Optimization Guide for Desktops and Servers in View in VMware Horizon 6 and VMware Horizon Air Desktops and VMware Horizon Air Apps

VMware Horizon 6 Version 6.x, VMware Horizon Air Desktops Standard, VMware Horizon Air Desktops Advanced, VMware Horizon Air Desktops Enterprise, and VMware Horizon Air Apps

TECHNICAL WHITE PAPER Optimization Guide for Desktops and Servers in View in VMware Horizon 6 and VMware Horizon Air Desktops and VMware Horizon Air Apps

Table of Contents

Introduction ...... 4 VMware Optimization Tool...... 4 Audience ...... 4 How This Guide Is Organized...... 4 View in Horizon 6...... 5 Horizon Air Desktops and Horizon Air Apps ...... 5 Why Optimize?...... 6 What Are You Optimizing?...... 6 When Do You Optimize?...... 6 VMware OS Optimization Tool ...... 7 Using the OSOT ...... 7 OSOT Features...... 8 Tab Functions...... 8 OSOT Template Choices ...... 8 OSOT Template Groups and ...... 9 System Information...... 12 Analysis Summary...... 12 OSOT Optimization Pane...... 13 Road Map for Using the OSOT ...... 14 Best Practices ...... 14 Analyze a Master Image...... 15 Apply Optimizations...... 17 Review the Optimization Results...... 20 Interpret the Analysis Summary...... 20 Export Results ...... 21 View Optimization History ...... 22 Roll Back to the Pre-Optimized State of the Master Image ...... 23 View Rollback History ...... 24 Perform Remote Analysis of Master Images ...... 24 Customizing OSOT Built-In Templates ...... 25 Groups ...... 26 Add a Group ...... 26 Modify a Group ...... 27 Remove a Group ...... 28

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Steps ...... 29 Add or Modify Steps ...... 30 Remove Steps ...... 34 Change the Order of Steps ...... 34 Set the Operating System ...... 34 Delete a Custom Template...... 35 Add Custom Templates to the Repository ...... 35 and .x OS Optimizations ...... 36 Windows 7 and Windows 8.x Service Modifications...... 36 Windows Optimizations Available Using ...... 41 Windows 7 and Windows 8.x Optimizations Using the Registry...... 43 Windows 2008 and OS Optimizations...... 44 Windows Server Optimizations Using Group Policy...... 44 Windows Server Optimizations Using the Registry ...... 45 SMB File Server Tuning...... 46 Recommended General Windows Server Optimizations...... 47 References ...... 48 About the Authors and Contributors...... 49 Appendix A: Optimizations Reference...... 50 Appendix B: Release Notes for the OSOT...... 59 VMware OS Optimization Tool 2015...... 59 VMware OS Optimization Tool 2014...... 60

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Introduction

This guide presents the ways to optimize virtual desktops and servers for View in VMware Horizon® 6 and for VMware Horizon Air™ Desktops and VMware Horizon Air Apps using the VMware Operating System Optimization Tool (OSOT).

VMware Operating System Optimization Tool The free VMware OSOT makes it easy to apply configuration settings to virtual desktops and servers. It includes settings to optimize the following Windows operating systems for both desktops and servers that reside in the data center and in the cloud: • Windows 7 (for desktops) • Windows 8.x (for desktops) • (including R2) • Windows Server 2012 (including R2) The OSOT optimizes RDSH servers for both View and Horizon Air. Both Horizon 6 and Horizon Air use the desktop and server optimizations that the OSOT can supply. Note: The optimization information in this guide pertains only to these Windows OS versions. It does not pertain to Windows XP, which no longer supports. For more information, see the Windows XP Deployment Guide.

Audience This guide is written for data center administrators and IT personnel who want to optimize Windows operating systems for View virtual desktops in Horizon 6 and for Horizon Air desktop and app environments. The guide assists you in working with the OSOT and provides an ongoing reference as you become a more proficient OSOT user. VMware will periodically update this document to reflect continuing enhancements to the OSOT and future releases of the Windows operating system.

