Cannot restart CF 2023 after updating license and removing proxy settings

Do you mean your cf service won't start? Your scenario may differ than Dordrecht's. First, is your failure immediate or delayed like his was? 

Also, his issue was rooted in being on a server without internet access, such that the licensing server could not be reached. Is that your situation also?

And he had previously configured the cf admin to use a proxy to enable that access...but then he removed it--and made other changes to his jvm config, such that he could no longer access the admin in order to add back that proxy setting. Is that your situation?

Most important (and regardless of your answer above), as Abhishek noted, did you try starting cf from the command line? That can be very informative. If so, what specific error do you get?

Some problems that exhibit the same inability of cf to start have VERY different causes, such as if you or someone had recently updated the Java that Cf uses. Had you done that, or made any other change? Updating cf itself, perhaps? Or making cf admin changes to jvm args, or perhaps importing cf admin settings from elsewhere?

Note that someone could have made any such a change even weeks ago with the problem only presenting itself on the first cf restart since then. 

Let us know also if this is prod or not. I'm seeing this as I am literally about to sleep. I'll stay up 15 more mins in case you might want to meet online. I'm confident I could have you backup within 15 mins of meeting together. Or I can can meet in the morning (US time). More on my rates, approach satisfaction guarantee online calendar and more at carehart.org/consulting.

Or maybe someone else, even Adobe, may respond to be available to help overnight. They do always respond to email to that address in my experience, and often they reply to posts here. It may not be immediate, but it may be overnight US time. (Only those who pay for support get an SLA for their urgent assistance.)

@AbhishekJha my problem is resolved, thanks to you! A segment of the output is below.

After about 7 minutes of waiting for the bat file to run, but with no good progress through the license checking/failing , I started seeing indications that CF server was running. I was able to load the cf admin and enter the proxy settings. After stopping cfstart.bat, I was able to start CF Application Server in Services.

In the meanwhile I also looked at Windows event viewer and found previous CF errors, "The ColdFusion 2023 Application service could not be started within 240 seconds..." So, what appears to have happened is that CF was taking SO LONG to validate the license before giving up that Windows services was timing out. 

Much appreciated!!!
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Sep 25, 2025 4:16:26 PM org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationContext log
INFO: ColdFusionStartUpServlet: ColdFusion: VM version = 17.0.6+9-LTS-190
Sep 25, 2025 16:16:26 PM Information [main] - Starting logging...
Sep 25, 2025 16:16:26 PM Information [main] - Starting license...
Sep 25, 2025 16:17:54 PM Error [main] - Failed to contact the Adobe Licensing server: {0}
Sep 25, 2025 16:19:02 PM Error [main] - Failed to contact the Adobe Licensing server: {0}
Sep 25, 2025 16:20:10 PM Error [main] - Failed to contact the Adobe Licensing server: {0}
Sep 25, 2025 16:20:10 PM Information [main] - ColdFusion is now running in the grace period.
Sep 25, 2025 16:20:10 PM Error [main] - An error has occurred while validating online.
Sep 25, 2025 16:20:10 PM Error [main] - The activation status is invalid.
Sep 25, 2025 16:20:10 PM Information [main] - Verifying connectivity to Adobe Licensing server.
Sep 25, 2025 16:21:14 PM Error [main] - Failed to contact the Adobe Licensing server: {0}
Sep 25, 2025 16:21:42 PM Error [Timer-1] - Failed to contact the Adobe Licensing server: {0}
Sep 25, 2025 16:22:22 PM Error [main] - Failed to contact the Adobe Licensing server: {0}
Sep 25, 2025 16:22:50 PM Error [Timer-1] - Failed to contact the Adobe Licensing server: {0}
Sep 25, 2025 16:23:30 PM Error [main] - Failed to contact the Adobe Licensing server: {0}
Sep 25, 2025 16:23:30 PM Error [main] - Unable to reach Adobe Licensing server.
Sep 25, 2025 16:23:30 PM Error [main] - Unable to reach Adobe Licensing server.
Sep 25, 2025 16:23:30 PM Error [main] - Offline activation is not allowed for the specified serial key.
Sep 25, 2025 16:23:30 PM Information [main] - Enterprise Edition enabled
Sep 25, 2025 16:23:51 PM Information [main] - Starting crypto...