Applicable Products

Citrix Receiver 12.7 for Mac requires Citrix kernel extension to be loaded for Generic USB Redirection to function properly. If configuring a GPO, you’ll find the Framehawk settings in User Configuration Policies Citrix Policies. Edit one of the Citrix Policies. Search for Framehawk, add the Framehawk display channel setting, and Enable it. Framehawk requires the newest Citrix Workspace app / Receiver (4.3.100 or newer).

• XenDesktop
• XenApp
• Receiver for Windows

Objective

This article describles how to configure USB Redirection in a XenDesktop environment.

USB Devices not optimized for virtual channel support will fall back to the Generic USB virtual channel using raw USB redirection.

For XenApp per user audio redirection is supported, for each client user account receiver gpo has to be set for enabling audio through Generic USB.

Instructions

USB Device Redirection Introduction

Generic USB redirection feature allows redirection of arbitrary USB devices from client machines to XenDesktop virtual desktops. With this feature, the end users have the ability to interact with a wide selection of generic USB devices in their XenDesktop session as if it had been physical plugged into it.

Generic USB redirection works at a low level and redirect USB request and response message between client machines and XenDesktop virtual desktop. It avoids the requirement for compatible device drivers on the client machine and the driver is expected to be supported on the virtual desktop only.

Generic USB Redirection Configuration

By default, USB redirection configuration is not enabled. To use it, USB redirection policy and specific redirection rules must be enabled and configured.

Enabling Generic USB Redirection

1. Open Desktop Studio on XenDesktop server, click Start > All Programs > Citrix > Desktop Studio.

2. Expand HDX Policy.

3. Select Users.

4. Click Edit > Settings.

5. In the Policy console, scroll down to USB Devices.

6. Click Add on Client USB device redirection.

7. Select Allowed and click OK.

Creating USB Redirection Policy Rules

When the user tries to redirect USB device to Virtual Desktop, it is checked against each USB policy rules in turn until a match is found. The first match for any devices is considered final. If the first match is an Allow rule, the matched device is allowed to be redirected to the virtual desktop. If the first match is a Deny rule, the matched device is only available in the local desktop.

1. Open Desktop Studio on XenDesktop server and click Start > All Programs > Citrix > Desktop Studio.

2. Expand HDX Policy.

3. Select Users.

4. Click Edit > Settings.

5. In the Policy console, scroll down to USB Devices.

6. Click Add on Client USB device redirection rules.

7. Select Use default value and click OK.

   You can find the default rules in the following registry in virtual desktop:

   Caution! Refer to the Disclaimer at the end of this article before using Registry Editor.

   HKLMSOFTWARECitrixPortICAGenericUSBDeviceRules for 32-bit OS

   Or

   HKLMSOFTWAREWow6432NodeCitrixPortICAGenericUSBDeviceRules for 64-bit OS

Creating Client USB device optimization rules

In XenApp and XenDesktop 7.6 FP3, the Client USB device optimization rules can be applied to devices to disable generic usb optimization for interrupt devices, or to change the optimization mode.

When a user plugs in a USB input device, the host checks if the device is allowed by the USB policy settings. If the device is allowed, the host then checks the Client USB device optimization rules for the device. If no rule is specified, then the device is handled as Interactive mode (02). Capture mode (04) is the recommended mode for signature devices.

For more details follow link.

Settings for Audio redirection of XenApp (per user )

For Server OS enable audio through Generic USB from client policy, supported from Receiver 4.5 and XenApp / XenDesktop 7.8

For enabling audio redirection for logged in user you must perform following steps:

1. On Client copy receiver.admx from C:Program Files (x86)CitrixICA ClientConfiguration to C:WindowsPolicyDefinitions
   Note: For x86 Client instead of Program Files (x86) go to Program Files

2. On Client copy receiver .adml from C:Program Files (x86)CitrixICA ClientConfigurationen-US to C:WindowsPolicyDefinitionsen-US
   Note: For x86 Client instead of Program Files (x86) go to Program Files

3. On Client launch GPO by running gpedit.msc

4. Go to ComputerConfiguration->Administrative Templates->Citrix Receiver->User experience and right click edit “Audio through Generic USB Redirection”
   

5. Enable the policy and on client run gpupdate /force from command prompt
   

6. Launch XenApp session and redirect the audio device .

Settings for Specific USB Devices

Besides generic USB redirection, XenDesktop provides optimized redirection methods for some specific USB devices. Some advanced functions such as, data compression is provided by these dedicated virtual channels:

Using the USB Device Rules Policy

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor and go to Administrative Templates > Citrix Components > Citrix Receiver > Remoting client devices > Generic USB Remoting.
2. Open the USB Device Rules setting and enable the setting. Add the USB Device rule as in this example,
   The Allow: VID=1230 PID=0007 rule allows the device with Vendor ID 1230 and Product ID 0007:
   Note:Use the Allow: VID=xxxx PID=xxxx rule when a specific device must be on top of the device rules list.

​
Note: Refer to Hardware/Device property details to find the Vendor ID or a tool like USBVIEW or on the Receiver Toolbar, go to Devices > Manage Devices > and mouse over on any device as shown in the following figure:

3. For Citrix Receiver 4.6 and lower, generally, the following USB Error appears when the device is in use on the endpoint. Identify the process using the device and kill it:

   “Device appears to be in use and cannot be attached. Close any…”

From Citrix Receiver 4.7 onwards, USB Error allows to forcefully redirect the device by clicking on Yes button

Workaround

Note: On Windows Receiver 3.0 version and later, there is a workaround to suppress the USB Error.

