Azure Windows 7 in Windows Virtual Desktop Setup Guide

To set up Azure Windows 7 in Windows Virtual Desktop, you'll need to create a host pool with a Windows 7 image. This image can be uploaded from a file share or created from an Azure Marketplace image.

Windows 7 images are available in the Azure Marketplace for download. These images are pre-configured with the necessary Azure Windows 7 setup requirements.

To create a host pool, you'll need to specify the image, and the number of hosts to use. This can be done through the Azure portal or using Azure PowerShell.

Azure Windows 7 setup is a straightforward process that can be completed in a few steps.

First, you'll need to create an Azure account to get started with Windows 7 on Azure. This will give you access to the Azure portal where you can manage your resources.

The Azure portal is a web-based interface that allows you to create, manage, and monitor your Azure resources. You can access it by signing in with your Azure account credentials.

To create a new Azure resource, click on the "New" button in the top left corner of the portal. This will open a menu of available resource types, including Virtual Machines, which is where you'll find Windows 7 images.

Windows 7 on Azure is a great option for businesses and organizations that need to run legacy applications. It's also a good choice for developers who want to test and deploy applications without having to set up a physical environment.

Creating and managing virtual desktops is a breeze with Azure Windows 7. You can create up to 3 virtual desktops per user, each with its own set of applications and settings.

To manage your virtual desktops, you can use the Task View feature, which allows you to switch between desktops, create new ones, and close unused ones.

Now that you have the required modules installed, it's time to connect to Azure.

You'll need to run a cmdlet to initiate the connection process. This command opens up a Windows popup where you'll enter the credentials of your Tenant Creator account.

The credentials are necessary to establish a secure connection to Azure.

To create a Windows Virtual Desktop tenant, you'll need to run a command using the Active Directory tenant ID and Subscription ID you saved earlier. You'll use these IDs to create the tenant, and the name of the tenant should match the RDSTenant name you specify.

The command you'll run is quite long, so it's a good idea to copy and paste it into a text editor like Notepad and then edit it accordingly. Just be sure to replace "CompanyWVDtenant" with the correct name of your tenant.

Once you issue the command, you'll see a response indicating that the tenant has been created. This is a crucial step in setting up your Windows Virtual Desktop environment.

To run commands for publishing apps, you'll need to open an elevated PowerShell session.

This is where you'll enter the commands to make your apps available to users.

Change "CompanyWVDtenant" to your organization's correct tenant name.

You'll need to do this for each app you want to publish.

Rinse and repeat the process for any additional applications you wish to publish.

You'll need an Azure Active Directory, Subscription, Virtual Network, and Windows Server Active Directory to create a WVD Infrastructure. If you already have a Windows Server Active Directory, you can connect it to Azure AD using Azure AD Connect.

To start creating your WVD Infrastructure, you'll need to select all the required components, which will take you to the next step. You'll then choose to add virtual machines now or later, and for our demo, we'll choose to add them now.

Select the VNet from those available in your region, and choose whether the virtual machines will have a public IP or not. You'll also need to select a network security group and decide whether to open inbound ports.

After entering all this information, you'll click "Next: Workspace" to proceed. In the Workspace settings, you can choose to add a Desktop Application Group, but it's not required at this step.

Azure Windows 7 requires regular updates to ensure optimal performance and security.

To resolve issues with Azure Windows 7, start by checking the event logs for any error messages.

Regularly backing up your data is essential to prevent data loss in case of a system failure.

Azure Windows 7 also needs occasional disk cleanups to maintain disk space and performance.

By following these simple steps, you can keep your Azure Windows 7 environment running smoothly and efficiently.

After rebooting your VM, check its status in the Azure portal to know when it's available. This is the only way to verify the status since the VM is in the cloud.

Verify that the data disk shows up as drive E:. If it doesn't, you may need to troubleshoot the issue further.

Launch server manager to finish the process of promoting the VM to a domain controller. Remember to use the E: drive for the following options.

To avoid data corruption, use a data disk with write caching disabled on the VM. This is crucial when storing the AD DS database, Logs, and SYSVOL folders.

Some application icons may not show up correctly, and it's not a rare issue. You can work around this problem by pointing the icon at any image file present on all VMs in the particular host pool you are publishing applications to.

This solution is based on a quick tip from our troubleshooting guide, which suggests using an image file as a temporary fix.

Unpublishing the application with the missing icon is the first step to resolving the issue.

Republishing the application using custom icon settings is the next step, and it's a crucial part of the process.

Note that the icon path may need to be updated periodically, as it did in our example with Chrome.

Security and Certificates are crucial for a secure Point-to-Site (P2S) connection in Azure. You need to create the Root and Client certificates for the P2S-configuration, which gets used for the encryption.

To create the Root certificate, run a PowerShell script from an elevated session, specifically the script for the root cert. This script creates the root certificate needed for the P2S connection under "Current User > Personal > Certificates".

The Client certificate is also created using a PowerShell script, which is run from an elevated session, specifically the script for the client cert. This script creates the client certificate needed for the P2S connection under "Current User > Personal > Certificates".

You have two options as an IT pro to continue running Windows 7 until January 2023: purchase Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU) or run Windows 7 VMs as part of the Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) service with ESU hosted in Azure.

Purchasing Windows 7 ESUs costs $50 per machine for Professional and Ultimate versions and $25 per machine for the Enterprise version, but these costs double during the second year and then double again in the third year.

You can also run Windows 7 VMs as part of the Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) service with ESU hosted in Azure.

To set up a WVD infrastructure, you'll need an Azure Active Directory, Subscription, Virtual Network, and Windows Server Active Directory. Many organizations already have their own Windows Server Active Directory, so you can connect it to Azure AD using Azure AD Connect.

You'll also need to select a Virtual Network from those available in your region. Typically, virtual machines won't have a public IP, so you can choose not to add one. Next, select a network security group and decide whether to open inbound ports.

To proceed, click "Next: Workspace" to go to the next step. In the Workspace settings, you can choose to add a Desktop Application Group. If you're replicating your Windows Active Directory to Azure AD, use the same credentials you regularly use.

Here are the key settings to consider when setting up your WVD infrastructure:

Once you've entered all the necessary information, click "Subscribe" and enter your Azure AD credentials. After authenticating, your workspace will be set up, and you can proceed with adding virtual machines and deploying to Azure.

Connecting to Azure File Storage can be a bit tricky, especially when it comes to older operating systems like Windows 7.

You can map a folder share as a network drive using the net use command, but this requires SMB 3.0, which isn't available on Windows 7 by default.

Azure File Storage worked beautifully for a user on Windows 10 using the net use command, but they had trouble connecting on Windows 7, getting an "Access Denied" error.

Windows 7 computers can connect to Azure File Storage, but it requires a workaround, as mapping a folder share as a network drive is not supported natively.

When selecting a disk type, be aware that pricing is calculated based on the resources used.

The higher the performance or capacity, the more the cost.

You can choose any disk type you like, and then click "OK" at the bottom of the screen.

For a demonstration, the least expensive options were chosen.

Higher performance or capacity options are available, but they come at a higher cost.

Don't forget to consider the cost when selecting storage, processing, and networking components.