Rdwebclient

30-04-2021
 |  [RAND-100] - Comments



Microsoft Remote Desktop. The dynamic changing of the RD window size and full screen mode are available in the HTML5 RD web client. You can copy only text via the clipboard to your Remote Desktop session (but not files or graphics). It is interesting that you can see the memory size and CPU load on the RDS server in the RD Web Client.

On February 22nd Microsoft released version 1.0.11 of the RD Web Client (also known as the HTML5 client). Here are the features that were added to this version.

RD Gateway is no longer required

Previous versions of the RD Web Client required using RD Gateway in the deployment. For internet facing scenarios this makes sense. (We also advise to add RD Gateway to every deployment to add an additional layer of security.) But there are also times when RD Gateway is not needed, for example, if users are local to the deployment. This latest version of the HTML5 Client does not require RD Gateway. Below are a couple of screenshots that show this in action.

Web

Note: This feature is only available for deployments based on a Windows Server 2019 RD Connection Broker and a Windows Server 2019 RD Session Host.

Extra Configuration

If you are working on an all-in-one deployment (all roles are located on the same server) then you do not have to do anything to make this work. However, if you have your roles separated, or you have an highly available deployment you will need to

  1. Bind your SSL certificate to port 3392 on the RD Connection Broker(s) and the RD Session Hosts
  2. Change the listener to listen on port 3392 on Connection Broker(s) and the RD Session Hosts

This article outlines the steps in the section called: “Connecting to RD Broker without RD Gateway in Windows Server 2019”. Some other things to note:

  1. If you are load balancing RD Connection Broker servers to make that role highly available, you need to open port 3392 on the load balancer(s).
  2. Local users will need access to RD Connection Broker and RD Session Hosts over port 3392 so adjust your firewalls accordingly if needed.

Our Testing

Rd Web Client

In our testing we got inconsistent results. It worked in one environment and not in another. We are working with the Microsoft RDS Team now and will post as soon as we get resolution!

Feeds now sorted alphabetically

The user feed is now sorted alphabetically (RemoteApps first and full desktops second). This provides a more intuitive user experience.

No need for internet access

This was added in a previous release (version 1.0.7) but its worth a mention here. In previous versions, the installer could only be run directly from the RD Web Access server and it needed internet access during the installation. Now the installer files can be downloaded and copied to various RD Web Access servers; no internet connection required for setup. The RD Web Client can now also be used internally by clients that do not have direct internet access.

More Information

For more information on how to set up RD Web Client follow this link:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/clients/remote-desktop-web-client-adminFor more information on release information per RD Web Client Version, follow this link:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/clients/web-client-whatsnew-->

We regularly update the Remote Desktop web client, adding new features and fixing issues. Here's where you'll find the latest updates.

Note

We've changed the versioning system for the web client. Starting with version 1.0.18.0, all web client release versions will contain numbers (in the format of 'W.X.Y.Z'). Release numbers for the Remote Desktop web client will always end with a 0 (for example, W.X.Y.0). Each Windows Virtual Desktop web client release will change the last digit until the next Remote Desktop web client release (for example, 1.0.18.1).

Updates for 1.0.24.0

Date published: 1/6/2021

Important

Version 1.0.24.0 includes an important security fix. We have removed earlier versions of the web client containing this bug. We encourage all customers to update to version 1.0.24.0 as soon as possible.

  • Added support for redirecting local microphone input to the remote session.
  • Fixed issues with AltGr and several other keyboard bugs.
  • Accessibility improvements.

Updates for 1.0.22.0

Date published: 9/2/2020

Important

In version 1.0.22.0, we introduced a regression that impacts some Chromebook operating systems. Users on impacted operating systems won't be able to connect to a remote session using the web client. We're currently investigating this issue and will release a new version of the web client as soon as we fix this regression. In the meantime, you can avoid this problem by reverting to version 1.0.21.0.

  • Users can now move the minimized menu.
  • Improved support for 4K and ultra-wide monitors and fixed an issue where copying large amounts of data caused sessions to crash.
  • Improved support for using an Input Method Editor in the remote session. To learn more about using an Input Method Editor with the web client, check out Connect to Windows Virtual Desktop with the web client.
  • Changed the All Resources page UI.
  • Fixed several connection sequence failures where web client returned a General Protocol Error.
  • Fixed keyboard input issues where specific key sequences were not handled appropriately.
  • Accessibility improvements.

