Microsoft has announced that it is pulling the plug on the Remote Desktop app. In just 6 weeks, the app will not only no longer be supported, it will also not be available to download from the Microsoft Store.
But Microsoft is not completely abandoning people who need to be able to remotely access systems — it is replacing the Remote Desktop app with the Windows App. While the company is quick to point out the extra things Windows App can do when compared to the Remote Desktop app, it concedes that it is not a replacement tool and there are limitations.
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Microsoft points out various improvements that users can experience when transitioning to Windows App. This includes customizable home screens, multimonitor support, and dynamic display resolutions. The company also touts other benefits such as unified access to multiple Windows services, including Cloud PCs and virtual desktops from a single, streamlined interface.
But there is no support for remote desktop or Remote Desktop Services users, who are told to use Remote Desktop Connection, and RemoteApp and Desktop Connection respectively. It doesn’t end there, however; Microsoft admits that there are “feature gaps that may create challenges for migrating to Windows App”.
The complete list of known issues and limitations of Windows App is significant and worrying long:
- Resetting user data through the user interface isn’t supported. Instead, you can reset Windows App in the Windows settings. For more information, see Reset or Repair MSIX Apps.
- Integration with your local Windows start menu isn’t supported.
- Using Private Link to connect to Azure Virtual Desktop isn’t supported.
- Single sign-on (SSO) with Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) isn’t supported.
- Connecting to Azure Government, Azure Germany, Azure operated by 21Vianet, or Azure Virtual Desktop (Classic) isn’t supported.
- Windows App doesn’t work in some environments where proxy servers require proxy/HTTP authentication.
- Windows App Insider ring doesn’t currently function and will be removed from the UI until fixed.
More details can be found here.
Image credit: Skorzewiak / depositphotos
