Forum Widgets
Latest Discussions
Azure Default Outbound Access Changes: Guidance for Windows 365 ANC Customers
After March 31, 2026, newly created Azure Virtual Networks (VNets) will no longer have default outbound internet access enabled by default. Windows 365 customers choosing Azure Network Connection as a deployment option must configure outbound connectivity explicitly when setting up new VNets. This post explains what’s changing, who’s impacted, and the recommended actions, including Azure Private Subnets and Microsoft Hosted Network. What is Default Outbound Access (DOA)? Default Outbound Access is Azure’s legacy behavior that allowed all resources in a virtual network to reach the public internet without configuring a specific internet egress path. This allowed telemetry, Windows activation, and other service dependencies to reach external endpoints even when no explicit outbound connectivity method was configured. What’s changing? After March 31, 2026, as detailed in Azure’s communications, Azure will no longer enable DOA by default for new virtual networks, instead the VNet will be configured for Private Subnet option, allowing you to designate subnets without internet access for improved isolation and compliance. These changes encourage more intentional, secure network configurations while offering flexibility for different workload needs. Disabling Private Subnet option will allow administrators to restore DOA capabilities to the VNet, although Microsoft strongly recommends using Azure NAT Gateway. Impact on Windows 365 Azure Network Connection Customers For Windows 365 Azure Network Connection (ANC) deployments using virtual networks created after March 31, 2026, new VNets will default to private subnets. Outbound internet access must be explicitly configured for the VNet; otherwise, Cloud PC provisioning will fail. Existing virtual networks are not affected and will continue using their current internet access configuration. Note on Microsoft-hosted network: For Microsoft-hosted network deployments, which is the Microsoft recommended deployment model for Windows 365, Microsoft fully provides and manages the underlying connectivity in Azure on your behalf. There is no impact or change needed for those deployments. What You Should Do To prepare for Azure’s Default Outbound Access changes and ensure your Windows 365 ANC deployments remain secure and functional: Recommendations Transition to Microsoft-hosted network (MHN) if possible. MHN provides secure, cost-effective connectivity with outbound internet access by default, reducing operational overhead and ensuring compliance with Azure’s updated standards. Update deployment plans to ensure either an explicit NAT, such as a NAT Gateway or Default Outbound access (not recommended) is enabled by disabling the Private Subnet option. Test connectivity to ensure all services dependent on outbound access continue to function as expected, and that the ANC does not enter a failed state. Supported Outbound Access Methods To maintain connectivity, choose one of these supported methods: NAT Gateway (recommended) Note: Direct RDP Shortpath (UDP over STUN) cannot be established through a NAT Gateway because its symmetric NAT policy prevents direct UDP connectivity over public networks. Azure Standard Load Balancer Azure Firewall or third-party Network Virtual Appliance (NVA). Note, it is not recommended to route RDP or other long-lived connections through Azure Firewall or any other network virtual appliance which allows for automatic scale-in. A direct method such as NAT Gateway should be used. More information about the pros and cons for each method can be found at Default Outbound Access. Resources: Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Default Outbound Access in Azure Transition to an explicit method of public connectivity | Microsoft Learn Deploy Microsoft Hosted Network (MHN) QuickStart: Create a NAT Gateway Optimizing RDP Connectivity for Windows 365 | Microsoft Community Hub Quick FAQ Does this affect existing VNets? No. Only new VNets created after March 31, 2026, are affected. Existing VNets will continue to operate as normal. Do Microsoft Hosted Network deployments require changes? No. MHN already includes managed egress. What if I do nothing on a new VNet? ANC checks will fail because the VNet does not have internet access. Configure NAT Gateway or another supported method. What are the required endpoints? Please see here for a list of the endpoints required. Why might peer-to-peer connectivity using STUN-based UDP hole punching not work when using NAT Gateway? NAT Gateway uses a type of network address translation that does not support STUN (Simple Traversal Underneath NAT) based connections. This will prevent STUN-based UDP hole punching, commonly used for establishing peer-to-peer connections, from working as expected. If your application relies on reliable UDP connectivity between peers, STUN may revert to TURN (Traversal Using Relays around NAT) in some instances. TURN relays traffic between endpoints, ensuring consistent connectivity even when direct peer-to-peer paths are blocked. This helps maintain smooth real-time experiences for your users. What explicit outbound options support STUN? Azure Standard Load Balancer supports UDP over STUN. How do I configure Azure Firewall? For additional security you can configure Azure Firewall using these instructions https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/firewall/protect-azure-virtual-desktop?context=/azure/virtual-desktop/context/context . It is strongly recommended that a direct method of access is used for RDP and other long-lived connections such as VPN or Secure Web Gateway tunnels. This is due to devices such as Azure firewall scaling in when load is low which can disrupt connectivity. Wrap-up Azure’s change reinforces intentional networking for better security. By planning explicit egress (or choosing MHN), Windows 365 ANC customers can stay compliant and keep Cloud PCs reliably connected.
