Problem solve
Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.
Problem solve
Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.
Citrix XenApp 6.5 Mobility Pack reformats apps for Android devices
Using corporate apps on mobile phones can be cumbersome. With the new Citrix XenApp 6.5 Mobility Pack, delivering and using apps on Android devices is simpler. Here's why. Continue Reading
Cloud app vs. Web app -- what's the difference?
What's the difference between a cloud app and a Web app? Gabe Knuth explains the difference between these similar terms and asks readers to share their input on the distinction. Continue Reading
Web apps are browser-based, not browser independent
Web apps aren't a free pass on IT management. Issues such as plug-ins, security settings and browser version requirements mean that managing Web apps can be a lot of work. Continue Reading
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Top 10 desktop virtualization news and tips of 2011
Desktop virtualization grew up in 2011 and SearchVirtualDesktop.com was there to capture all the moments. Here's a countdown of the year's top 10 news stories and tips. Continue Reading
Replacing home PCs with virtualized thin clients
Gabe Knuth imagines a world where ISPs deliver virtualized desktops to thin clients in homes the same way cable and telephone services are provided. It's possible, but practical? Continue Reading
What VDI can -- and can't -- do for you
VDI is not a silver bullet solution to replace the old PC paradigm. Here are some myths surrounding what VDI can do and the truth about better desktop virtualization alternatives.Continue Reading
Tips for running PowerShell against remote Windows 7 desktops
Setting up PowerShell to manage remote Windows 7 desktops can be tricky. These tips help you properly configure PowerShell and use it for remote desktop troubleshooting.Continue Reading
Choosing the right tablets for virtual desktop infrastructure
Planning to deliver virtual desktop tablet devices using VDI? Issues with connection brokers, bandwidth and even screen size could impact performance on these devices.Continue Reading
Five helpful commands for managing Remote Desktop Services
In Windows Server 8, server management will be command-line oriented. Prepare for the shift by learning some commands for managing Remote Desktop Services.Continue Reading
Evaluating remote desktop connection brokers
In part three of our virtual desktop toolbox series, we explain remote desktop protocols and how to choose the best connection broker for your environment.Continue Reading
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Solutions to common remote desktop printing problems
Microsoft Easy Print improved remote desktop printing in Windows Server 2008 R2, but network admins still struggle with printer redirection. Use these tips to fix common problems.Continue Reading
Why using a bare metal client hypervisor on a Mac makes no sense
Apple supports running Mac OS X 10.7 Lion in a client hypervisor VM on Mac hardware, but is there any value in virtualizing the Mac OS with Type-1 products such as XenClient?Continue Reading
Using Group Policy settings to manage Office on virtual desktops
Application management can be tricky in VDI environments, but Group Policy settings give IT a flexible way to manage apps, such as Microsoft Office, on virtual desktops. Here’s how.Continue Reading
More tools for converting PCs to thin clients
You don't need to replace all your PCs to move to virtual desktops. Here are six non-Windows tools to help you convert old hardware to thin clients for desktop virtualization.Continue Reading
Repurposing old PCs as thin clients with Windows-based software
The latest PC-to-thin client conversion tools make repurposing old PCs for desktop virtualization a viable option. Part one of this two-part series covers Windows-based tools.Continue Reading
Weighing the pros and cons of thin clients vs. thick clients for VDI
Thin clients offer advantages over PCs, but you can easily repurpose old PCs to run as thin clients. Before you decide, weigh the pros and cons of thin clients and thick clients.Continue Reading
Virtual Desktop Storage Basics: Storage allocation for VDI
IT pros need to provision storage carefully to keep storage costs low in virtual desktop environments. Part three of this e-book covers proper storage allocation and management for VDI.Continue Reading
VDI vs. traditional desktops: How to get the best of both worlds
You can obtain VDI benefits -- such as application packaging, remote management and desktop access -- from anywhere for a traditional desktop environment. Here’s how.Continue Reading
Google Chrome OS vs. Chromium OS: Understanding the difference
Before buying Google Chromebooks, learn the difference between Chrome and Chromium -- the free HTML5 browsers and OSes you can use to check out desktop virtualization clients.Continue Reading
VDI for one, please! Delivering remote desktops to a select few
If you only need virtual desktops for a few users, you can provide VDI functionality for almost no cost and without any real design effort. It’s simpler than you’d think.Continue Reading
Does VDI eliminate the need for antivirus software?
