Windows 11 Screen Saver is not working in Azure Virtual Desktop.

Question

Hello,

Using Windows 11 AVD hosts, in a Pooled configuration and publishing a full desktop. We have a requirement to configure a Windows Screen saver, to kick in after three minutes, keeping the AVD session still connected.

Have configured a GPO with the Screen Saver settings. These settings are visible on the AVD host, however the timeout is not triggering. Can you help?

Many thanks,

Answer 1

Hello @Jonathan Harris

Group Policy Object (GPO) settings for the screen saver on your Windows 11 AVD hosts. Here are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve this issue:

Verify GPO Application: Ensure that the GPO is correctly applied to the AVD hosts. You can use the gpresult /h C:\F1\gpo.html command to generate a report and check if the screen saver settings are listed under "User Details".
Check Screen Saver Settings: Make sure that the following settings are configured correctly in the GPO:

• Load a specific screen saver
• Force screen saver
• Screen saver timeout
• Password protected screen saver
• Enable screen saver
• Prevent changing screen saver

Use UNC Path: If you are using a custom screen saver, ensure that the path to the screen saver file is accessible from all user systems. Using a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path can help avoid access issues.

Review User Configuration: Confirm that the user configuration settings are correctly applied. Sometimes, settings under "Computer Configurations\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Customization" might need to be checked.

Update Windows: Ensure that your Windows 11 AVD hosts are up to date with the latest patches and updates. Sometimes, updates can resolve underlying issues with GPO settings.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you might want to check the detailed configuration and logs to identify any specific errors or conflicts. Let me know if you need further assistance or if there's anything else I can help with!