How This Guide Is Organized This guide is organized into the following sections: Introduction provides a brief description of the guide and its target audience, and summarizes the Horizon 6 and Horizon Air products. Why Optimize? explains why should be optimized for virtual machines for desktops and servers, the specific areas in the OS that you customize, and the benefits of doing so. VMware OS Optimization Tool presents an overview of the tool, the link to download it, and the steps to use it. Note: The section Road Map for Using the OSOT outlines the steps to perform an optimization. It is the quickest path to get started on the process. You can then use the other parts of this document as a reference when you have questions along the way. Windows 7 and Windows 8.x OS Optimizations provides details about the modifications that you can make to these versions of the operating system with the OSOT. Windows 2008 R2 and Windows 2012 R2 Server OS Optimizations provides details about the modifications that you can make to these versions of the operating system with the OSOT. References supplies additional sources of information. Appendix A (Customizations Reference) lists the values and settings for all items in all OSOT built-in templates. Appendix B (Release Notes for the OSOT) contains the latest changes and updates to the OSOT.

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View in Horizon 6 View in Horizon 6 is a desktop virtualization solution that enables organizations to deliver virtualized or remote desktops and applications to end users through a single platform. The three Horizon 6 editions, VMware Horizon 6 Standard Edition, VMware Horizon 6 Advanced Edition, and VMware Horizon 6 Enterprise Edition, include View as their foundation. Each edition builds successively on the other so that Horizon 6 Advanced Edition is based on Horizon 6 Standard Edition with additional components and products, and Horizon 6 Enterprise Edition extends the capabilities of Horizon 6 Advanced Edition. For more information, see the VMware Horizon Pricing, Packaging, and Licensing white paper.

Horizon Air Desktops and Horizon Air Apps Horizon Air Desktops and Horizon Air Apps provide virtual desktops and hosted apps as a cloud service, deploying and managing them in the cloud. Like the user experience in Horizon 6, users can securely access their desktops and apps from any device or browser.

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Why Optimize?

Windows was designed for physical hardware, specifically desktops, and for that hardware to be accessed by just one user at a time. Windows uses many resources to achieve a powerful PC, but many of these settings are unnecessary or even detrimental when applied to the virtual environment. These actions include, for example, animating windows as the user opens them. Performing this animation takes significant CPU resources, which decreases the number of desktops that you can host per VMware vSphere® server. Consequently, this nonessential function in a virtual machine (VM) environment increases the amount of system hardware that you need. Even if hardware is plentiful, Windows animations do not perform well when accessed remotely, especially when connecting over a slow WAN or Internet connection. Thus, keeping animations enabled (in addition to other unnecessary tasks for VMs) impairs the end-user experience. Another example of desktop optimization in a VM environment is to disable so that control of the service is isolated to administrators. Administrators can run Windows Update in batch mode for the VMs as opposed to users performing this task, which they do in traditional Windows desktop environments.

What Are You Optimizing? Using the recommendations provided in the OSOT, you are maximizing the efficiency and performance of your virtual desktops and RDSH servers. Note: The OSOT can also be used with standalone desktops, either virtual or physical, although the focus of this document is on the administration of master images. Optimizing virtual desktops • Increases virtual desktop performance • Increases virtual desktop density, boosting the number of virtual desktops that can be hosted per vSphere server, thereby reducing infrastructure costs • Improves the desktop experience for end users • Reduces desktop support because of fewer end-user calls to address Optimizing RDSH servers • Increases hosted desktop and application performance • Reduces the amount of system resources that each RDSH server requires • Increases the number of RDSH servers that can be hosted virtually on Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 (RDSH server density) • Increases the number of users that can be supported per RDSH server • Improves the hosted desktop and application experience for end users • Reduces system support

When Do You Optimize? The traditional approach to optimizing virtual desktops or RDSH servers is to use a main virtual machine that acts as a master image. You apply the optimizations to the master image, which is then used to create pools of desktops. You can also use the master image as a template to deploy multiple RDSH servers. Another type of optimization that is frequently performed is one that is made spontaneously to running systems. This kind of optimization is done to tune something that should have been optimized when the system was first deployed. However, it is also executed because something has changed, and the new optimizations are needed on running systems that cannot be redeployed. You can perform both types of optimization, including the creation of a master image, using the OSOT.

