Ulrik Christensen

Ulrik Christensen

How to Log Off Disconnected Users in Citrix Apps and Desktops

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Users in Citrix Apps and Desktops have two different options to leave their apps and desktops. They can log off, or they can disconnect. This article will tell you how and why you should log off disconnected users in Citrix Apps and Desktops.

Why do users disconnect instead of log off their session?

The answer is, because it is convenient. If you disconnect your session, you can at any time reconnect to that same session. That means that you continue to work from where you left. If you were working on a document in Word, then the session will show you that same document.

Why should I log off disconnected users

Because of resources. All the users’ applications are still running in the background and it is using the same resources as if the user is logged on. When users disconnect their session, it still runs in the background with all the applications running.

How do I log off disconnected users in Citrix Apps and Desktops?

The easiest way to do that is to create a GPO in Active Directory. The policy is called “Set time limit for disconnected sessions”. The policy can be created as a user policy and also a computer policy. You can find the policy right here:

The user policy

User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Session Time Limits.

The computer policy

Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Session Time Limits

Log Off Disconnected Users

In the picture above you can see an example where the policy is set to log off disconnected users after 8 hours.

Connect your Local MacOS printers in XenApp

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Getting your printers in your XenApp Session, if you are running can easily be done with a policy in Citrix Studio. But if you want your local MacOS printer in XenApp, you need to do a little more than setting a policy.

Too get your local MacOS printers to work in XenApp, you need to install the print driver for an “HP Color LaserJet 2800” and you need to choose the PostScript driver (PS). If you can’t find the printer driver, even after running Windows Update, you can find it in the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Local MacOS printers in XenApp

The reason why this is necessary is that Citrix UPD needs the PostScript driver to print to both MacOS and Linux. This used to work but the postScript driver that was used earlier in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 is no longer included in the newer versions of Windows.

Customize the Control Panel on XenApp Workloads

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One of the things you do when you lockdown your VDAs in your XenApp environment is restricting access to the control panel. Sometimes it would be a great help for your users and your service desk if you customize the control panel instead of restricting access to it. There are two ways to customize the control panel on your XenApp workloads. I will describe both of them in this article.

Customize the Control Panel with GPO

If you wish to customize the control panel using GPO, navigate to the “Group Policy Management Console” and create a new GPO or edit an existing one. Go to: “User Configuration->Administrative Templates->Control Panel. Find the policy called “Allow only specified Control Panel items” and double-click it.

Customize the Control Panel

Click “Enable” and then click on “Show…”. Add the canonical names of the items you wish the users should be able to see. You can see all the Control Panel items right here -> Control Panel Items

Customize the Control Panel

Customize the Control Panel with Workspace Environment Management

The other way you can customize the Control Panel is using Workspace Environment Management from Citrix. Log in to your WEM administrator console and navigate to “Policies and Profiles”->”Environmental Settings”->”Control Panel”. Check the “Show only specified Control Panel Applets” and add the applets you wish the users should be able to access. You can find the canonical names of the control panel items just below.

Control Panel Items

Applet NameCanonical Name
Action CenterMicrosoft.ActionCenter
Administrative ToolsMicrosoft.AdministrativeTools
AutoPlayMicrosoft.AutoPlay
Biometric DevicesMicrosoft.BiometricDevices
BitLocker Drive EncryptionMicrosoft.BitLockerDriveEncryption
Color ManagementMicrosoft.ColorManagement
Credential ManagerMicrosoft.CredentialManager
Date and TimeMicrosoft.DateAndTime
Default ProgramsMicrosoft.DefaultPrograms
Device ManagerMicrosoft.DeviceManager
Devices and PrintersMicrosoft.DevicesAndPrinters
DisplayMicrosoft.Display
Ease of Access CenterMicrosoft.EaseOfAccessCenter
Family SafetyMicrosoft.ParentalControls
File HistoryMicrosoft.FileHistory
Folder OptionsMicrosoft.FolderOptions
FontsMicrosoft.Fonts
HomeGroupMicrosoft.HomeGroup
Indexing OptionsMicrosoft.IndexingOptions
InfraredMicrosoft.Infrared
Internet OptionsMicrosoft.InternetOptions
iSCSI InitiatorMicrosoft.iSCSIInitiator
iSNS ServerMicrosoft.iSNSServer
KeyboardMicrosoft.Keyboard
LanguageMicrosoft.Language
Location SettingsMicrosoft.LocationSettings
MouseMicrosoft.Mouse
MPIOConfigurationMicrosoft.MPIOConfiguration
Network and Sharing CenterMicrosoft.NetworkAndSharingCenter
Notification Area IconsMicrosoft.NotificationAreaIcons
Pen and TouchMicrosoft.PenAndTouch
PersonalizationMicrosoft.Personalization
Phone and ModemMicrosoft.PhoneAndModem
Power OptionsMicrosoft.PowerOptions
Programs and FeaturesMicrosoft.ProgramsAndFeatures
RecoveryMicrosoft.Recovery
RegionMicrosoft.RegionAndLanguage
RemoteApp and Desktop ConnectionsMicrosoft.RemoteAppAndDesktopConnections
SoundMicrosoft.Sound
Speech RecognitionMicrosoft.SpeechRecognition
Storage SpacesMicrosoft.StorageSpaces
Sync CenterMicrosoft.SyncCenter
SystemMicrosoft.System
Tablet PC SettingsMicrosoft.TabletPCSettings
Taskbar and NavigationMicrosoft.Taskbar
TroubleshootingMicrosoft.Troubleshooting
TSAppInstallMicrosoft.TSAppInstall
User AccountsMicrosoft.UserAccounts
Windows Anytime UpgradeMicrosoft.WindowsAnytimeUpgrade
Windows DefenderMicrosoft.WindowsDefender
Windows FirewallMicrosoft.WindowsFirewall
Windows Mobility CenterMicrosoft.MobilityCenter
Windows To GoMicrosoft.PortableWorkspaceCreator
Windows UpdateMicrosoft.WindowsUpdate
Work FoldersMicrosoft.WorkFolders