OneNote - Location, Name, Resolving Backup (& Search dropdown)
I recently had a problem with the Search function in OneNote - where Search was not finding words in recently created Notes. And I fixed that problem, eventually, by deleting all of the files in the OneNote cache. But after that, when restarting OneNote, it came up Empty (with Errors). After jacking around with copying the old OneNote folder and renaming it, Opening Backups, etc. - I finally got my OneNote back up and working (sort of - see paragraph at the end). My problem now is the "Info" is showing 2 Notebooks - "OneNote Notebooks 4" and "OneNote Notebooks 2" - and even worse, the location shown for Notebooks 4 is: https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=562C6E59%21s0bcbd9618347485ca665bf8f3012d298&id=documents&end=()&end. I created Notebooks 4 on the advice for another post to get things running again - but, WHERE AM I? - which Notebook am I using? How do I get back to a single notebook at a reasonable location instead of the ridiculous link above. I also have a question about the OneNote locations shown in the "Save & Backup" option - I don't understand a couple of things there. [And a side note - even though OneNote Search is now working, the dropdown list is now showing the full path name for the Note location instead of the Page/Tab name for the location of the Note. Is there some option that I reset while trying to get OneNote working again.] I obviously need help with this one - and am afraid to mess around experimenting since OneNote is back up and working well (except for the dropdown). ron in shawnee
26 ноября
Здравствуйте! Хочу обратиться в службу поддержки с целью продвинуть компанию Microsoft. Дело в том, что мой друг сегодня активировал Windows, чему предшествовало огромное количество шуток на эту тему. Я создал google-форму, а точнее петицию, в которой призываю граждан любой страны утвердить 26 ноября как праздник "Активации Windows". Я бы хотел, чтобы вы рассмотрели мою идею и, как основная сторона, согласились на это, а также расширили этот опрос в больших кругах. Прикрепляю ссылку на google-формы: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfrlFcap22IUJhrLBeRp4C8tAcxlGRY_AMPVqxcQJjwxPB4Tg/viewform?usp=publish-editor С уважение, Дмитрий Translation: Hello! I want to contact support in order to promote Microsoft. The thing is, my friend activated Windows today, which was preceded by a huge number of jokes about it. I created a Google form, or rather a petition, in which I urge citizens of any country to establish November 26 as "Windows Activation" Day. I would like you to consider my idea and, as the main party, agree to it, as well as help spread this survey more widely. I am attaching the link to the Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfrlFcap22IUJhrLBeRp4C8tAcxlGRY_AMPVqxcQJjwxPB4Tg/viewform?usp=publish-editor Sincerely, Dmitry
Map only local drives and default printer from clients computer when logging into 365 Desktop?
Hello, I have gone into Intune and created a new config profile and have set Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Printer Redirection \ Device and resource redirection to let the users map drives and printers that are on their laptop into Windows 365 Desktop. However, how can we set it so that: 1. The only printers that are mapped to the 365 desktops from the client's device is the clients default printer and not any network printers that are installed on the laptop. 2. The only drives it maps into 365Desktop are the clients local drives like their SSD drive, and usb drives pluged in and not any network drives that are on the laptop.
Windows 365 Enterprise Cloud PC Connection Fails - VM Unavailable (Code 10012)
We are facing a critical and persistent connection failure for a Windows 365 Enterprise Cloud PC that appears to be stuck in a state where the VM is not available to the RDP client. Provisioning Policy Configuration: - Cloud PC Type: Windows 365 Enterprise - Experience: Access a full Cloud PC desktop - Use Microsoft Entra single sign-on: Yes - Join type: Microsoft Entra Join - Geography: Canada - Region: Automatic (Recommended) - Network: Microsoft hosted network - Current MDM -Microsoft Intune Checked logs and found that the RDP client connection attempts consistently failing with same error, Disconnected: reason = 10012 [Telemetry :: Event] Type: RDPClient Details: DisconnectReason Subdetails: SessionHostResourceNotAvailable Code: 10012 Troubleshooting steps taken so far: - Restarted the Cloud PC. - Initiated a Reprovision action. - Tried web version but that didn't help either. Since simple restarts and reprovisions have failed to resolve the SessionHostResourceNotAvailable (10012) error, the current VM instance is unusable. Any guidance on resolving this definitive Code 10012 error is highly appreciated.Save the date: Windows 365 AMA - What’s new from Microsoft Ignite
Tune in on December 3 for a special Windows 365 AMA. Catch up on the latest capabilities for Windows 365 announced at Microsoft Ignite! Host Christian Montoya and members of the product team will answer your questions live and offer insights to help you configure, deploy, and manage Windows in the cloud with ease. Save the date and post your questions early at aka.ms/Windows365AMA!