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VMware OS Optimization Tool

The OSOT provides the easiest and most efficient way to optimize your Windows desktops and server master images. It offers many advantages over traditional scripts, including the ability to roll back changes, selectively modify optimization values, and view detailed audit information before applying optimizations. The OSOT includes customizable built-in templates to enable or disable Windows system services and features across multiple systems per VMware recommendations and best practices. Because most Windows system services are enabled by default, you can use the OSOT to disable unnecessary services and features to improve performance. The OSOT is a free VMware Fling that you can download.

Using the OSOT Before using the OSOT, which contains recommended configurations using the OSOT built-in templates, your IT organization should investigate and evaluate the benefits of the various optimizations. There is sometimes a trade-off between productivity and optimization. Also, test before and after using the OSOT to ensure that optimizations do not interfere with other software that might be in use within your master image. Appendix A lists all the optimization settings in the OSOT templates. Review these for applicability to your organization’s specific use cases.

Figure 1: OSOT Analysis Results

You can perform the following actions using the OSOT: • Analyze • Optimize • View the history • Customize the OSOT built-in templates

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The Remote OS Optimization Tool is also included in the OSOT download. It uses the same functionality as the OSOT but connects to a remote desktop broker so that the master image VMs can be found and optimized. For more information, see the VMware Remote Analysis Tool Guide.

OSOT Features This section describes some of the tool’s graphical features. Tab Functions When you open the OSOT, four tabs provide the main functions of the OSOT: • Analyze – Analyze the registry entries, services, and scheduled tasks of the VM that you want to optimize. • History – View the past details of the optimization and roll back to the pre-optimized state of the master image. • Remote Analysis – Browse a list of virtual machines in a remote to analyze and optimize them. • Templates – Modify the OSOT built-in templates and save the changes to create your own set of OSOT templates.

Figure 2: Main Tabs Available in the OSOT (Before Optimization)

OSOT Template Choices The following OSOT built-in templates come with a list of modifications for a standard master image. Each OSOT template is an XML file that contains the coding for the optimizations. The default settings are the recommended values for optimizing your Windows operating system. • Windows7 (built-in) – Optimizes Windows 7 desktops. • Windows8 (built-in) – Optimizes all versions of Windows 8 desktops. • WindowsServer2008-2012 (built-in) – Optimizes Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2012 servers. Note: When Windows Server 2008 or 2012 is used as a single-session desktop, use the WindowsServer2008-2012 (built-in) template. The key to optimization is to update services and configurations. Some service names and configuration keys are different between Windows (the “personal” or desktop version) and Windows Server. Therefore, always use the OSOT template with the correct OS version that your virtual machine is using. For example, if the target system is running Windows 7, use the Windows7 (built-in) template to optimize it. Note: The OSOT selects the appropriate OSOT built-in template by detecting the OS of the target machine. However, if you inadvertently select a template from the drop-down menu, remember to choose the correct OSOT template for your VM.

Figure 3: Selecting a Template Name in the OSOT

You can also create your own templates within the OSOT, as described in Customizing Templates.

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OSOT Template Groups and Settings Each OSOT built-in template has a list of the modifications organized by group. The Windows7 (built-in) template contains the following groups: • Apply HKCU Settings to Registry • Apply HKLM Settings • Disable Features • Disable Scheduled Tasks • Disable Services • Disable Visual Effects • VMware Components

Figure 4: Windows 7 Built-In Template Optimizations

For information about the settings for each optimization in the Windows7 (built-in) template, see Appendix A: Optimizations Reference.

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The Windows8 (built-in) template contains the following groups: • Apply HKCU Settings to Registry • Apply HKLM Settings • Disable Features • Disable Scheduled Tasks • Disable Services • Disable Visual Effects • VMware Components

Figure 5: Windows 8 Built-In Template Optimizations

For information about the settings for each optimization in the Windows8 (built-in) template, see Appendix A: Optimizations Reference.

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The WindowsServer2008-2012 (built-in) template contains the following groups: • Apply HKCU Settings to Registry • Apply HKLM Settings • Disable Scheduled Tasks • Disable Services For information about the settings for each optimization in the WindowsServer2008-2012 (built-in) template, see Appendix A: Optimizations Reference.

