If you do not know which program or service is deleting your files or folders, ProcMon will help you do this. Firstly download it from http://live.sysinternals.com.

Once the program is executed add a new filter Operation is SetDispositionInformationFile

Afterwards add the file or folder that you want to monitor. Path contains FOLDERNAME. You can also insert the whole path to the folder. Afterwards hit ok.

Also, to avoid using a lot of ram, configure “Drop filtered events” in case ProcMon will run for some hours.

Now patiently wait until the event occurs. Enjoy!

References:

https://blog.zensoftware.co.uk/2013/03/06/support-queries-shared-using-process-monitor-to-see-when-files-are-being-deleted/

Storage Sense is a new feature that came with Windows 10 and tries to delete temp folders or unused OneDrive data. The feature is good but sometimes some programs, probably not that good designed programs create files in the user’s temp folder and do not function properly after those files get deleted by Storage Sense feature.

So in order to disable the feature, here are some registry keys and GPOs that might help you:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\StorageSense\Parameters\StoragePolicy
DWORD 04 Value 0

Group Policy:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Storage Sense > Allow Storage Sense Temporary Files cleanup and set to disabled.

References:

https://winaero.com/disable-storage-sense-delete-temporary-files-windows-10/

Configuring USB Redirection for Azure Virtual Desktop for special devices, including COM/serial devices is very easy.

On the session host, you need this GPO:

Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Device and Resource Redirection.

Do not allow supported Plug and Play device redirectionDo not allow supported Plug and Play device redirection -> set to Disabled

Local device configuration:

Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Connection Client > RemoteFX USB Device Redirection.

Allow RDP redirection of other supported RemoteFX USB devices from this computerAllow RDP redirection of other supported RemoteFX USB devices from this computer -> Set to Administrators and Users

Be sure the GPO has been applied. To be safe, restart the Session Host and your physical device. After starting the destop, you are able to redirect your devices:

Note: This only works on Windows Pro / Enterprise / Education Clients. Home Edition is not supported, unfortunately.

References:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/redirection-configure-usb?tabs=intune&pivots=azure-virtual-desktop

If you need a quick and dirty way to give a user the permission to start a VM without giving them access to the Azure Portal, Azure Automation Webhooks might help. You basically create a PowerShell script that starts the VM and then you configure the Webhook. The Webhook contains an URL which triggers the exceution of that script. Note that everyone with the URI is able to start the VM, which is not optimal.

Once you have created the Automation Account (easy), configure a new Runbook that starts the VM:

Disable-AzContextAutosave -Scope Process

$subscriptionID = Get-AutomationVariable -Name 'SubscriptionID'

Connect-AzAccount -Identity

Select-AzSubscription $SubscriptionId

Start-AzVM -ResourceGroupName "rgname" -name "vmname"

Configure the WebHook. You will get an URI. Save that URI somewhere, since you cannot view it after being created.

Afterwards, a user can run this line to start the VM:

Invoke-WebRequest -URI "https://xxxx.webhook.webhook.azure-automation.net/XXX" -Method POST -UseBasicParsing

Note: the automation account needs to have Virtual Machine Contributor rights on the resource group or subscription to start the VM.

References:

https://learnwithlenny.azurewebsites.net/2022/11/04/starting-an-azure-vm-using-webhook-powershell-exe/

Azure VM Sizes are very confusing and there are a lot of them that seem very similar. This website helps you compare VM sizes with each other, showing you price/performance ratio etc.

https://sparecores.com/