Step 4: Installing and Configuring USB Redirection with RemoteFX

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1

Use the following procedures to install and configure USB Redirection with RemoteFX:

  • Install RemoteFX.

  • Configure the custom RDP settings always use a LAN connection speed.

  • Install the RemoteFX 3D Video Adapter on the personal virtual desktop.

  • Enable USB Redirection in the Default Domain Group Policy setting.

To install RemoteFX

  1. Log on to RDVH-SRV as CONTOSO\Administrator.

  2. Open Server Manager. To open Server Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.

  3. Under the Roles Summary heading, click Add Roles.

  4. On the Before You Begin page of the Add Roles Wizard, click Next.

  5. On the Select Server Roles page, select the Remote Desktop Services check box, and then click Next.

  6. On the Introduction to Remote Desktop Services page, click Next.

  7. On the Select Role Services page, select the RemoteFX check box. The Core Services check box is automatically selected when RemoteFX is installed.

  8. On the Confirm Installation Selections page, verify that the RD Virtualization Host role service will be installed, and then click Install.

  9. On the Installation Results page, you are prompted to restart the server to finish the installation process. Click Close, and then click Yes to restart the server.

  10. After the server restarts and you log on to the computer as CONTOSO\Administrator, the remaining steps of the installation finish. When the Installation Results page appears, confirm that installation of the RD Virtualization Host role service succeeded, and then close Server Manager.

Note

You may see warnings on the Installation Results page. For the purposes of this guide, you can safely ignore these warnings.

Note

You can also configure the RDP settings on a client computer by using Remote Desktop Connection. To do this, in the Local Resources tab, under the Local devices and resources heading, choose the devices to be redirected.

To configure the custom RDP settings

  1. Log on to RDCB-SRV as CONTOSO\Administrator.

  2. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Remote Desktop Services, and then click Remote Desktop Connection Manager.

  3. Expand RD Virtualization Host Servers.

  4. Right-click Personal Virtual Desktops, and then click Properties.

  5. Click the Custom RDP Settings tab.

  6. In the Custom RDP settings box, type connection type:i:6, and then click OK.

  7. Also in the Custom RDP settings box, type usbdevicestoredirect:s:*;{6bdd1fc6-810f-11d0-bec7-08002be2092f}, and then click OK.

Note

The usbdevicestoredirect RDP file setting automatically redirects all devices that do not have drivers installed on the client computer or if the device does not have another method for redirection. If you want to control which devices are redirected, you can add the interface class GUID for each device. This forces the device to be redirected by using USB redirection in RemoteFX even if another type of redirection is available. To add more than one device, each interface class GUID must be separated by using a semicolon.

Instead of configuring the custom RDP settings, you can give your users the option to configure their connection speed when they log on to the RD Web Access server. This is configured by editing the web.config file on the RDCB-SRV server.

To show the connection speed check box

  1. Log on to RDCB-SRV as CONTOSO\Administrator.

  2. Navigate to C:\Windows\Web\RDWeb\Pages.

  3. Double-click the web.config file.

  4. Under AppSettings, change the following settings to true.

    • <add key="ShowOptimizeExperience" value="true" />

    • <add key="OptimizeExperienceState" value="true" />

  5. Save the file, and then close Notepad.

To install the RemoteFX 3D Video Adapter

  1. Shut down the PVD1-CLNT virtual desktop.

  2. Open Hyper-V Manager. To open Hyper-V Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Hyper-V Manager.

  3. Under Virtual Machines, right-click pvd1-clnt.contoso.com, and then click Settings.

  4. Click Add Hardware.

  5. In the Select the devices you want to add box, click Synthetic 3D Video Adapter, and then click Add.

Important

You can also choose a maximum number of monitors and a maximum monitor resolution. For the purposes of this guide, we use the default settings. For more information on the amount of dedicated video memory that is required for a maximum number of monitors and a maximum resolution, see the Hardware Requirements topic (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=191918) in the Windows Server 2008 R2 Technical Library.

  1. Click OK to add the RemoteFX 3D Video Adapter.

  2. Under Virtual Machines, right-click pvd1-clnt.contoso.com, and then click Start.

  3. Under Virtual Machines, right-click pvd1-clnt.contoso.com, and then click Connect.

  4. Log on to the PVD1-CLNT computer as a member of the local Administrators group.

  5. The RemoteFX 3D Video Adapter driver will install. When a dialog box that asks you to restart the computer appears, click Restart Now.

Important

After the virtual machine restarts, you will see a black screen on the virtual machine console with the message “Video Remoting was disconnected. The virtual machine is using the 3D video adaptor, which is not supported by the Virtual Machine Connection console.” This is expected, and you will not be able to log on to the virtual machine from the Virtual Machine Connection. You will be able to remotely log on to the virtual machine by using an account that is a part of the Remote Desktop Users group on the virtual machine.

To enable USB Redirection in the Default Domain Group Policy setting

  1. Log on to CONTOSO-DC as CONTOSO\Administrator.

  2. Open the GPMC. To open the GPMC, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Group Policy Management.

  3. Expand Forest: contoso.com, expand Domains, and then expand contoso.com.

  4. Right-click Default Domain Policy, and then click Edit.

  5. Navigate to Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Connection Client\RemoteFX USB Device Redirection.

  6. Double-click Allow RDP redirection of other supported RemoteFX USB devices from this computer.

  7. Select the Enabled option, and then select Administrators and Users in the RemoteFX USB Redirection Access Rights box.

  8. Click OK.

Important

After the group policy setting is configured, you must run gpupdate /force from an elevated command prompt on the PVD1-CLNT computer, and then restart the PVD1-CLNT computer.

You have installed and configured USB Redirection with RemoteFX. Now you can proceed to Step 5: Verifying USB Device Redirection with RemoteFX Functionality.