Updates for version 1.0.21.0

Date published: 11/15/2019

  • Added support for using an Input Method Editor (IME) in the remote session to input complex characters.
  • Fixed a regression where users could not copy and paste into the remote session on macOS devices.
  • Fixed a regression where local Windows Key was sent to the remote session on Firefox.
  • Added link to RDWeb password change when enabled by your administrator.

Updates for version 1.0.20.0

Date published: 10/18/2019

  • Added support for connections to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 hosts.
  • Fixed an issue where certain app icons were shown as transparent tiles.
  • Fixed connection issues for Internet Explorer browser on Windows 7.
  • Fixed unexpected disconnects that happened when the browser was resized.
  • Accessibility improvements.
  • Updated third-party libraries.

Updates for version 1.0.18.0

Https Rdweb Wvd Microsoft Webclient Index Html

Date published: 5/14/2019

  • Added Resource Launch Method configuration in the Settings tab, enabling users to either open resources in the browser or download an .rdp file to handle with another client. This setting may be configured by your admin. Details regarding admin configurations for this feature can be found in the web client setup documentation.
  • Fixed color rendering issues, enabling more vivid colors in your remote session.
  • Revised error messages related to remote resource feed errors.
  • Added support for more office shortcuts, such as paste special (Ctrl+Alt+V).
  • Added keyboard shortcut for users to invoke the Windows Key in the remote session (Alt+F3)
  • Updated error message for users attempting to authenticate using an expired password.
  • Refreshed feed UI on the All Resources page.
  • Resolved overlapping dialogues that occurred during session reconnect.
  • Fixed remote resource icon sizing in the resource taskbar.

Updates for version 1.0.11

Date published: 2/22/2019

  • Enabled connection to RD Broker without an RD Gateway in Windows Server 2019.
  • Sorted feeds alphabetically (i.e., RemoteApps first, Desktops second).
  • Fixed multiple accessibility bugs improving screen reader compatibility.
  • Updated our build tools.
  • Various bug fixes.

Updates for version 1.0.7

Date published: 1/24/2019

  • Offline use on internal networks is now supported.
  • Improved rendering on non-Microsoft Edge browsers.
  • Implemented limit for feed retrieval retry attempts to prevent DoS.
  • Fixed accessibility bugs, enabling users with visual disabilities to use the web client.
  • Improved error messages displayed to the user for feed errors.
  • Added Ctrl + Alt + End (Windows) and fn + control + option + delete (Mac) shortcuts to invoke Ctrl + Alt + Del in remote machine.
  • Improved telemetry for crash events.
  • Improved our build pipeline and build tools.
  • Various bug fixes.

Updates for version 1.0.1

Date published: 10/29/2018

  • Added an option to Capture support information on the About page to diagnose issues.
  • InPrivate mode is now supported.
  • Improved support for non-English keyboards.
  • Fixed an issue where tooltips with non-English characters showed incorrectly.
  • Fixed graphics rendering issue which affected Chrome users.
  • Updated time zone redirection with full DST support.
  • Improved the error message for out-of-memory error.
  • Various bug fixes.

Updates for version 1.0.0

Date published: 07/16/2018

  • Remote Desktop web client is now generally available.
  • Admins can globally turn off telemetry for the web client.
  • Various bug fixes.

Updates for version 0.9.0

Date published: 07/05/2018

  • New sign in experience within the web client.
  • No longer prompted for credentials when launching a desktop or app connection (Single sign on).
  • Moved the web client to a new URL: https://server_FQDN/RDWeb/webclient/index.html
  • Added time zone redirection.
  • Various bug fixes.

Updates for version 0.8.1

Rd Web Client Portal

Date published: 05/17/2018

  • Updates to address CredSSP encryption oracle remediation described in CVE-2018-0886.
  • Fixed connection failures for some languages when printing is enabled.
  • Improved error message when a gateway is not part of the deployment.
  • Help and Feedback options were added.

Updates for version 0.8.0

Date published: 03/28/2018

  • Initial public preview release of the web client.
  • Copy/paste text through the clipboard with CTRL+C and CTRL+V.
  • Print to a PDF file.
  • Localized in 18 languages.