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/

If you are having this error with an Excel file saved in SharePoint Online being stuck at “Performing Cleanup” when closing the file, this fix might help you. Also, the file is somehow cached locally and does not update with the current online version of the file. Onedrive reset also does not help.

Empty this folder:

%localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCache

This might also help you:

https://www.koskila.net/performing-cleanup-excel-is-stuck-with-an-old-conflicted-file-and-will-never-recover/

If you are getting this error when trying to login to Microsoft 365 Apps, this fix might help. The error says “Your computer’s Trusted Platform Module has malfunctioned. Error Code 80090034.

To fix that, configured this registry key/value:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Cryptography\Protect\Providers\df9d8cd0-1501-11d1-8c7a-00c04fc297eb

DWORD Protectionpolicy 1

The value 1 indicates a specific setting, but without direct documentation from Microsoft, the precise effect of 1 on this policy isn’t readily available. It typically refers to enabling or enforcing a particular cryptographic protection policy, possibly related to password protection or other cryptographic functions in Windows.

This was tested on Windows 10.