Figure 6: Windows Server 2008 and 2012 Built-in Template Optimizations

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System Information The System Information pane in the upper left of the main OSOT window, below the four main tabs, has details about the system (local or remote) that you are targeting. Selected definitions for the following window items in the System Information section are: • OS – Operating system on which the OSOT is running • User Name – Current logged-in user • Physical Memory – Installed physical memory • Windows Locale – OS setting that identifies, by geographical location, the language specified for the system prompts for the targeted Windows machine

Figure 7: System Information Pane of the Main OSOT Window

Analysis Summary The Analysis Summary pane in the upper right of the main OSOT window provides a graphical representation of the results that you obtain after you perform an analysis of the optimizations using a particular OSOT template. For more information, see Analyze a Master Image.

Figure 8: Analysis Summary Pane of the Main OSOT Window

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OSOT Optimization Pane When you first encounter the OSOT Optimization pane, to the right of the Template Name menu in the VMware OS Optimization Tool window, you see that the area is largely blank. The only elements shown are a check box and four columns: Optimizations, Description, Expected Result, and Actual Result.

Figure 9: Main OSOT Pane Before You Analyze

After you select a template from the Template Name menu and perform an analysis by clicking the Analyze button, the columns populate with the results.

Figure 10: Main OSOT Pane After You Analyze

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Road Map for Using the OSOT Using the OSOT involves the following steps: 1. Analyze a master image. 2. Review the results of the analysis. 3. (Optional) Export the analysis result. 4. Optimize the master image. 5. Analyze the optimization results (SUCCESS, FAILED). 6. Troubleshoot FAILED results: Click the respective FAILED links to review the error code and error string information. 7. (Optional) View the optimization history. 8. (Optional) Perform a rollback (if you want to return a master image to its pre-optimized state). 9. (Optional) Create a custom OSOT template. 10. (Optional) Place the custom OSOT templates in the OSOT template repository to display them in the Template Name list. Best Practices To make the most of the OSOT, follow these best practices: • Use the OSOT on a clean image. Apply the tool to an unused system that has been built to match the configuration that you will deploy for virtual desktops or RDSH servers. • Disable as many unnecessary Windows OS components as possible without causing a conflict with required applications or user satisfaction. Consider disabling everything and then performing some user-acceptance testing (UAT) to see if there are problems. Re-enable the required components.

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Analyze a Master Image First, you analyze the current state of a desktop master image, and later, you apply the template’s optimizations according to your choices. Before you begin to analyze your first master image, the OSOT window looks like this, with the Analyze tab selected by default:

Figure 11: Main OSOT Window Before You Analyze

The lower right pane in the main OSOT window has blank entries for the Optimizations, Description, Expected Result, and Actual Result columns. To analyze a master image: 1. Run the OSOT from the master image that you want to optimize. Apply the tool to an unused system that has been built to match the configuration that you will deploy for virtual desktops or RDSH servers. 2. From the Template Name drop-down menu in the left pane, select an OSOT built-in or custom template that matches the OS of the system that you are optimizing. Your chosen template opens, with the optimizations for that template in the left pane. Note: Use a template that matches the target machine; this is critical because each OS has different optimizations. If you see elements in the template that are marked with red Xs, they are not available in the targeted image that you are optimizing, and the OSOT cannot perform those optimizations.

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3. Click Analyze.

4. In the Product/Feature Compatibility dialog box, select the options that pertain to the master image that you are going to optimize. Your selections in the dialog box ensure that the optimization changes do not interfere with the selected product or feature.

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5. Click Continue to Analyze. The right lower pane fills in with detailed optimization information for the target system. The Optimizations column shows which optimizations are mandatory, optional, or recommended for optimal performance. Additionally, it might also list items considered suboptimal based on the OSOT analysis.

If you want to save the optimization analysis, you can export the results to a file. SeeExporting Results.

Apply Optimizations You can choose which optimizations to apply to your target system from the Optimizations list and then run the tool. If the optimizations are not applied, you can troubleshoot. Different permissions, an incorrect configuration, or a Group Policy setting in the target system are some of the reasons why certain optimizations might not be applied. After troubleshooting, click Analyze again to see whether the optimizations are successful.

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1. In the Optimizations list, review the items that you want to optimize according to their icons and the meaning of those icons (categories).