The combination of VDI and antivirus software for virtual desktops provides significant security benefits compared to traditional PCs.Continue Reading
Using App-V Package Accelerator to virtualize tricky apps
Here are some tips on using the Package Accelerator feature in Microsoft App-V 4.6 SP1 to virtualize tricky apps and pitfalls to avoid when sharing Package Accelerators you’ve built.Continue Reading
What's the difference between XenClient 2 and XenClient XT?
Citrix released XenClient 2 and a new, highly secure client hypervisor called XenClient XT. Here, Brian Madden parses the differences and explains the use case for XenClient XT.Continue Reading
Solving the VDI storage problem
IT pros offer tips on building storage architectures for VDI and express opinions about the best storage products for virtual desktops.Continue Reading
The pros and cons of using storage virtualization for virtual desktops
Thinking of virtualizing storage to improve virtual desktop performance? Here are the pros and cons of storage virtualization for VDI.Continue Reading
Do you need Citrix, or is Microsoft Remote Desktop enough?
Using only Microsoft Remote Desktop Session Host products won’t do unless you have a very simple environment. Here’s why adding Citrix XenApp or Quest vWorkspace makes sense.Continue Reading
VDI: The answer to today's desktop security nightmares
VDI gives IT pros a way to reclaim desktop security, because it puts all desktop data on a secure server. But you also have to secure VDI servers, and that part gets tricky.Continue Reading
Create Windows virtual disk images fast with WIM2VHD
Windows Image to Virtual Hard Disk (WIM2VHD) takes data from .WIM files and spins it into a VHD file in a fraction of the time it takes to actually install WindowsContinue Reading
Choosing VDI connection brokers for high-definition desktops
Third-party connection brokers are vendor-agnostic, giving data center managers a way to deploy VDI in heterogeneous data centers.Continue Reading
The pros and cons of using hosted apps in the enterprise
Hosted applications can reduce IT management burdens, but they can leave you at the mercy of service providers. Here are the pros and cons to weigh before moving to the cloud.Continue Reading
How to tell if you're actually using RemoteFX
Turning on the RemoteFX role service under Remote Desktop Services is simple, but how can you tell if you've connected via RemoteFX or plain old RDP?Continue Reading
Using AppLocker to lock down Remote Desktop Services apps
The time it takes to get AppLocker fully functional negates its benefits, but with Remote Desktop Services, the Windows 7 application security tool is a no-brainer.Continue Reading
Single sign-on enhances VDI user experience
Single sign-on capabilities probably seem unimportant to desktop admins, but SSO can make end users' remote desktop experience much better. Here are some SSO strategies.Continue Reading
Creating a simple VDI backup plan
Knowing what to back up in a VDI environment can save time and ensure that your virtual desktops are always running. Here are some tips on what to back up.Continue Reading
Managing VMware View 4.5 virtual desktops with PowerCLI
VMware View 4.5 supports PowerShell-based extensions, PowerCLI, to manage virtual desktop environments. Here are some useful cmdlets for creating virtual desktop pools.Continue Reading
Backing up apps in Microsoft App-V, Citrix XenApp and VMware ThinApp
Few backup tools target virtualized applications, so here the most important components to manually back up for Microsoft App-V, Citrix XenApp and VMware ThinApp.Continue Reading
Troubleshooting virtual desktop connectivity issues
Users occasionally have trouble connecting to their virtual desktops. These steps in the process of elimination can help troubleshoot network problems as quickly as possible.Continue Reading
Improve virtual desktop performance by tweaking the golden image
Performance far outweighs look and feel for most end users. Here’s how to improve VDI performance by modifying the golden image.Continue Reading
How to make user profiles delete themselves in any VDI environment
Do you need to keep Windows profiles but delete virtual desktops from shared machines? Nonpersistent desktops and these Active Directory tricks can help.Continue Reading
The first hurdle of deploying a VDI environment: The user persona
Ensure the quality of the user experience by properly managing the user persona. These five techniques can help with virtual desktop infrastructure deployment.Continue Reading
The performance impact of distance, bandwidth and latency on VDI
Connection brokers are fine for assigning display protocols to local VDI clients. However, bandwidth, distance and latency make display protocols more important than ever.Continue Reading
Selecting the right conversion tool for your P2V migration
These tools can help you move your physical desktops or servers to virtual machines. See how to select the right one for your environment.Continue Reading
Core Parking for VM host servers in Windows
