Connect to Azure Virtual Desktop with the Remote Desktop client for Windows - Azure Virtual Desktop (2024)

Tip

You can also connect to Azure Virtual Desktop with Windows App, a single app to securely connect you to Windows devices and apps from Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Microsoft Dev Box, Remote Desktop Services, and remote PCs. For more information, see What is Windows App?

Tip

Select the version of the Remote Desktop client for Windows you want to use with the buttons at the top of this article.

• Internet access.

• A device running one of the following supported versions of Windows:

  • Windows 11
  • Windows 10
  • Windows Server 2022
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows Server 2016

  Important

  • Support for Windows 7 ended on January 10, 2023.
  • Support for Windows Server 2012 R2 ended on October 10, 2023.

• .NET Framework 4.6.2 or later. You may need to install this on Windows Server 2016, and some versions of Windows 10. To download the latest version, see Download .NET Framework.

• Internet access.

• A device running one of the following supported versions of Windows:

  • Windows 11
  • Windows 10

Before you can access your resources, you'll need to meet the prerequisites.

• Internet access.

• A device running one of the following supported versions of Windows:

  • Windows 11
  • Windows 10

Download and install the Remote Desktop client (MSI)

Here's how to install the Remote Desktop client for Windows using the MSI installer. If you want to deploy the Remote Desktop client in an enterprise, you can use msiexec from the command line to install the MSI file. For more information, see Enterprise deployment.

1. Download the Remote Desktop client installer, choosing the correct version for your device:

   • Windows 64-bit (most common)
   • Windows 32-bit
   • Windows ARM64

2. Run the installer by double-clicking the file you downloaded.

3. On the welcome screen, select Next.

4. To accept the end-user license agreement, check the box for I accept the terms in the License Agreement, then select Next.

5. For the Installation Scope, select one of the following options:

   • Install just for you: Remote Desktop will be installed in a per-user folder and be available just for your user account. You don't need local Administrator privileges.
   • Install for all users of this machine: Remote Desktop will be installed in a per-machine folder and be available for all users. You must have local Administrator privileges

6. Select Install.

7. Once installation has completed, select Finish.

8. If you left the box for Launch Remote Desktop when setup exits selected, the Remote Desktop client will automatically open. Alternatively to launch the client after installation, use the Start menu to search for and select Remote Desktop.

Download and install the Azure Virtual Desktop app

The Azure Virtual Desktop app is available from the Microsoft Store. To download and install it, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Azure Virtual Desktop Store app in the Microsoft Store.

2. Select Install to start downloading the app and installing it.

3. Once the app has finished downloading and installing, select Open. The first time the app runs, it will install the Azure Virtual Desktop (HostApp) dependency automatically.

The Remote Desktop app is available from the Microsoft Store. To download and install it, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Remote Desktop app in the Microsoft Store.

2. Select Install to start downloading the app and installing it.

3. Once the app has finished downloading and installing, select Open.

A workspace combines all the desktops and applications that have been made available to you by your admin. To be able to see these in the Remote Desktop client, you need to subscribe to the workspace by following these steps:

1. Open the Remote Desktop app on your device.

2. The first time you subscribe to a workspace, from the Let's get started screen, select Subscribe or Subscribe with URL.

   • If you selected Subscribe, sign in with your user account when prompted, for example user@contoso.com. After a few seconds, your workspaces should show the desktops and applications that have been made available to you by your admin.

     If you see the message No workspace is associated with this email address, your admin might not have set up email discovery, or you are using an Azure environment that is not Azure cloud, such as Azure for US Government. Try the steps to Subscribe with URL instead.

   • If you selected Subscribe with URL, in the Email or Workspace URL box, enter the relevant URL from the following table. After a few seconds, the message We found Workspaces at the following URLs should be displayed.

     Azure environment	Workspace URL
     Azure cloud (most common)	https://rdweb.wvd.microsoft.com
     Azure for US Government	https://rdweb.wvd.azure.us/api/arm/feeddiscovery
     Azure operated by 21Vianet	https://rdweb.wvd.azure.cn/api/arm/feeddiscovery

3. Select Next.

4. Sign in with your user account when prompted. After a few seconds, the workspace should show the desktops and applications that have been made available to you by your admin.

