How to correct User Profile Disk and temporary profiles in 2012 R2 RDS

How to correct User Profile Disk and temporary profiles in 2012 R2 RDS

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/d874272b-738e-4e9f-aa4e-025dc8003ba7/remote-desktop-connection-broker-and-user-profile-disk-not-working-good?forum=winserverTS

I ran across this thread last night after revisiting the issues I was having with RDS, User Profile Disk connections, and Intermittent temporary profiles.

I had already processed all of the Profile list Registry entries, deleted countless profile disks, looked for any fixes anywhere, and pounded my head until I wished I had passed out already.  This thread became my saving grace... so to speak.

I have the typical setup: GW -> CB -> Session Host Collection.

All of my external users use the GW, and internal users use old school 2008 R2 Round Robin DNS.  This method works, but will kill  you in the long run.  Temporary profiles on your down level RDP clients (thin clients) will cause you nothing but grief with your User Profile Disks.  Plus 2012 R2 RDS uses the Connection Broker services to point you to the right server.  The round robin approach is dated. 

2012R2 RDS works best by sending everything through the connection broker service on the CB server.  This will allow the CB to determine the Session Host (we're just talking session hosts here and not VDI) that you will connect to.  

***If you are using RR DNS then you need to get rid of the RR registry entries, and create an A record that just points to the Connection Broker server.***

We will then need to edit the registry on the Connection Broker to redirect all inbound clients to your session host collection.

In order to edit the CB registry we need to find out what to enter.  Connect to RDWeb via Chrome, enter user / pass and right click and save the Session Host connection icon. 

If you don't see it you will have to edit your remote desktop collection properties, and check off to "Show the session collection in RD Web Access" 

Right click on the .RDP file that you just saved, and edit it with notepad.

Find the line: “loadbalanceinfo:s:tsv://MS Terminal Services Plugin.1.NAME OF COLLECTION”

In my case it was this exact line including the truncated name:

loadbalanceinfo:s:tsv://MS Terminal Services Plugin.1.Remote_Desktop_S

Now you need to take that line and create a Registry Entry on the Connection Broker.  

Login to Connection Broker server and open regedit. Browse to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\ClusterSettings

Create new stringValue: DefaultTsvUrlThen paste earlier copied path to Value data: tsv://MS Terminal Services Plugin.1.NAME OF COLLECTION"

This is how mine looked when I entered it:

Remember if you need to connect directly to your connection broker server VIA RDP use the 'MSTSC /admin option, or download remote desktop connection manager from MS, edit the properties of the connection to your CB and select the 'connect to console' option.

Remember a few things though.  If you are using older thin clients you will probably receive authentication errors.  The link that I posted above states:

"Please note that if the thin clients do not properly support at least RDP 8.0 then the users may get a poor experience.  I have seen in the past where people complain about 2012 R2 RDSH and it was because the thin clients they were using only supported up to RDP 6.x/7.x or similar.  Some devices don't even fullysupport the lower version."

I have already experienced this issue stated above.  I have not found a fix for it other than swapping out new TC's. Hopefully I can find some firmware or some other solution quickly before I just completely ditch UPDs.

Thanks!