Mandatory – You must apply the optimization to the item in the target system because of problems or issues that the OSOT has identified. The Actual Result is not equal to the Expected Result for the recommended optimization. The Expected Result is the recommended value. The Actual Result is what is configured in the target system. The OSOT is indicating that the Actual Result (value) should be the same as the Expected Result (value) for the recommended optimization. See the action to take or the value to apply in the Description column.

Optional – VMware does not have an opinion regarding applying the optimization to the item in the target system. See the information in the Description column.

Recommended – Even if the OSOT recommends an optimization, there can be valid reasons not to apply it. Decide if the recommendation is applicable to your organization’s use cases. Review the information in the Description column and in the section Using the OSOT.

OK – The item has the proper value or setting and does not require any optimization. No severity level is associated with this status.

Table 1: Optimization Categories

Each severity level is the result of comparing the suggested optimization setting with the current setting. 2. Select the items that you want to optimize. To select or deselect all items, select the check box in the title bar. By default, all settings are selected.

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Here is a before-and-after example of what you see when you apply an optimization: Using the Windows7 (built-in) template, you see that the Apply HKCU Settings to Registry group includes two services: • Lower Terminal Server Client Send Interval • Reduce Menu Show Delay

3. Click Optimize.

4. Wait for the optimization to complete, indicated by the progress bar showing 100%. 5. Review the items that you have optimized and note the following: • New Optimize tab (shown selected) in the row of tabs • New Optimization Result column that appears before the Steps column • The selected items for optimization that show SUCCESS for the Optimization Result (such as those specified in the example from Step 2, Lower Terminal Server Client Send Interval and Reduce Menu Show Delay)

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Review the Optimization Results In the Optimization Result column, SUCCESS means that the item has been successfully optimized. From the OSOT perspective, this value has been corrected.

Figure 12: Optimization Result Column

At this point, you do not have to be concerned about the Expected Result or Actual Result values in those respective columns because the item has been optimized. For those items that show a FAILED result, click the FAILED link to review the error code and error string and possibly troubleshoot the issue.

Figure 13: Addressing FAILED Results

A failure can occur for numerous reasons. Permissions, an incorrect configuration, or a Group Policy are just some of the possibilities. For example, if the system is in a domain and the system administrator forbids users to change the settings on their desktops, the optimization could fail. Interpret the Analysis Summary When you click the Analyze button, in addition to the list of individual optimizations, an Analysis Summary displays in the upper right pane of the main OSOT window. The graphical chart makes it easy to review how close the analyzed system is to being optimally configured for best performance in terms of the severity levels. You can interpret the severity levels in the Analysis Summary as follows: • Mandatory – The item on the targeted system has a different configuration (the value shown in the Actual Result column) than the OSOT template (the recommended value in the Expected Result column). • Optional – It is advised to optimize the item in the targeted system due to problems or issues that the OSOT has identified. • Recommended – You can choose whether to optimize the item. Within each severity level, the number of items in which the optimization has not been applied (orange) or has been applied (blue) is shown. Orange indicates that the value of the item in the target system and the OSOT template do not match. Blue indicates that the target system item and the OSOT template do match.

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In the following example, the mandatory column shows 15 items to be configured in the selected OSOT template, with 1 mismatch (orange) and 14 matches (blue), meaning that their values or settings in the target system are what the OSOT expected. Moreover, the optimization has not yet been applied.

Figure 14: Analysis Summary Pane of the Main OSOT Window

Your next step might be to identify the one mismatch in the list of optimizations and apply the optimization.

Export Results Before you optimize the master image, you can export the analysis results as an HTML file for record keeping and to share with other personnel. You can also use the results as a comparison with the post-optimization results. 1. In the lower right of the OSOT main window, Export clickAnalysis Result.

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2. Save the HTML file in your desired location.

View Optimization History You can view the details of the optimizations that you have performed. 1. Click theHistory tab.

2. Review the information for the optimization processes that you have performed.

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The following table defines the elements that you can view in the optimization history.