Once you've subscribed to a workspace, its content will update automatically regularly and each time you start the client. Resources may be added, changed, or removed based on changes made by your admin.

A workspace combines all the desktops and applications that have been made available to you by your admin. To be able to see these in the Azure Virtual Desktop app, you need to subscribe to the workspace by following these steps:

1. Open the Azure Virtual Desktop app on your device.

2. The first time you subscribe to a workspace, from the Let's get started screen, select Subscribe or Subscribe with URL. Use the tabs below for your scenario.

   • If you selected Subscribe, sign in with your user account when prompted, for example user@contoso.com. After a few seconds, your workspaces should show the desktops and applications that have been made available to you by your admin.

     If you see the message No workspace is associated with this email address, your admin might not have set up email discovery, or you are using an Azure environment that is not Azure cloud, such as Azure for US Government. Try the steps to Subscribe with URL instead.

   • If you selected Subscribe with URL, in the Email or Workspace URL box, enter the relevant URL from the following table. After a few seconds, the message We found Workspaces at the following URLs should be displayed.

     Azure environment	Workspace URL
     Azure cloud (most common)	https://rdweb.wvd.microsoft.com
     Azure for US Government	https://rdweb.wvd.azure.us/api/arm/feeddiscovery
     Azure operated by 21Vianet	https://rdweb.wvd.azure.cn/api/arm/feeddiscovery

3. Select Next.

4. Sign in with your user account when prompted. After a few seconds, the workspace should show the desktops and applications that have been made available to you by your admin.

Once you've subscribed to a workspace, its content will update automatically regularly and each time you start the client. Resources may be added, changed, or removed based on changes made by your admin.

A workspace combines all the desktops and applications that have been made available to you by your admin. To be able to see these in the Remote Desktop app, you need to subscribe to the workspace by following these steps:

1. Open the Remote Desktop app on your device.

2. In the Connection Center, select + Add, then select Workspaces.

3. In the Email or Workspace URL box, either enter your user account, for example user@contoso.com, or the relevant URL from the following table. After a few seconds, the message We found Workspaces at the following URLs should be displayed.

   If you see the message We couldn't find any Workspaces associated with this email address. Try providing a URL instead, your admin might not have set up email discovery. Use one of the following workspace URLs instead.

   Azure environment	Workspace URL
   Azure cloud (most common)	https://rdweb.wvd.microsoft.com
   Azure for US Government	https://rdweb.wvd.azure.us/api/arm/feeddiscovery
   Azure operated by 21Vianet	https://rdweb.wvd.azure.cn/api/arm/feeddiscovery

4. Select Subscribe.

5. Sign in with your user account. After a few seconds, your workspaces should show the desktops and applications that have been made available to you by your admin.

Once you've subscribed to a workspace, its content will update automatically regularly. Resources may be added, changed, or removed based on changes made by your admin.

1. Open the Remote Desktop client on your device.

2. Double-click one of the icons to launch a session to Azure Virtual Desktop. You may be prompted to enter the password for your user account again, depending on how your admin has configured Azure Virtual Desktop.

1. Open the Azure Virtual Desktop app on your device.

2. Double-click one of the icons to launch a session to Azure Virtual Desktop. You may be prompted to enter the password for your user account again, depending on how your admin has configured Azure Virtual Desktop.

3. To pin your desktops and applications to the Start Menu, right-click one of the icons and select Pin to Start Menu, then confirm the prompt.

1. Open the Remote Desktop app on your device.

2. Select one of the icons to launch a session to Azure Virtual Desktop. You may be prompted to enter the password for your user account again, depending on how your admin has configured Azure Virtual Desktop.

Insider releases

If you want to help us test new builds before they're released, you should download our Insider releases. Organizations can use the Insider releases to validate new versions for their users before they're generally available. For more information, see Enable Insider releases.