VDI Issue - Virtual Desktop Under Maintenance

I had this incident reported to my team once in a blue moon. users not able to access to their virtual desktops, with below error.

The desktop that you are trying to restart is currently undergoing maintenance. Contact your system administrator.

Issues :

Users not able to access virtual desktop because of the desktop is still under 
maintenance.

Troubleshooting 

1.  Launch Citrix Desktop Studio, and search for the specific virtual desktop. You may focus on the virtual desktop name or the user ID configured to it.

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Unable to Increase Row Height in Microsoft Excel

On one fine day, when I wanted to do something with Excel, I realized that I was not able to expand the row height as mush as I wished. so When I tried to change the height by putting the value, I received below error.

It turned out that, maximum row height for Excel is 409 points, or 546 pixels. This has been documented in Excel Specifications and Limits, which you may refer to below link (under Reference).

As a workaround, you can merge 2 (or more) adjacent rows, and you will get 409n points of row heights (where n is the number of merged rows was I being silly here by providing that info?).

Give it a try :)

Reference 
https://support.office.com/en-nz/article/Excel-specifications-and-limits-1672b34d-7043-467e-8e27-269d656771c3

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Adding AD User Groups Into Computer Local Groups (Microsoft Server 2003)

Description :
There are multiple ways to do add AD user groups into computer local groups - manual way or using GPO. To me, it is always GPO way - it is easier (sort of) as the configuration will be persistent across all servers where the GPO being applied to.

How To Do :

1.  At your GPO, right click at it, and choose Edit...
   
   
   
2.  Expand to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Restricted Groups. Right click at it, and choose Add Group...
   
   
   
3.  Click at Browse... as we want to choose the AD user Group.
   
   
   
4.  Type your AD User Group
   
   
   
5.   Click at Check Names to ensure the group is correct. Once it is confirmed, click at OK.
   
   
   
6. The User group will be listed here. You can choose as many user groups as you want, it will be listed here. Press OK again.
   
   
   
7.  In here, click at the Add button under This group is a member of: option.
   
   
   
8.  Click at Browse to choose the local group to be assigned to.
   
   
   
9.  Type your desired local group name. In this example, I chose Remote Desktop User. As always, press Check Names, and OK once confirmed.
   
   
   
10.  Press OK.
    
    
    
11.  So the local group will be listed here. Press Apply and OK.
    
    
    
12.  You can see a new entry listed in Restricted Groups option.
    
    
    
13.  To ensure the policy enforced to the servers, RDP to the servers and run GPUPDATE /FORCE command
    
    
    
14. You can see the AD user group will be listed in local Group.
    

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Citrix Support Tools

I just realized that Citrix has listed all its support tools under a page. Admins can easily download all those tools and utilized them in their environments.

You can download those tools from here.

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Microsoft has removed a feature from Microsoft Office 2010 which quite oftenly being used by end users - that is Microsoft Office Document Imaging ( MODI ). Therefore, as a workaround, MODI can be installed in 2 ways - MDI to TIFF Converter or Installing MODI from SharePoint Designer 2007. For this purpose, we will focussing on getting MODI installed from SharePoint Designer 2007.

Description :
Installing Microsoft Office Document Imaging ( MODI ) from SharePoint Designer 2007.



How To Do :

1.  Download SharePoint Designer 2007 from http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=21581
   
   
   
2.  Run the installer
   
   
   
   
3.  Extracting file
   
   
   
   
4.  Accept the agreement, and click Continue
   
   
   
   
5.   Click at Customize
   
   
   
   
6.  Put everything as Not Available, at first.
   
   
   
   
7. Now expand Office Tool, and Choose "Run All From My Computer" for Microsoft Office Document Imaging
   
   
   
   
    
8.  So this is how it looks like...
   
   
   
   
9.  Key in Desired location...
   
   
   
   
10.  As well as User Information
    
    
    
    
11. Once all done, click at Install Now
    
    
    
    
12.  Installation in progress.
    
    
    
    
13.  Click Close once installation completed
    
    
    
    
14.  MODI is now installed.
    

Reference :

• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982760
• http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=21581

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How To Totally Remove GPO

Assuming you mistakenly created a GPO and want to delete it before your boss hammerring your head (huh?).. Okay, too much drama, so let's change it. You want to housekeep your GPO (again?), and there are some GPOs need to be deleted. You right click at it, press Delete, and this message box prompted. 

Do you want to delete this link? 

This will not delete the GPO itself.

So, are you doing it right? The answer is no. Deleting it from the OU structure will not totally remove the GPO, it only unlink the OG from the GPO.

Description :
Put Citrix servers out of Citrix load (some sort of private mode / maintenance mode).



How To Do :

1.  Within Group Policy Management Console, Go to Group Polcy Objects node. Right clik at the target GPO, and choose Delete
   
   
   
   
   

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How To Enable / Disable Time Zone Redirection

There will be situation where Business wants users' Citrix sessions to reflect server time zone, especially when the datacenter location and users' locations are at different time zones. These steps are also applicable to provide local time zone to Citrix / TS users.

Description :
To provide server / local time zone to users' Citrix sessions.


How To Do :

1.  Launch Citrix AppCenter, and go to Policies node.
   
   
   
   
2. From there, click at Users tab.
   
   
   
   
3.  Depending whether to create a new policy or edit current one, choose the option accordingly. In this case, we create a new one.
   
   
   
   
4.  Configure policy name
   
   
   
   
5.  Browse to All Settings > ICA > Time Zone Control
   
   
   
   
6.   Add Use local time of client policy
   
   
   
   
7.  Choose desired option, whether to use server time or local time, then press OK
   
   
   
   
8.  Press Next to proceed
   
   
   
   
9.  Configure filtering accordingly.
   
   
   
   
10.  Enable and create the Citrix policy.
    
    
    
    
11. Go to Group Policy Management Console, and create a new policy or edit current policy. In this case, we edit current policy.
    
    
    
    
12.  Browse to User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Destop Session Host > Device and Resource Redirection
    
    
    
    
13.  Right click at Allow time zone redirection, and press Edit
    
    
    
    
14.  Choose to enable or disable time zone redirection accordingly. Press Apply and OK.
    
    
    
    
15.  This is the outcomes. 
    
    
    
    

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