Let’s have a quick look at How to Deploy Remote Desktop Client using ConfigMgr | SCCM. I normally use this version of the RD client to connect to Windows Virtual Desktop(WVD) session hosts. SCCM can help to deploy RD clients automatically to all the users with WVD access.
I have a more detailed post on how to manually install and configure Windows Virtual Desktop(WVD) related activities for the remote desktop client. well, the drawback of manual installation is that you need to provide administrative access to end-users.
Download Remote Desktop Client
Download the RD Client for WVD from the following links. You can use the downloaded source file to create the ConfigMgr application for the RD client.
Create RD Client App using ConfigMgr
Let’s learn how to create a Remote Desktop application for accessing Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) session hosts.
- Navigate to \Software Library\Overview\Application Management\Applications
- Right-Click on the applications and select Create Application option.
- Summary details of Remote Desktop applications taken from MSI metadata.
Application name: Remote Desktop
Publisher:
Software version:
Deployment type name: Remote Desktop - Windows Installer (*.msi file)
Product Code: {0D305810-09D2-49D9-8AF7-D5459F40BB95}
Installation behavior: Install for user
Content location: \CMMEMCM\Sources\Package Sources\RD Client\
Number of files: 1
Content files:
RemoteDesktop_1.2.1755.0_x64.msi
- Click on the Next to continue.
Enter the following details and click on the next button to continue.
- Name – Remote Desktop
- Publisher – Microsoft
- Command Line – msiexec /i “RemoteDesktop_1.2.1755.0_x64.msi”
- Install Behavior – Install for User
- To exit Create Application Wizard, click on CLOSE.
General Information:
• Application name: Remote Desktop
• Administrator comments:
• Publisher: Microsoft
• Software version: 1.2.1755
• Optional reference:
Categories:
Deployment type name: Remote Desktop - Windows Installer (*.msi file)
Requirement rules:
Content:
• Content location: \CMMEMCM\Sources\Package Sources\RD Client\
• Installation program: msiexec /i "RemoteDesktop_1.2.1755.0_x64.msi"
Detection Method:
• Product code: {0D305810-09D2-49D9-8AF7-D5459F40BB95}
User Experience:
• Installation behavior: Install for user
RD Client Application Created
Let’s confirm whether the RD client application is created or not.
- Navigate to \Software Library\Overview\Application Management\Applications
- Search with “Remote Desktop“.
- Remote Desktop application is created with one (1) deployment type.
Transfer Source Files to Distribution Point
You need to distribute the content (source files of RD client application) to distribution points. Let’s follow the below step to complete the SCCM application distribution process.
- Right-click on Remote Desktop Client package and select Distribute Content option.
- Click on the Next button from Distribute Content Wizard.
- Make sure the following option is selected – Detect associated content dependencies and add them to this distribution.
- Click on the Next button after reviewing the content – The content related to RD Client has been selected, and its associated dependencies will be added to this distribution point.
- The content will be distributed to the following distribution points, Distribution point groups and the distribution point groups that are currently associated with collections.
- From the content destination option – Click on Add button and select Distribution Point to add content to the DP.
- Select the Distribution Point (DP).
- Click on the OK button and then on the NEXT button to continue.
- Click on the Next, Next, and Close button to finish the content distribution of the RD client package.
Content (1): • Remote Desktop Dependencies (1): • Remote Desktop Collections (0): Distribution point groups (0): Distribution points (1): • CMMEMCM.MEMCM.COM
Check the Content Distribution Status
You can check the content distribution status from the following path.
- Navigate to \Monitoring\Overview\Distribution Status\Content Status\Remote Desktop
- Where remote desktop is the application name
- You can check whether the content is successfully distributed to the DP.
Deploy RD Client Application to a Collection
Now, let’s figure out how to deploy the RD client application to a collection.
- Right-click on the Remote Desktop application and select the Deploy option.
- Click on the Browse button to select the collection to deploy the WVD RD client application,
- Select the user collections from the drop-down menu.
- Click on the HTMD User Collection as shown in the following figure.
- Click on the OK and Next buttons to continue.
- Click on the Next button from the content page because we have already distributed the last section’s content.
- Specify settings to control how this software is deployed.
- I’m making this Install and available.
- Click on the Next to continue.
- Specify the schedule for this deployment
- The application will be available as soon as possible by default. If this application should be made available at a different time, change the availability time to the desired UTC.
- Click on Next to continue.
- I keep the user experience and alerts as default settings.
- Click on the Next and then Next button to check-verify the summary.
General • Software: Remote Desktop • Collection: HTMD User (Member Count: 1) • Use default distribution point groups associated to this collection: Disabled • Automatically distribute content for dependencies: Enabled Deployment Settings • Action: Install • Purpose: Available • Allow end users to attempt to repair this application: Disabled • Allow clients to use a metered Internet connection to download content: Disabled Application Settings (retrieved from application in software library) • Application Name: Remote Desktop • Application Version: 1.2.1755 • Application Deployment Types: Windows Installer (*.msi file) Scheduling • Time based on: UTC • Available Time: As soon as possible • Deadline Time: Disabled • Delayed enforcement on deployment: Disabled User Experience • User notifications: Display in Software Center and show all notifications • Ignore Maintenance Windows: Disabled • System restart (if required to complete the installation): Disabled • Commit changes at deadline or during a maintenance window (requires restarts): Enabled Alerts • Enable System Center Operations Manager maintenance mode: Enabled • Generate System Center Operations Manager alert when a software installation fails: Disabled • Create a deployment alert when the threshold is lower than the following: Disabled • Create a deployment alert when the threshold is higher than the following: Disabled
- Click on Next, Next, and Close to exit the wizard.
PolicyAgent.log
I did initiate a user policy sync from ConfigMgr Applet – User Policy Retrieval & Evaluation Cycle in the control panel to trigger the user policy refresh.
The policyagent.log from SCCM client logs.
- Requesting User policy assignments for ‘S-1-5-21-2901188661-3025291148-348095268-500’ from authority ‘SMS:MEM’. IsDomainUser = 1, IsCloudUser = 1
- Raising event:instance of CCM_PolicyAgent_AssignmentsRequested
- Successfully submitted an event to the Status Agent.
- Processing User assignments from ‘SMS:MEM’. The new cookie is ‘2021-03-10 07:50:55.177’.
- Raising event: instance of CCM_PolicyAgent_AssignmentsReceived
Results
Let’s check whether the application is available in Software Center or not.
- I have installed the WVD RD Client application from Software Center.
Resources
- Download RD Client for WVD.
- ConfigMgr Redistribute Content to Distribution Point | SCCM | Package | Best Way
- Deploy Microsoft Store Apps using ConfigMgr | SCCM
Author
Anoop is Microsoft MVP! He is a Solution Architect in enterprise client management with more than 20 years of experience (calculation done in 2021) in IT. He is a blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group HTMD Community leader. His main focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM 2012, Current Branch, and Intune. E writes about ConfigMgr, Windows 11, Windows 10, Azure AD, Microsoft Intune, Windows 365, AVD, etc…