There is a registry setting available to force-redirect USB devices, even if a client-side application is using the device:

1. Open HKLMSOFTWARECitrixICA ClientGenericUSB for 32-bit OS.

   Or

   HKLMSOFTWAREWow6432NodeCitrixICA ClientGenericUSB for 64-bit OS.

2. Set REG_DWORD value EnableForceRestartForHID to 1.

Additional Resources

Citrix Documentation - Configure USB support

Disclaimer

Dealing with Citrix ADMX files can be confusing. But there is hope on the horizon. It looks like Citrix finally got it under control.

The issue

The implementation of Citrix ADMX files has been a bit chaotic so far. Remember this view? A tad bit messy I would say.

Your central ADMX repository contained the following five Citrix ADMX files:

Citrix Receiver Usb Error 1603

• ctxprofile5.x.0.admx
• ica-file-signing.admx
• HdxFlash-Client.admx
• receiver.admx
• receiver_usb.admx

These files were clearly not in sync with one another.

The solution

Citrix Receiver Downloads

It seems that Citrix also realized that the above structure was not the way to go, so they implemented something new.

You now only need three ADMX files (+ corresponding language files of course):

• ctxprofile5.6.0.admx
• CitrixBase.admx*
• receiver.admx**

*This file is new. It only has one purpose, which is to define the shared 'Citrix Components' folder in the Group Policy editor.
**This file belong to Citrix Receiver 4.6

The following ADMX files have now been merged in the new 'receiver.admx' file:

• HdxFlash-Client.admx
• ica-file-signing.admx
• receiver_usb.admx

There is more than one way how to get these new ADMX files:

• Citrix Receiver - CitrixBase.admx and receiver.admx:
  • Download the ADMX files as a stand-alone package in the section Download for Admins (Deployment Tools): Receiver 4.6 for Windows
  • Download and install Receiver and than copy the files from the Citrix Receiver installation directory: C:Program Files (x86)CitrixICA ClientConfiguration
• Citrix User Profile Manager - CitrixBase.admx and ctxprofile5.6.0.admx:
  • Download the software User Profile Manager 5.6 in the section Components that are on the product ISO but also packaged separately.
    Extract the ZIP file:
    • The ADMX file for the User Profile Manager is located in the directory:
      Group Policy Templatesen
    • The ADMX file CitrixBase is located in the following directory:
      Group Policy TemplatesCitrixBase
  • Download the XenDesktop 7.12 ISO file in the section Product ISO.
    Extract the ISO file:
    • The ADMX file for the User Profile Manager is located in the directory:
      x64ProfileManagementADM_Templates
    • The ADMX file CitrixBase is located in the following directory:
      x64ProfileManagementADM_TemplatesCitrixBase

The remainder of this paragraph explains how to update the central ADMX repository in your domain.

• Central ADMX repository:
  %LogonServer%sysvol#DomainName#PoliciesPolicyDefinitions
• Central ADMX repository for the language files:
  %LogonServer%sysvol#DomainName#PoliciesPolicyDefinitions#language-country#

1. Delete the old Citrix ADMX language files (= *.ADML) from the repository:
   • ctxprofile5.x.0.adml (replace the 'x' for the correct version)
   • ica-file-signing.adml
   • HdxFlash-Client.adml
   • receiver.adml
   • receiver_usb.adml
2. Delete the old Citrix ADMX files from the repository:
   • ctxprofile5.x.0.admx (replace the 'x' for the correct version)
   • ica-file-signing.admx
   • HdxFlash-Client.admx
   • receiver.admx
   • receiver_usb.admx
3. Copy the new Citrix ADMX language files (= *.ADML) to the repository:
   • ctxprofile5.6.0.adml
   • CitrixBase.adml
   • receiver.adml
4. Copy the new Citrix ADMX files to the repository:
   • ctxprofile5.6.0.admx
   • CitrixBase.admx
   • receiver.admx

And now you are done. If you would like to test the ADMX files before updating the central ADMX repository you can use the local ADMX repository on a server:

• Copy the ADML and ADMX files to the local ADMX repository (C:WindowsPolicyDefinitions)
• Open the local group policy console go to Start, Run and enter the command gpedit.msc. You will now see the new ADMX files.

Note: your group policy settings are NOT affected when you update ADMX files. Your settings are stored in different files within the group policy:

• Registry.pol -> contains group policy settings
• *.xml (e.g. Files.xml) contains your group policy preference settings
• Policies.gpf -> contains the settings of your Citrix policy (NOT the once based on an ADMX file)

The path to your group policy is as follows:
%LogonServer%sysvol#DomainName#Policies#PolicyGUID#

The result

The group policy console now looks like this:

Most items are now stored under Citrix Components, except for the Workspace Environment Management and ShareFile policies. Still, it is quite an improvement I would say.

Citrix Receiver Usb Headset

Citrix Receiver Usb Download

I am happy with the progress Citrix made. But since I am a bit of a stickler, I still see room for improvement. For example, the name of the ADMX file should always start with 'Citrix' in my opinion. This makes it a lot easier to identify all Citrix-related ADMX files in the central repository. Also, the first letter of the ADMX file should start with a capital letter, but now I am nitpicking.

What Is Citrix Receiver

Citrix Receiver Usb Installer