SCREEN ITEM DESCRIPTION Template Name Name of the template for which the optimization has been completed

Machine Name Name of the machine for which the optimization has been completed

Date Date when the optimization was completed

Time Time when the optimization was completed Type Operation type, such as Optimization or Rollback

Table 2: Optimization History Elements

Roll Back to the Pre-Optimized State of the Master Image A rollback returns the master image to its pre-optimized state—before you performed the analysis function with the OSOT template. You can roll back any master image that you have optimized and reverse all optimizations, including any registry changes that you made with the OSOT. 1. Click theHistory tab.

2. In the Template Name column, select the check box for the optimized entry that you want to roll back and click Rollback.

3. When the rollback operation is complete,OK clickin the dialog box.

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View Rollback History You can view the details of the rollbacks that you have performed. 1. Click theHistory tab.

2. Review the information for the rollbacks that you have performed.

Perform Remote Analysis of Master Images Remote analysis enables you to analyze and optimize remote master images that are managed in your remote desktop environment. 1. Click theRemote Analysis tab.

2. In the Login window, enter your desktop broker (View Connection Server) information to browse a list of master images in the remote desktop environment.

3. Click Login. 4. When connected, perform an analysis and remediation just as you would on a local machine. For more information, see the VMware Remote Analysis Tool Guide.

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Customizing OSOT Built-In Templates

Beyond its built-in optimization capabilities, the OSOT enables you to create custom templates. Using the OSOT template editor, you can apply your own optimizations. There is no limit to the number of customized templates that you can produce. The OSOT built-in templates are read only, so you do not have to worry about accidentally breaking them. However, you can edit an OSOT built-in template and save the modified version as a new file. You can customize the OSOT built-in templates in these ways: • Add a new group or step • Change the order of the steps • Edit the properties of steps and the action types • Execute particular steps on different operating systems Note: If you have not saved your changes, you can remove all your changes by clicking the Discard button.

Figure 15: Overview of the Key UI Items for Creating a Customized Template

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Groups A group is a set of optimization settings that are organized as a category, such as Apply HKLM Settings. You can add, modify, or remove a group to design and customize an OSOT template. Add a Group You can add a group to an existing or new OSOT template. 1. Click theTemplates tab, and from the Template Name drop-down menu, select the template. 2. From the left pane, right-click a group andAdd selectGroup .

The OSOT allows for nested groups, so you are adding a group to the group that you selected. However, in the Add Group dialog box, you have the option to add the group at the current level or the nested level. 3. In the Add Group dialog box: a. Enter the name of the group. b. Enter a description of the group. c. Select whether to add the group at the current level or nested level. The current level adds the group to the same level as the selected group. The nested level option adds the group as a subgroup of the selected group.

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4. Click Add. 5. Click Save As. 6. Enter the filename. 7. Click Save. Modify a Group You can make changes to an existing group. 1. Click theTemplates tab, and from the Template Name drop-down menu, select the template. 2. Select the group to modify. 3. Change the name and description of the group.

4. Click Set. 5. Click Save As to save the changes made to the group. 6. In the Save As dialog box, enter the template’s filenameSave .and click

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7. In the Save Template dialog box,OK .click Saving your changes creates a new, customized OSOT template. You are not changing the OSOT built-in templates, because they are read-only. The OSOT template name is the same as the filename without the .xml extension.

Remove a Group You can remove a group from a template. You can also remove a group that is nested in another group. 1. Click theTemplates tab, and from the Template Name drop-down menu, select the template. 2. Right-click the group to remove and Removeselect . You can also select the group and click the Remove button. 3. Click Save As, enter the name of the template in the Save As dialog box, and then click Save.

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Steps A step is an optimization setting within a group. You can create and add steps and modify, reorder, or remove them to design and customize an OSOT template. Warning: In the group Apply HKCU Settings to Registry, do not change any settings in the steps for • Load HKCU for editing • Unload HKCU for editing Changes to these settings can break everything in that step.

Figure 16: Do Not Change Settings for Load HKCU for editing and Unload HKCU for editing (See Warning Above)

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Figure 17: Changes to hku\temp Could Cause Steps in the Custom Template to Malfunction

Add or Modify Steps You can add a new step or modify an existing step under a group. 1. Click theTemplates tab, and from the Template Name drop-down menu, select the template. 2. Right-click the group to which you want to add a step Add andStep . select When adding or changing step information,Add button is grayedthe out until you click Set. The information is not saved until you click Add. To modify a step, click the group that it belongs to, and then click the existing step. 3. Enter the information in Step Details. For the steps in the group Apply HKCU Settings to Registry:

• In the Key Name field, donot change the \hku\temp part of the path. However, you can change any other elements in the path name.

