Publish OneDrive as a RemoteApp in AVD: A Step-by-Step Guide

To enable Microsoft OneDrive to launch alongside a RemoteApp in Azure Virtual Desktop, allowing users to access and synchronize their files, specific configurations are required. The usual "Start OneDrive when I sign in to Windows" setting does not function with RemoteApp in Azure Virtual Desktop. Instead, you need to set a registry value to ensure OneDrive starts automatically. Additionally, enhancing the shell experience for RemoteApp sessions will support default file associations, Run/RunOnce registry keys, and more.

This guide details the steps to configure OneDrive to launch automatically with a RemoteApp in Azure Virtual Desktop.

Pre-requisite

1. Your session hosts must be running Windows 11 Enterprise, version 24H2, or version 22H2 or 23H2




2. Use Windows App on Windows or the Remote Desktop client on Windows to connect to a remote session




3. Install the latest onedrive app as machine wide install using the article https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/per-machine-installation




4. Configure the automatically sign in to OneDrive app option via Onedrive GPO or registry to ensure smooth connection to Onedrive.

Steps to Enable OneDrive as Remote App.

1. Configure "terminal services" GPO to enable "Enable enhanced shell experience for RemoteApp" settings.

• Copy the terminalserver.admx and terminalserver.adml file from "c:\windows\policy definitions" and "c:\windows\policy definitions\en-us" folders respectively to the domain controller.

• Create a new GPO and navigate to "Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Remote Session Environment."

Double click on "" setting and click enabled .

1. Enable registry setting on the session host to allow onedrive launch with background switch.

Key: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Type: REG_SZ

Name: OneDrive

Data: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\OneDrive.exe" /background

I applied this setting using powershell, you can also deploy the registry using MECM or Intune.

Publish Onedrive Application as remote App

To publish Onedrive application as remote app, navigate to the application group and click on "+Add"

In the basics tab, select "onedrive" as application,provide the onedrive application path and click next.

In the icon tab, leave defaults and click next

Click on "Create" to create the published application.

Additional registry entries configured for Onedrive

I enabled couple of Onedrive registries to ensure automatic login, disabling onedrive animation etc for OneDrive. Below screenshot for reference.

Testing Onedrive as Remote App

The OneDrive RemoteApp will launch and automatically sign in using my credentials. When you hover over the OneDrive icon, you'll see "Remote" in its name.

I hope this blog helps you understand how to publish OneDrive as a RemoteApp in Azure Virtual Desktop.