How do i get Mail / Outlook to show in the Control Panel

One item is missing from the list above. If you want “Mail” to show in the control panel, you need to add “Mail” in the items list.

How to fix Sharefile StorageZone usage is showing “Migrating”

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Moving files around in Sharefile can sometimes cause that some ASync Operations in the management plane to get stuck. You can see this in the Sharefile management plane under Admin->StorageZones. Under Usage, it says “Migrating”. This can cause that you are unable to upload files to your Sharefile StorageZone.

You need to contact Citrix Support

Before you go any further, you need to create a support case at Citrix. You have to ask for the IDs of the AsyncOperation that you want to cancel and you can only get them by getting in touch with Citrix Support.
Sharefile StorageZone

How to solve the “Migrating” issue with Sharefile StorageZone?

Go to api.sharefile.com and log in with your Master Admin account. You cannot use a regular user account to access api.sharefile.com. Once you are logged in, click on “API Entries -> Asyncoperations” as shown below. Find the box with the headline “Cancel Asyncoperation”. In the box for a String, put in the ID of the Async Operation you wish to cancel.

The only way to get the IDs is by contacting Citrix Support. Once you have the IDs, put them, one at the time, into the box as shown below and click on “Send Request”.

 

Sharefile StorageZone Migrating

Once this is done, you will see that the “Migrating” Status at the Sharefile StorageZone is gone. Your Sharefile StorageZone now works again. Unfortunately, you will need to contact Citrix Support to get this solved. But they know about the issue so that they can resolve it very quickly.

VeridiumID gives Easy and Secure access to Apps and Desktops

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VeridiumID integrates perfectly into Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop and gives users easy and secure access to their apps and data. VeridiumID can be used as the primary authentication or as the second authentication. The whole idea is to avoid users having weak passwords. With Veridium, you are making the users the password by using biometrics on your phone. VeridiumID has an app for iOS and Android.

If you are using VeridiumID as the primary authentication, which is my favorite, you will get presented Storefront like the picture below. You only need to enter your username.

VeridiumID and Storefront

Once that is done, you will get a notification on your phone from the VeridiumID app. Swipe the notification and it will take you to the VeridiumID app and you can authenticate by using fingerprint or FaceID.

Veridium iPhone Notification

The app will give you a message if the authentication is successful or not and based on that, you will get access to your apps and files.

VeridiumID iPhone Success 

How is VeridiumID more secure?

VeridiumID is using biometrics for authentication. This means that the users do not have a password and hackers cannot hack something that does not exist. The whole discussion in the IT Department about the company’s password policy is gone. It is a discussion that has been going for decades. Now you no longer have to worry about that anymore.

ServiceDesk will love you

We have all been there. Not remembering our password. We just came back from a well-deserved vacation and we have no idea what our password is. Most companies do not have a self-service password reset solution, even though talk about it. The only option is to call ServiceDesk and get a new password. People forgetting their password happens more often than you think. All of that is history. Again, with biometrics, you can’t forget your password, because you are it.

If you want to try it out, you can request a demo at VeridiumID’s website.