Managing Windows 365 Flex Cloud PCs

Important

Windows 365 Frontline is now Windows 365 Flex. The product name in the Microsoft Intune admin center is being updated and may still appear as Frontline in some places. This article reflects those existing references where updates are still in progress. For more information about the rebrand, see Expanding access to Windows 365.

Windows 365 Flex (formerly Frontline) Cloud PCs can be managed using Microsoft Intune, alongside other Cloud PCs and devices in your tenant. Windows 365 Flex supports:

  • Provisioning Cloud PCs after licenses are purchased.
  • Managing Cloud PCs.
  • Configuring and applying policies.
  • Deploying applications.
  • Performing remote actions on Cloud PCs.
  • Reporting.

You can view your Windows 365 Flex Cloud PCs on two pages:

  • Devices, All devices: Turn on the Model column to differentiate between Windows 365 Flex Cloud PCs and others. Additionally, use the Frontline Type property to distinguish between Shared and Dedicated Cloud PCs.

  • Devices, Windows 365, All Cloud PCs: This list can be filtered to show only Windows 365 Flex Cloud PCs using the PC type filter.

Tip

Windows 365 Flex Cloud PCs in Shared mode are also visible in the Devices, Windows 365, Provisioning Policies page. Under each provisioning policy, detailed information about the currently provisioned and managed Cloud PCs is shown, along with device action history.

Power state for Windows 365 Flex devices in Dedicated mode

When inactive, Windows 365 Flex Cloud PCs in Dedicated mode are in a powered off state. You can confirm the power state of the Cloud PC in Overview page for a device, using the Power state property.

For the best user experience, make sure to:

  • Configure the Windows Update Ring profiles.
  • Set a time limit for idle Remote Desktop Sessions.

Flex shared built-in provisioning configuration defaults

When a Cloud PC in Shared mode is provisioned, Windows 365 applies a set of built-in configuration changes. These changes optimize the Cloud PC for shared usage and are based on the Windows virtual desktop optimization guidance. The default configuration is applied automatically and can be customized as needed using Intune, Group Policy or other device management solutions.

The changes fall into the following areas.

Shared, non-persistent sessions

  • The Cloud PC runs in Windows shared PC mode.
  • A user's profile is deleted at sign-out, and the roaming profile cache is cleared, so profiles don't accumulate.
  • Windows account management and cleanup are enabled.
  • Disable Recycling Bin data storage for deleted files.
  • User files and settings are not retained on the Cloud PC. Use OneDrive Known Folder Move (see below) for persistence.

Sign-in

  • Fast first sign-in is enabled.
  • The first-sign-in animation and the out-of-box (OOBE) privacy prompts are skipped.
  • The sign-in screen doesn't enumerate other connected or local users, and uses a non-transparent background.
  • PIN sign-in and FIDO security-key sign-in are disabled. Windows Hello for Business remains available.

Removed apps

  • Consumer inbox (Microsoft Store) apps are removed for all users, including the Xbox apps, Maps, Solitaire, Messaging, Mixed Reality Portal, 3D Viewer, and similar.

Disabled features and background activity

  • Windows Spotlight, suggested and promoted content, tips, and consumer app auto-install are disabled.
  • Cortana and Windows Copilot are disabled.
  • Desktop animations and visual effects are set for best performance.
  • Background apps are disabled.
  • Non-essential scheduled tasks and services are disabled (for example, Xbox, Maps, messaging, geolocation, and Customer Experience Improvement Program tasks).
  • Diagnostic trace loggers (autologgers) for absent hardware, such as cellular and Wi-Fi, are disabled.
  • When deployed with Cloud Apps experience, Task Manager is disabled.

Telemetry and diagnostics

  • Telemetry and diagnostic data uploads, Windows Error Reporting, and feedback prompts are disabled.
  • Location and sensors are disabled.
  • Scheduled and scripted diagnostics are disabled.

Performance and storage

  • SMB client caching is increased (file, directory, and not-found caches set to 1,024 entries) for faster file access.
  • The pagefile is kept on the OS (C:) drive.
  • Delivery Optimization peer caching is disabled.
  • System Restore, File History, and indexing of unused locations are disabled.
  • Legacy 8.3 short file names are no longer generated (a standard performance optimization).

OneDrive and Known Folder Move

  • OneDrive is configured for silent sign-in.
  • Known Folder Move redirects the user's Desktop, Documents, and Pictures to OneDrive.
  • Files On-Demand is enabled.
  • Upload bandwidth is managed automatically, and at least 1 GB of free disk space is kept for the cache.

Microsoft 365 Apps and Microsoft Teams

  • Microsoft 365 Apps run in shared computer activation mode.
  • Microsoft Teams runs in virtual desktop (VDI) optimization mode.

Session management

  • The session uses the connecting client's time zone.
  • Idle sessions are signed out after 15 minutes, and disconnected sessions are ended after 30 minutes, so the Cloud PC returns to the shared pool.

Updates and recovery

  • Windows Update scans and installs updates before the first user signs in.
  • Windows Update doesn't search for device drivers.
  • Insider preview builds are blocked.
  • Featured-software and update notifications are turned off.
  • The Windows recovery and reset environment is disabled. A shared Cloud PC is reprovisioned, not reset locally.

Next steps

For more information about Windows 365 Flex, see:

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