To get the full benefit of power savings from server and desktop virtualization, follow these steps to use the Core Parking feature in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7.Continue Reading
The layers of desktop virtualization
The 'layer cake' approach for provisioning desktops and associated applications may simplify VDI management.Continue Reading
Calculating power savings from virtualization
A virtual desktop deployment can save your organization a substantial amount of money on its electric bills.Continue Reading
How to measure and maximize virtual desktop performance
Although virtual machine performance is harder to measure than that of conventional desktops, using the right metrics can help with user interactivity.Continue Reading
Integrating Windows 7 into VDI to simplify PC upgrades
The move from Windows XP to Windows 7 is anything but easy. Enterprises can simplify -- and quicken -- their migration by adopting a virtual desktop infrastructure.Continue Reading
How to store user data in Terminal Services
If your organization's session host can't store user data from a Terminal Services environment, a file server for Remote Desktop Services is an alternate option.Continue Reading
Understanding cloud computing, virtual desktops and DaaS
The convergence of virtual desktop infrastructures and cloud computing is leading the market to desktop as a service.Continue Reading
Deploying Remote Desktop Web Access
With Remote Desktop Web Access, users can connect to a remote desktop or an application through a Web browser. Follow these steps to start using the feature.Continue Reading
How to deploy personal virtual desktops
Assigning personal virtual desktops to users is relatively simple. Follow these steps to deploy them in your environment.Continue Reading
Deploying a Remote Desktop Session Host
The Remote Desktop Session Host in Windows Vista and Windows 7 performs the role of a terminal server. Deploying a session host isn't difficult -- if you plan ahead.Continue Reading
Setting up virtual hard disk storage
VMware and Hyper-V can easily connect virtual machines to storage, but it crucial to pick the right method for your enterprise.Continue Reading
Getting started with a Windows virtual desktop pool
Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 make deploying a VDI a breeze. But to establish a virtual desktop pool, you need to properly configure certain elements.Continue Reading
Simplifying Windows 7 rollouts with a virtual desktop deployment
The maturation of desktop virtualization is helping enterprises manage their IT environments, migrate to Windows 7 and ease into cloud computing.Continue Reading
How to build a native-boot VHD for Windows 7 in a few simple steps
Booting natively to a VHD in Windows 7 can be a complicated. This step-by-step guide breaks down and simplifies the process.Continue Reading
The future of application virtualization: The VDI app store concept
Is a virtual desktop infrastructure app store on the horizon? See how VMware ThinApp could change application management.Continue Reading
Unlocking the possibilities of native-boot VHD in Windows 7, Part 2
Virtual hard disks could ease development and testing. Follow these steps and links to get a Windows 2008 R2 or Windows 7 machine to boot natively to a VHD.Continue Reading
Unlocking the possibilities of native-boot VHD in Windows 7
Windows 2008 R2 and Windows 7 include native support for virtual hard disks, making it easier for administrators to use VHDs. Learn how to configure a native boot from those OSes.Continue Reading
How to configure Wyse terminals without console interaction
As virtual desktop infrastructure has become mainstream, Wyse has supported Citrix, VMware View and other virtualization systems. Learn how to configure Wyse thin clients.Continue Reading
How to protect virtual desktops on a corporate network
Virtual desktop infrastructures offer easier management but still require a layered approach to protect corporate networks. Learn what additional security measures you should take.Continue Reading
The top 5 ways that VDI can help improve your enterprise's security
Virtual desktop infrastructure can make enterprise security easier to manage. Learn how VDI can help with tasks such as patching, setting firewalls and protecting against viruses.Continue Reading
Capacity planning for Windows Terminal Services
Capacity planning for the latest version of Terminal Services can be confusing, but the trick is to plan based on how TS will be used.Continue Reading
Manage Remote Desktop Services with Windows PowerShell
Learn how Remote Desktop Services can be managed with PowerShell in Windows Server 2008 R2.Continue Reading
How to set up Remote Desktop Services on Windows 2008 R2
Learn how to install and configure Remote Desktop Services on Windows 2008 R2 to use Terminal Services and Remote Desktop Gateway Manager and test Microsoft's VDI product.Continue Reading
Working with Terminal Services RemoteApp
