This is going to be a living guide and I will be constantly updating it as I encounter anything worth sharing. Please do come back regularly to this post to as a starting point.
The objective of this guide is my way of sharing what I normally would consider and apply to Windows 7 virtual desktops to ensure they are optimised suitably for each environment. Where necessary, I will break out into sub-posts to dive into the details. This post will focus on the higher level.
- Virtual Machine Hardware
- Upgrade virtual machine hardware to the latest version supported on the hosting vSphere hosts.
- Disable unnecessary virtual hardware in VM BIOS, i.e. Serial Ports, Parallel Port, Floppy Controller.
- Disable Virtual Machine hot plug [post]
- Clean up missing devices in Windows Device Manager
- Installation process of VMware Tools & VMware View Agent [coming soon…]
- run the customisation script provided with the VMware’s Windows Desktop Optimization Guide found here.
- how do I tailor the script for each deployment [coming soon…]
- optimise Windows page file settings [coming soon…]
- Local Group Policy changes [coming soon…]
- enable Verbose Windows logon messages
- enable Loopback processing
- Set Shutdown script for VMware tools [coming soon…]
- Removing excess Windows profiles & customising the default profile [coming soon…]
- Configure Windows Visual Settings [post]
Part of the virtual desktop deployment can encompass some applications, and below are some guidelines on areas to consider.
- Disable automatic application update checks [coming soon…]
- Application installation location [coming soon…]