Remote apps launched via Windows App stuck on "Preparing Windows" since Nov 12th

Question

Remote apps launched via Windows App stuck on "Preparing Windows" since Nov 12th

screampuff 6

Hello, Since Nov 12 all our users are failing to launch avd remoteapps via Windows App.

The web client still works, it is just from Windows app.

No errors in event viewer that I can find started appearing since the issue started happening. Full desktop still works.

I tried rolling back the Windows app twice to the previous 2 versions but had no luck. I think it must be host side.

I also tried duplicating my host pool and deploying it without any Intune Config Profile or GPO such that it's a base windows image, and I still run into the same issue.

The 'preparing windows' spinning wheel just freezes, the app actually does run, you can see it in task manager on a session host.

User's image

screampuff 6 Reputation points

2025-11-20T16:57:54.52+00:00

Thanks, I confirmed the service is running and tried disabling UDP.

Also to update, I duplicated my host pool and deployed session hosts from most recent golden image, and in fact the remote apps are working from the same client where they get stuck on the old pool. Ive been running updates and any changes i can find made over the past month. So far so good, can't reproduce it. I may just move users over to the new host pool and delete the old one, but I'm unsure if the culprit may rear again.

I will add that our host pool does a mix of remote app and full desktop to different groups of users. As part of this issue we'll be splitting it into 2 separate pools, one for remote apps and one for desktop environment.
Anonymous

2025-11-20T17:06:47.61+00:00

Hi screampuff,

Please upvote and accept the answer if it was helpful, as this can assist others in the community.

Thank You!
Anonymous

2025-11-24T07:04:42.08+00:00

Hi screampuff,

Please upvote and accept the answer if it was helpful, as this can assist others in the community.

Thank You!

2 answers

Your answer

screampuff 6 Reputation points

2025-11-20T16:57:54.52+00:00

Thanks, I confirmed the service is running and tried disabling UDP.

Also to update, I duplicated my host pool and deployed session hosts from most recent golden image, and in fact the remote apps are working from the same client where they get stuck on the old pool. Ive been running updates and any changes i can find made over the past month. So far so good, can't reproduce it. I may just move users over to the new host pool and delete the old one, but I'm unsure if the culprit may rear again.

I will add that our host pool does a mix of remote app and full desktop to different groups of users. As part of this issue we'll be splitting it into 2 separate pools, one for remote apps and one for desktop environment.
Anonymous

2025-11-20T17:06:47.61+00:00

Hi screampuff,

Please upvote and accept the answer if it was helpful, as this can assist others in the community.

Thank You!
Anonymous

2025-11-24T07:04:42.08+00:00

Hi screampuff,

Please upvote and accept the answer if it was helpful, as this can assist others in the community.

Thank You!

Answer 1

Hi screampuff,

The issue you mentioned—AVD RemoteApps not launching via the Windows App since November 12, while both the web client and full desktop launch still work—has also been reported by other users recently. The main symptom is that the 'preparing windows' spinner gets stuck, even though Task Manager shows the app running on the session host.

Here’s a detailed rundown of what you can check and try to resolve the issue:

Verify “Remote Desktop Services User Mode Port Redirector” is enabled and running on session hosts.
Disable UDP and force TCP connections for Remote Desktop on both client and host(Registry or Group Policy) as a troubleshooting step.

Document:

Remote Desktop Freezing issue

Please let me know if the information above was useful to you.

Thank you!

Answer 2

If users are experiencing issues with RemoteApps being stuck on "Preparing Windows" when launched via the Windows App, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can consider:

Check Internet Connection: Ensure that all users have a stable internet connection, as connectivity issues can affect the launching of RemoteApps.
Update Windows App: Make sure that all users are using the latest version of the Windows App. You can find the latest version in the documentation about what's new in Windows App.
Inspect Connection: Use the Inspect connection action for the Cloud PC to check for potential issues. This action can automatically fix some issues or provide guidance on how to resolve them.
Clear Cache: Sometimes, clearing the Remote Desktop client cache can help resolve issues. You can run the command to clear the old Remote Desktop client cache as mentioned in the troubleshooting steps for the Windows 365 app.
Check for Updates: Ensure that all relevant Windows updates are installed, as updates can resolve underlying issues that may be causing the problem.
Event Viewer: Although you mentioned no errors were found in the Event Viewer, continue to monitor it for any new logs that may appear related to the issue.

If the issue persists after trying these steps, it may be beneficial to contact your system administrator or Microsoft support for further assistance.

References:

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Remote apps launched via Windows App stuck on "Preparing Windows" since Nov 12th

2 answers

Your answer