W365: Remoting connections report deprecation

Remoting connection report in Endpoint analytics will be deprecated as of December 31, 2024. It is advised to transition to the Cloud PC connection quality report to get the Cloud PC performance report.

Earlier the Remoting connection report, was used to monitor performance metrics such as Round-Trip Time (ms) and Sign-In Time (sec), which will not be available after the deprecation date.Instead you can use the Cloud PC connection quality report which shows the similar performance insights, with enhanced data points and flexibility which allows to monitor and manage Cloud PC connection quality more effectively.
 
Cloud PC connection quality report can be accessed by logging into Intune portal and selecting Devices > Overview > Cloud PC performance > View report (under Connection quality) or

Reports > Cloud Pc Overview > Connection Quality.

 

This report offers detailed information about:
• Round Trip Time (RTT) for the most recent or specified date range
• Available Bandwidth for the most recent or specified date range
• Remoting Sign-in Time (P50)
• Connection Gateway
• Client IP Address
• Protocol and UDP Utilization etc..

Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-365/enterprise/report-cloud-pc-connection-quality

W365: Bulk Troubleshooting option in cloud pc’s

Earlier we had to select single cloud pc and then perform the troubleshooting steps. Recently the bulk troubleshooting option for windows 365 cloud pc’s have moved from private preview to General release.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-365/enterprise/whats-new#week-of-october-28-2024-service-release-2410

This bulk option will be more helpful to troubleshoot multiple cloud pc’s at a single time thus avoiding manual labour and work time.

Steps to perform Bulk Troubleshooting in cloud pc’s:

1. Login to Intune portal 

2. Select Devices - Windows Devices - Bulk Device Actions.

3. Choose Windows in OS and Cloud Pc’s in device type and click next.

4. In the Device Actions choose the desired action that needs to be performed in bulk cloud pc’s and click next.

5. In the devices page, select the cloud pc’s that needs to be added. The bulk actions supports up to 5000 cloud pc’s at a time. After selection, on the Review and create page, click on Create.

Below is the list of Bulk troubleshooting options that windows 365 cloud pc supports.

Remote action	Bulk action support?
Collect diagnostics	Yes
Create Cloud PC manual restore point	Yes
Full Scan	No
Place Cloud PC Under Review	Yes
Power Off (Windows 365 Frontline) (preview)	Yes
Power On (Windows 365 Frontline) (preview)	Yes
Quick Scan	No
Remove Cloud PCs from review	Yes
Rename	No
Reprovisioning	Yes
Resize	Yes
Restart	Yes
Restore	Yes
Share Cloud PC restore point to storage	Yes
Sync	Yes
Troubleshoot	Yes
Update Windows Defender	No

Reference:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-365/enterprise/remotely-manage-cloud-pc

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-365/enterprise/resize-cloud-pc#bulk-resizing-cloud-pcs

W365: How to Disable the Shutdown Option on Windows 365 Cloud PCs Start Menu

Recently my windows 365 cloud pc started to show the shutdown option in the start menu. By default the shutdown option is hidden and not visible to the end user.

This is explained in the post provisioning steps in the article - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-365/enterprise/automated-provisioning-steps#post-provisioning-configuration

But what if suppose the shutdown button is shown in the start menu? 

In a Windows 365 Cloud PC environment, limiting certain system options can be crucial to maintaining a productive and seamless virtual workspace. One such option is the Shutdown button, which, if accessible to end users, may lead to unintentional interruptions in service and productivity. In this article, we’ll cover why disabling the shutdown option can be beneficial and walk through a quick PowerShell script to make this change via the registry.

Disadvantages of Having the Shutdown Option Visible

- Reduced Accessibility: Unlike physical PCs, Cloud PCs are hosted in a cloud environment, so when a user selects the shutdown option, the Cloud PC has to be powered back on through the management portal. This requires IT support and increases downtime.

- Increased Support Requests: Accidental shutdowns lead to additional support requests, impacting the help desk workload and creating delays for users needing to regain access.

By removing the shutdown option from the Windows 365 Cloud PC, you reduce the chances of service interruptions and support requirements, resulting in a more stable virtual environment.

How to Disable the Shutdown Option

The shutdown option can be hidden by modifying a specific registry entry to prevent users from unintentionally turning off the Cloud PC. This involves setting the `Hideshutdown` value in the registry.

Registry Key Details

- Registry Path: HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Start

- Value Name: `HideShutDown`

- Type: DWORD

- Setting: `1` to hide the shutdown option (default is `0`)

Powershell script can be found in my GitHub repo - 

https://github.com/app2pack/Windows365-Scripts/blob/main/W365-Hide-Shutdown.ps1