Microsoft is continuously rolling out the Windows 11 2022 update, but more problems unravel as it reaches more users. One of the biggest unresolved issues now has something to do with Remote Desktop clients. According to those affected, installing the update caused their Remote Desktop on Windows 11 system to fail to connect (or connect only to disconnect or freeze later). “All of our Remote Desktop Users using Windows 11 are having problems connecting to Remote Desktop after installing this update. It just hangs at connecting,” reported an Insider named Jeff Cleath on the Microsoft Community page. “We have found that there is a bug in the Remote Desktop client so that it is only trying the UDP connection and not trying the TCP connection. We only allow the port 443 connection through on our firewall.” Users in the community found a workaround to end the negative impact of Windows 11 2022 on Remote Desktop clients. Apparently, it is still suggested to roll back the update. Nonetheless, for those who still wish to have it, Cleath suggests adding a specific registry setting to allow the Remote Desktop Connection to work, which involves disabling UDP connections on clients. To do so, you need to go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services\Client using the Registry Editor. From there, affected users need to right-click and create a new DWORD entry named fClientDisableUDP and change its value to 1. To complete the process, a restart is necessary. Many users claim this process quickly resolved the issue. On the other hand, users can also resort to the Turn Off UDP On Client policy option without restarting their machines. Follow the path Computer Configuration > Administration Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Connection Client via the Group Policy Editor. While this suggestion seems to work for many affected users, some are still doubtful about it. “My understanding is that changing that registry to 1 would actually not use the UDP,” one user wrote. “Would anyone know whether this would cause any “unreliability” in the RemoteApp connection if it is left turned off?” “From my limited understanding, I think UDP allows the RDP connection to remain connected even if it doesn’t get an acknowledgment from the remote server, as TCP requires a full handshake between client and server before it does anything,” another user commented. “So disabling UDP just means that it only uses TCP to connect and that it needs a stable connection to the server at all times to maintain the handshake.” Cleath, the Insider who suggested the remedy, on the other hand, says using it on his end pose no problems. “I have heard from others that changing this registry could lead to performance issues with file downloads and video from Remote Desktop environment, especially with poor or long distance connections,” Cleath said. “I personally have been using this setting for about 4 months and have had no issues. I have very good internet connectivity remotely and am only about 40 miles from the server environment.” As of now, Microsoft still doesn’t have any official fix available for the issue though the company is already aware of the situation. In the meantime, affected users can try the above suggestions or wait for the official solution from Microsoft. For more visit OUR FORUM.

Microsoft unveiled a bounty of upgrades for Windows 11 lately, which has been positioned as the operating system of the hybrid working era. The additions included a new-look File Explorer, improved video conferencing facilities and various security upgrades. However, implicit in some of the announcements were also clues as to how the company might shape its future operating systems. And if the rumors are to be believed, Microsoft has already started work on Windows 12. The focus of the Windows 11 roadmap on enhanced mobility and the renewed emphasis on Windows 365, the company’s PC-as-a-Service offering, suggest the future of Windows lies firmly in the cloud, particularly in a business context.

Head in the clouds
In a world in which connectivity is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, it’s not outside the realms of possibility that Windows 12 could become Microsoft’s first ever cloud-only operating system, hosted off-device and bundled with compute and storage as part of a subscription package. The system would be similar in many ways to traditional virtual desktop setups, which have been deployed by businesses for years to support BYOD scenarios, but offer simplified pricing and configuration structures and extend out to a wider audience that includes the consumer. Certainly, Microsoft is already interested in shifting towards a hybrid arrangement. Speaking at the event earlier this week, CEO Satya Nadella announced that “the boundaries between the PC and the cloud are fading away”. At the moment, the idea is to streamline the transition between local and Windows 365 desktops, such that users are unable to tell whether their apps, compute and storage are coming from the cloud or their machine. But the logical next step might be to take the whole lot into the cloud, à la Chrome OS. Microsoft has already announced it will allow Windows 365 customers to boot directly into their cloud desktop, bypassing the local OS, which feels only one step short of the cloud-only vision. In a business setting, moving to a cloud-only system would give IT administrators tighter control over security configuration and identity management, and full oversight of how devices are being used. But in a broader context, shifting to a cloud setup is more about enabling new models of consumption. Windows 365 is marketed as a service that provides professionals with unrivaled flexibility, in terms of the location and device they work from, but also the resources available to them. There are currently twelve separate Cloud PC configurations, each of which offers a different amount of resources, and customers can switch between the tiers at any time.

Read a lot more on our special dedicated Windows 12 Board here

Read more: Windows 12: Microsoft’s first cloud-based operating system?