"License Manager Error -4 " if MATLAB Web App Server is not stopped before computer is shut down

My MATLAB Web App Server doesn't start automatically and also cannot be started manually after the computer that hosts the server reboots.
The logs show the following error: 

00000044 2025-02-14 10:22:49 0x00000cd8 agent::mdwas E LicenseMgrHandler::initLicenseManager: License checkout failed.
License Manager Error -4
Maximum number of users for MATLAB_Web_App_Server reached.
Try again later.

Troubleshoot this issue by visiting:
https://www.mathworks.com/support/lme/4

Diagnostic Information:
Feature: MATLAB_Web_App_Server
License path: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Licensing error: -4,132.

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

This error indicates that the license was not properly freed before shutdown, and as a result, the license is still reported to be in use. The license they will automatically be released in 2 hours or an admin can use the lmremove utility to free it sooner.

To avoid this, run webapps-stop before shutting down the computer. On Windows systems, you can automate this process by implementing a Windows Task which runs webapps-stop as the "System" user "On an event" (System -> User32 -> Event ID 1074).