
Time (UTC)	22:21
Platform	Not applicable
File name	Msil_microsoft.rightsman..ntservices.pipeline_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.17996_none_becf38eeee65ddba.manifest
File version	Not applicable
File size	1,681
Date (UTC)	25-Jul-2015
Time (UTC)	22:21
Platform	Not applicable