Learn how to use Terminal Services RemoteApp feature in Windows Terminal Services to host remote applications and access hosted apps, allowing for centralized desktop management.Continue Reading
Dealing with Windows Terminal Services licensing issues
Terminal Services complex licensing requirements -- specifically TS Licensing role service -- can be intimidating. Learn how to choose the most cost-effective licensing scheme.Continue Reading
Planning a Terminal Services Gateway
Terminal Services Gateway is a secure way to access Microsoft Terminal Services remotely but it requires knowing how to work with SSL certificates.Continue Reading
Deploying Terminal Services Web Access
Need to facilitate a remote Terminal Services session? The easiest method to use -- and set up -- is Terminal Services Web Access, a feature of Windows Server 2008.Continue Reading
Managing Terminal Services via Group Policy
Configuring and hardening Windows Server Terminal Services through Group Policy settings improves the server's security and overall performance.Continue Reading
Choosing a connection broker for your virtual desktop
Choosing the appropriate connection broker is tantamount to ensuring the proper management interface, licensing model and virtual server support for your virtual desktop infrastructure.Continue Reading
Configuring Active Directory GPOs in a VDI environment
For an easy transition to virtual desktops, focus on configuring Group Policy Objects for VDI OS images.Continue Reading
Presentation virtualization: The low-complexity alternative to VDI
Virtual desktop infrastructure has its place in data centers but brings several complexities, such as the duplication of desktops and heavy resource needs. But presentation virtualization can provide functionality at a much cheaper price.Continue Reading
How to install Microsoft VDI and key deployment considerations
Installing Microsoft VDI involves certain hardware requirements, the integration of components and some patience. This tip explains how to install Microsoft VDI and key requirements.Continue Reading
Which virtualization licensing model matches your needs?
Presentation virtualization and desktop virtualization differ in functionality, but have similar licensing models. Find out which licensing model is best.Continue Reading
Developing a proof of concept plan for virtual desktops
Refer to these checklists as part of a proof of concept plan when deploying virtual desktops to ensure that your final objectives are organized and clear.Continue Reading
How to determine your virtual machine per-core ratio
Discover industry standards, real-world examples and a sample equation to help you determine how many virtual machines can fit onto a core server.Continue Reading
Defining server-based computing
Server-based computing has been around a long time and it's gaining new visibility as VDI grows in popularity.Continue Reading
Lock down systems by switching to a VDI technology
While admins prefer to lock down systems for stability and to reduce costs, users would prefer to have more freedom. Read why implementing VDI can help find a happy medium for these two groups.Continue Reading
Prepare and protect user profiles before virtualizing your desktop
User profiles are one of the most important aspects of a desktop. Before you can virtualize, though, you need to take some steps to protect those profiles. Learn how in this tip.Continue Reading
Checklist: Key factors in planning a virtual desktop infrastructure
Before you dive into desktop virtualization, you'll need to understand what you can do with this technology, and what your limits may be Learn more in this tip by Anne Skamarock.Continue Reading
How to troubleshoot Terminal Services connection problems
Having a problem with your Terminal Services connection resource limits? Find out how a registry key can help troubleshoot the issue.Continue Reading
The problem with traditional application management practices
App virtualization can be a real benefit to admins, especially when you consider the difficulties that come from more traditional methods of app management.Continue Reading
Application lifecycle management made simple with app virtualization
If application virtualization isn't already on your radar, it probably should be. Danielle and Nelson Ruest break down the basic components of app virtualization and explain how it can be used to simplify application lifecycle management.Continue Reading
Create Virtual PC hard disk with a backup disk image
The easy way to create a fully populated virtual machine for Microsoft's Virtual PC virtualization software is by starting with a backup image of an existing Windows desktop installation. Here's how to do it.Continue Reading
Switching windows using Remote Desktop Connection
How to switch windows using Remote Desktop Connection.Continue Reading
Connecting a TS client to a different port
Are thin clients prone to slow response times and dropped connections?
How do I disable the shutdown option in Terminal Server?
Is there a better way to use Excel in terminal server?
Can I have one machine act as a DC and a terminal server?