Windows Server 2012 error "The server process could not be started because the configured identity is incorrect. Check the username and password".

When I disconnect an RDP session without logging off I get an error 8000401a (CO_E_RUNAS_LOGON_FAILURE) "The server process could not be started because the configured identity is incorrect. Check the username and password". This occurs whent the DCOM server is configured to launch as an Interactive User. Previously, this worked on Windows Server 2003.

This is by design due to new session management features of Windows Vista and above OS's.

Reason: Disconnecting a RDP session means "no currently interactive user logged on". This makes sense because an "interactive logon" would mean that someone actually has the ability to respond to some GUI based features should the DCOM server use any GUI items. If you’ve closed down a RDP session then if the DCOM server does require GUI response, it will hang because there is no interactive session to respond to it.

The best possible ways to resolve this is by:

1. Change the identity of the DCOM server from “The Interactive User” to “This User” and then specify that the DCOM server runs as admin or some other domain or local user account.
2. Make sure that someone is physically logged onto the machine or that you continuously have a remote desktop session open.