WVD Change Default Desktop Friendly Name Remote Desktop

I don’t like the default name (Default Desktop) shown in the WVD client portal under the desktop icon. Let’s try to change the default desktop name and give a more user-friendly name to the remote desktop icon (Default Desktop).

Let’s learn how to provide a more user-friendly name to WVD remote desktop icons in WVD ARM-based (a.k.a WVD v2) deployments. It’s a bit different from how this is handled in WVD classic version.

Issue

Well, it’s not a WVD technical issue, rather it’s a user experience issue. I think it’s always better to keep a more user-friendly name. When a user logs on to the WVD client portal or RD client, the user can see the remote desktop icon name as “default desktop“.

There was a requirement from a client that they want to change the name of the remote desktop icon from Default Desktop to ABC Desktop.

Default Desktop – Friendly Name

Let’s find out the details to understand where the name “Default Desktop” is coming from.

• Launch Azure Portal – portal.azure.com
• Search with “Windows Virtual Desktop“.
• Click on the Windows Virtual Desktop icon as shown in the below screenshot.

• Click on Host pools icon (#2)
• Select the Host Pool (#3) that is having the issue with a friendly name.
• Click on Application Groups (#4)
• Click on the Application Groups Name (#5)

• Now we are on the Application Group blade in the Azure portal.
• Click on the Properties tab.
• On the right side of the blade – You can see the Friendly Name of Remote Desktop ICON.
  • Check what is the name shown under Friendly Name = Default Desktop.

Fix

All the users assigned to the particular host pool shall get the same name for the shortcut. We don’t have an option to give a separate remote desktop name for each individual users assigned to the host pool.

NOTE! – You have an option to change the host pool friendly name, however, that might NOT help to change the remote desktop icon name.

NOTE! – Host Pool name cannot be changed, you can only change the “FriendlyName”. Typically, we would expect desktop sessions to consume more resources (RAM, Network, etc.) since you’re able to launch more applications and services. More details here.

So to change the name of the Remote Desktop icon within the host pool, you need to follow the steps explained below.

• Follow the steps mentioned in the above section👉 Default Desktop – Friendly Name.
• Now we are on the Application Group blade in the Azure portal.
• Click on the Properties tab.
• On the right side of the blade – You can see the Friendly Name of Remote Desktop ICON.
  • Check what is the name shown under Friendly Name = Default Desktop.

• Change the Friendly name to ABC Desktop as I showed below.
• Click on the Save button to confirm the changes.

• You can also change the name from Applications Blade.
• Click on SessionDesktop from the ARM-based WVD portal.
• Change the Display name to ABC Desktop.
• Click on the Save button to complete.

Results

• Let’s launch the WVD client portal or RD client.
• Select the Workspace (WVD Tenant in WVD Classic world).
• Check the name of the remote desktop icon – As you can in the below screen capture now it’s changed to ABC desktop.

Resources

• Get started with the web client – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/clients/remote-desktop-web-client
• Install Subscribe Windows RD Client for WVD End User Step by Step Guide
• Microsoft VDI Story WVD Concept Setup Guide Myths Known Issues

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