Microsoft Word - recover a document
Hi Is this OK to post here re Microsoft Word? (I couldn't find a section for Word specifically). I want to try and recover a situation with a Word doc... I think it is probably unrecoverable... but here goes. Somehow... and i was typing fast and the screen froze so i cant be sure what happened...i deleted the contents of a word document and then save it.... so it is now blank... i do not have a backup of it... Is there any way to roll it back or recover a cached version? This happened an hour ago. Many thanks!Multimedia Redirection and WebRTC Redirector plug-in updates for Windows 365 & Azure Virtual Desktop
Automating plug-in maintenance with GitHub Scripts Keeping your Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop environment up to date is crucial for optimal performance and security. Two essential plug-ins, Multimedia Redirection service and WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) redirector service, require periodic updates. However, these plug-ins do not update automatically, which can lead to compatibility or performance issues if left unattended. Understanding the Challenge Unlike most of the components of Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop, both the Multimedia Redirection and WebRTC plug-ins must be updated manually. This manual process can be time-consuming for IT administrators and disruptive if not managed properly, especially in enterprise environments where user experience and uptime are top priorities. Cloud PCs that are provisioned or reprovisioned with Gallery images do have the latest plug-ins installed and Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts deployed with Azure Marketplace images have the latest WebRTC plug-in installed. But as these Cloud PCs and Session Hosts age, these plug-ins will become outdated over time. Note: Windows 365 Gallery images that include the latest Multimedia Redirection and WebRTC plug-ins are only the Windows Enterprise + Microsoft 365 Apps images. For Azure Marketplace images, only the Windows multi-session + Microsoft 365 Apps images include the latest WebRTC plug-in. Features dependent on WebRTC and Multimedia Redirection WebRTC: Microsoft Teams media optimizations Users connect from non-Windows physical endpoints Users connect from Windows endpoints and SlimCore fails Multimedia Redirection: Video playback and call redirection on Edge or Chrome browsers Users who visit websites with embedded videos Users who use Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solutions Manually Updating Administrators can update these binaries by deploying their respective MSI installers to users’ Cloud PCs and personal Session Hosts either through Intune or their management engine of choice. This may be the simplest way of upgrading endpoints, but there is a chance that end users would be disrupted during their work because WebRTC installer will forcefully stop Teams processes while installing, and Multimedia Redirection could break video streams or calls while the binaries are upgraded. If choosing this method, administrators should leverage maintenance windows to minimize disruptions. The MSI installers can be manually downloaded from the links below: WebRTC redirector installer MSI Multimedia redirector installer MSI Automating Updates with GitHub Scripts To address this challenge, our team has developed a series of PowerShell scripts available in our GitHub repository. These scripts automate the update process for both Multimedia Redirection and WebRTC plug-ins, ensuring that the latest versions are installed without the need for direct user intervention. The benefits of these scripts are: No End User Impact: The scripts are designed to run silently in the background, so end users experience no downtime or interruptions. Consistent Plugin Versions: Automated updates help maintain consistency across all Windows 365 instances, reducing troubleshooting time and compatibility issues. Easy Integration: The scripts can be deployed with Intune via Remediations, or as a standalone script. Remediations provides the best admin experience as it will report back on compliance and any errors encountered during deployment. Getting Started To begin using the automated update scripts: Visit our GitHub repository and download the latest versions of the update scripts. WebRTC Updater Multimedia Redirector Updater Review the step-by-step setup and configuration instructions. Deploy the scripts to your Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop environment, either in standalone mode or with Remediations. IMPORTANT: The scripts currently do not support Windows Multi-Session hosts. Updating Azure Virtual Desktop Multi-Session Hosts Updating these plugins should be done during the build process of the golden image or the Session Hosts. This can be achieved by using an automated building solution, like Azure Image Builder, to install the latest versions. The URLs for these plugins are static, meaning that administrators can use the same URL without having to be concerned about the version that is being downloaded. For reference, the URLs are below: WebRTC - https://aka.ms/msrdcwebrtcsvc/msi Multimedia Redirection - https://aka.ms/avdmmr/msi More information on WebRTC and Multimedia Redirection plug-ins Microsoft updates these binaries periodically for functional and security enhancements. To stay current on the latest releases and what they contain, please visit the following links: What’s new for WebRTC Redirector Service What’s new for Multimedia redirection service Conclusion Regularly updating the Multimedia Redirection and WebRTC plugins is essential for a secure and efficient Windows 365 environment. By leveraging the automation scripts from our GitHub repository, IT administrators can ensure plugins remain current, all while eliminating manual effort and minimizing any impact on end users. For more details and to access the scripts, check out our GitHub page.
