Azure Virtual Desktop User Readiness Checklist
When deploying a new Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environment, it’s important to make sure that everything is working correctly before the environment is rolled out to the end users. Azure Virtual Desktop is a Microsoft cloud-based service that allows users to access their Windows desktop and applications remotely. This makes it possible to work from different locations while maintaining a centralized environment.
However, deploying an AVD environment is one thing, but making sure that everything works as expected is another. To assist in this process, I’ve created a checklist for myself that covers the most important components of an Azure Virtual Desktop environment. The main purpose of this checklist is to identify potential issues before the environment is deployed to production. Most of the items are things I have learned by deploying environments, user complaints and components which were missing after deployment. This can be seen as a list which evolved through the years as I deployed more AVD and W365 environments/images.
The checklist itself
The checklist is divided into multiple categories to make testing the environment easier. It covers the following components:
- First and second login experience
- Windows experience and configuration
- Shared folders, Windows Explorer and SharePoint
- End-user and administrator system restrictions
- Application availability and functionality
- Microsoft 365 experience
- Performance and remote working capabilities
Each component contains multiple checks that should be performed before the environment is considered ready for deployment.
Azure Virtual Desktop Checklist
| # | Check | 1 | 2 | 3 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First login | |||||
| 1.1 | Was downloading and setting up the Microsoft Remote Desktop app successful? | ||||
| 1.2 | Was the MFA challenge successful? | ||||
| 1.3 | Was the first login completed successfully without errors? | ||||
| Windows experience | |||||
| 2.1 | Is the Windows display language set to Dutch everywhere? Check this in at least 10 Windows screens | ||||
| 2.2 | Is the Windows taskbar layout configured as desired? | ||||
| 2.3 | Are the correct shortcuts pinned to the taskbar? | ||||
| 2.4 | Are the correct application shortcuts available on the desktop? | ||||
| 2.5 | Are all required modern applications available? (Notepad, Calculator, Snipping Tool, etc.) | ||||
| 2.6 | Verify with GPResult that all correct Group Policies have been applied | ||||
| 2.7 | Is the Winget application available? Test by running winget in cmd; it should not return an error | ||||
| Shared folders / Windows Explorer / SharePoint | |||||
| 3.1 | Is Windows Explorer functioning properly? | ||||
| 3.2 | Are all required network drives present? (Such as T: or W:) | ||||
| 3.3 | Are all required Microsoft SharePoint folders available? | ||||
| 3.4 | Is the data on the network drives accessible? | ||||
| 3.5 | Is the data on the Microsoft SharePoint folders accessible? | ||||
| 3.6 | Is it possible to save files in the user profile? (Desktop/Documents/Pictures/Downloads) | ||||
| 3.7 | Is Microsoft OneDrive automatically signed in? | ||||
| 3.8 | Are Desktop/Pictures/Documents automatically synced with Microsoft OneDrive? | ||||
| Second login | |||||
| 4.1 | Was the second login successful without errors? | ||||
| 4.2 | Were all files and settings retained? | ||||
| End-user system restrictions | |||||
| 5.1 | Are all system restrictions applied correctly? | ||||
| 5.2 | Is the user not a local administrator? | ||||
| 5.3 | Is the user unable to install system applications? | ||||
| 5.4 | Is the user unable to shut down the system? | ||||
| 5.5 | Is the user unable to open sensitive Control Panel items? | ||||
| 5.6 | Is the user unable to run cmd and PowerShell? | ||||
| 5.7 | Is it impossible for the end user to make system changes? Try to creatively test whether the system can be compromised | ||||
| Administrator system restrictions | |||||
| 6.1 | Are all system restrictions removed when logged in as Administrator? | ||||
| 6.2 | Is the FSLogix profile correctly NOT loaded when logged in as Administrator? | ||||
| 6.3 | Is it possible to run CMD and PowerShell as Administrator? | ||||
| Applications | |||||
| Based on this application list, presence and functionality must be tested for each application | |||||
| 7.1 | Are all required applications installed? | ||||
| 7.2 | Are all required applications functioning properly? | ||||
| Microsoft 365 experience | |||||
| 8.1 | Is Microsoft Outlook functioning properly? | ||||
| 8.2 | Is Microsoft Teams functioning properly? | ||||
| 8.3 | Is Microsoft Word functioning properly? | ||||
| 8.4 | Is Microsoft PowerPoint functioning properly? | ||||
| 8.5 | Is Microsoft Excel functioning properly? | ||||
| 8.6 | Is Microsoft Edge functioning properly? | ||||
| 8.7 | Is Microsoft OneDrive functioning properly and installed for all users? Test with at least 2 users | ||||
| 8.8 | Is MFA bypassed in the remote desktop environment? | ||||
| Performance | |||||
| 9.1 | Is the speed of the remote environment satisfactory? | ||||
| 9.2 | Are there no work-disrupting delays present? | ||||
| 9.3 | Are there no delays when typing, using the mouse, or opening applications? | ||||
| Working from home / remote work | |||||
| 10.1 | Is it possible to work from home/remotely? | ||||
| 10.2 | Is the speed/performance satisfactory when working from home/remotely? | ||||
| Summary | |||||
| In your opinion, is the environment ready for deployment? | |||||
| We also ask for some human insight here besides the points above, there may be other improvements to address before wider rollout which we IT guys not have thought about |
Summary
The Azure Virtual Desktop checklist is a great way to verify that your environment is ready before rolling it out to your end users.
An environment can be technically operational while users are still experiencing issues with applications, profile settings or performance. This is why it’s important to test the environment from an end-user perspective instead of only checking the technical configuration.
By testing the different components with multiple users and from different locations, you can identify configuration issues, missing applications and performance problems before they impact the users. It’s also important to verify that the correct system restrictions and security policies are applied.
Keep in mind that every environment is different, so some checks might not apply to your organization. You can always extend the checklist with additional requirements.
The most important part is not only making sure by yourself that everything works technically, but also making sure that the environment provides a good user experience.
End of the page 🎉
You have reached the end of the page. You can navigate through other blog posts as well, share this post on X, LinkedIn and Reddit or return to the blog posts collection page. Thank you for visiting this post.
Support the blog
