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Hopefully this post can help you solve an issue if you’re experiencing a situation with no audio while connecting to a Windows 10 VM in Hyper-V, but audio is not passing through via RDP.

A client had a Hyper-V deployment on Server 2012 R2, hosting a Windows 7 Virtual Machine. They were using Remote Desktop via a Windows 10 client computer to connect to the Windows 7 VM. Within the RDP shortcut on the Windows 10 machine, they had several options checked under ‘local resources’, ‘configure remote audio settings’:

• Remote audio playback, play on this computer was checked
• Remote audio recording, record on this computer was checked

In addition, within the same RDP shortcut file were the following applied settings (edited with notepad):
audiocapturemode:i:1
audiomode:i:0
audioqualitymode:i:2

From within the Hyper-V host, the VM had ‘allow enhanced session mode’ and ‘use enhanced session mode’ applied for both user and server.

Under these settings and while connecting to the Windows 7 Virtual Machine, audio pass-through via RDP was functional. The Windows 10 machine was able to RDP into the W7 VM and play audio files within the VM that would pass through to the local machine’s speakers.

The problem arose after performing a Windows Update that updated the Windows 7 VM to a Windows 10 VM. The update went smoothly and all application data and user data was preserved during the update process. The client was using the same RDP connection settings to connect to the new Windows 10 VM as described above. However, no audio was passed through the VM to the local machine. In fact, there was a red X shown on the speaker icon from within the VM in the taskbar, and upon hovering over the red X the message displayed was “No audio device” and “Code 45”.

Several troubleshooting steps were attempted, including all the following:

• Verify on the local windows 10 machine that the following services were running and set to automatic startup: Windows Audio, Remote Desktop Services, Remote Desktop UserMode Port Redirector
• Verify that all of the same services were running on the Hyper-V host server
• Look for the ‘Remote Audio’ device from device manager on the Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V host system, which existed.
• Attempt to uninstall, then re-install the ‘Remote Audio’ device on the Windows 10 VM, which failed.
• Verify that all updates were applied to both the Hyper-V server and the Windows 10 Virtual Machine, which had no impact on the issue
• On the server, looked at the Group Policy settings under Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Remote Desktop Session Host, Device and Resource Redirection and verified that “Limit audio playback quality” was set to “Enabled” and “Audio Quality” was set to “High”
• SFC and DISM scans were ran within the Windows 10 VM to verify that no OS files were corrupt

The most unusual aspect of this issue was the fact that, when connecting to the Windows 10 Virtual Machine using the Hyper-V Manager, and using ‘Enhanced Session’, the remote audio played on the VM would work just fine and would transfer through for playback on the local machine. Since audio redirection worked just fine when connecting via the Hyper-V Manager, but not RDP, I was certain that it was a setting pertaining to the RDP that connection that was the source of the problem.

After some additional reading, we first thought that the VM was faulty, as it was initially setup as Generation 1 for Windows 7, whereas most recommend using Generation 2 for Windows 10. However, after several days of tweaking settings and testing, we finally found the true source of the issue.

The fix was found in the group policy “Enable Remote Desktop Protocol 8.0”. This setting was set to “Enabled” under the Windows 7 VM for whatever reason. After the update to Windows 10, the setting remained, and caused the audio redirection to fail. Changing this setting from “Enabled” to “Not Configured” followed by a reboot allowed audio redirection to work again. Finally, audio could be passed from the Windows 10 VM to the local Windows 10 machine for playback.

Are you interested in pushing the technology envelope (and helping Microsoft bug test their latest browser at the same time?). Internet Explorer 9 BETA has been released. Take a look: http://www.beautyoftheweb.com/.

Initial reviews are very positive towards IE9. One negative, however, it only runs on Windows Vista and Windows 7. If you are still running Windows XP this just might be enough motivation to upgrade.

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How old is your existing computer? Did you purchase it longer than three or four years ago? If you haven’t purchased a new computer for yourself, new servers, or new systems for your office, it’s time to take a good look at what’s available! Technology has advanced considerably over recent years and prices have come down at the same time. There are some amazing deals available out there for system upgrades.

Take the Dell Optiplex 780, for example. Here are a few specs from a mid-range Dell system selling for only $750. But don’t let the mid-range category fool you, compared to older computers this is a beast!

• Windows 7 Professional
• Intel® Core™ 2 Quad 2.6 GHz Processor
• 4 GB System Memory (RAM)
• 160GB 7,200 RPM SATA, Hard Drive

Now, let’s compare this to a very popular system being sold by Dell in 2006 for around the same price range, the Dell Dimension 3100. These systems were very popular, and we still run across many offices with these systems still running today. How does it stack up to the Optiplex 780? Here are some specs from the 3100:

• Windows XP Professional
• Pentium 4 3.0 GHz Single Core Processor
• 512 MB System Memory (RAM)
• 80GB Hard Drive

The processor on the older 3100 system took 231 seconds to do the same office task that the new 780 system can do in only 114 seconds. Also keep in mind that the new 780 has FOUR cores, and that same task can be performed four times in the same span of time as the 3100 is cranking away on a single task. WOW, now there’s an amazing difference. This is the type of productivity increase that should not be ignored. With every computer in an office running tasks twice as fast, and capable of running 4 times as many tasks at once, it’s easy to see how an entire company can realize a massive jump in productivity after a minimal investment in new computer systems.

Some other benefits: Windows 7 is far more stable than Windows XP, which means fewer crashes and less troubleshooting to contend with. Also, any time a new system is setup and configured, you have an opportunity to clean out old junk files from the previous system that have been slowing you down. There’s also an opportunity to install the latest anti-virus and make sure that software is configured correctly for optimal performance. Finally, let’s not forget about Office 2010. If you’re upgrading computers, it’s probably a good idea to dump that old version of Office 2003 and get the latest and greatest, Office 2010. This software is packed with new features that make it easier and faster to compose and share documents.

The same increase in productivity, speed, and reliability also carries through to the latest laptops and servers on the market. New office technology is very affordable right now and will work wonders for any office of any size. We can help you pick out and customize the system that is right for you. Several important factors to consider include type of processor, hard drive size, network card, and operating system depending on where and how you will use the computer.

When deadlines matter and competition is tight, it’s important to provide yourself and your employees with the latest tools if you want to be successful. Let my PC Techs provide your office with a free, expert consultation. We can help you identify the best use of your yearly technology budget to make meaningful purchases that will increase productivity and save time and money. Call (602) 456-0150 to setup your free consultation today.

The smartphone market grew by 64% annually worldwide in Q2 2010. Google’s Android based phones surged to a 34% share of the US smartphone market and edged out Blackberry’s 32% and the iPhone’s 21% to claim the largest market share.

While Android phone sales are soaring, the iPhone and Blackberry phones continue to remain competitive. Additionally, Microsoft is planning to release a revolutionary new phone based on Windows 7. The Windows 7 phone series is sure to heat up this market even further. Stay tuned!

http://gizmodo.com/5471805/windows-phone-7-series-everything-is-different-now

http://digg.com/tech_news/Android_May_Now_Be_Largest_Smartphone_Platform_in_US

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Microsoft will finally release a patch for Windows that closes a security hole that’s been widely talked about the past couple of weeks. Until then, do not open any .LNK (shortcut files) from websites or sent to you via email. Watch for the patch early next week:
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Microsoft-Releasing-Windows-Security-Fix-Next-Week-599568/

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