Changes \hku\tempto could cause the steps in the custom template to malfunction.

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4. Click Save. 5. Select what you want to do fromAction the Type drop-down menu:

6. Select the action parameters. After you select the typeType drop-downfrom the menu, the field names change according to your selection. Note: Depending on your selection, another Type field might appear. This type field modifies the field directly above it. For example, the Type field below Value is the data type of the value that you enter.

The field names and values for each type are described in the following substeps and tables. a. Provide the following information for the Registry type.

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FIELD DESCRIPTION AND VALUES Command Command to execute. The options are: • ADD – Add a registry key and value to the host that you are optimizing • LOAD – Open the HKCU registry hive for editing • UNLOAD – Close the HKCU registry hive after editing is completed to save the changes Key Name Name of the registry key where the registration information from a particular file is opened.

Value Value of the registry key.

Type Data type of the specified value. The supported data types are: • REG_SZ • REG_BINARY • REG_DWORDREG_QWORD

Data Data given for the value.

Table 3: Parameters for the Registry Type b. Provide the following information for the Service type.

FIELD DESCRIPTION AND VALUES Service Name Specify the action to perform. Start Mode Expected startup mode for the service. The options are: • Auto • Boot • Disabled • Manual • System

Table 4: Parameters for the Service Type

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c. Provide the following information for the ShellExecute type.

FIELD DESCRIPTION AND VALUES Command Command line to execute.

Table 5: Parameters for the ShellExecute Type d. Provide the following information for the SchTasks type.

FIELD DESCRIPTION AND VALUES Command Action to perform for the task. Only the Change command is supported.

Task Name Full path of where the task is located.

Status Choose whether to enable or disable the command.

Table 6: Parameters for the SchTasks Type

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7. Click Set. To erase all the changes, click Remove. Note: You can edit the values individually without clicking Remove. The Remove feature clears the information so that you can add new values. 8. To save the information, Addclick. 9. Create, modify, and delete as many steps and groups as you want. 10. To make the template changes permanent, clickSave As. 11. Enter the name of the template in the Save As dialog box and clickSave . Remove Steps You can design a new OSOT template by removing steps. 1. Click theTemplates tab, and from the Template Name drop-down menu, select the template. 2. Select the group that contains the steps that you want to remove, and expand it to view the steps. 3. Select the steps to remove andRemove click . 4. Do one of the following: • To change the existing custom template, click Save. • To create a new custom template, click Save As, name the template, and then click Save. Change the Order of Steps You can change the order of the steps within an OSOT template. 1. Click theTemplates tab, and from the Template Name drop-down menu, select the template. 2. Select the group that contains the steps that you want to move within a selected group, and expand it to view the steps. 3. Select each step to move, andUp clickor Down to move it. 4. Click Save.

Set the Operating System Setting the operating system enables you to execute a step from the template for the specific operating system. You can include or exclude an operating system for a specific step by clicking the pencil icon. 1. Click theTemplates tab, and from the Template Name drop-down menu, select the template. 2. Click the step to modify. 3. In the Step Details section, click the pencil Operatingicon in the System field. 4. In the List of Available Operating Systems, select the operating system to add, include, or exclude. 5. In the List Selection, selectInclude or Exclude and click > and then click OK. 6. Click Update to update the operating system for the step. 7. Click Save.

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Delete a Custom Template You can delete custom OSOT templates that you no longer need. You cannot delete the built-in templates. 1. Locate your OSOT template directory. 2. Delete the file manually within the directory.

Add Custom Templates to the Repository You can add your custom OSOT templates to the Template Name drop-down menu to appear along with the built-in templates by adding them to the OSOT template repository. 1. Click theTemplates tab.

2. On the Templates page, note the path of the OSOT template repository.

3. Save the custom OSOT template to the template repository folder.

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Windows 7 and Windows 8.x OS Optimizations

The following modifications are carried out in the OSOT templates as recommended optimizations for the Windows 7 and Windows 8.x operating systems in a remote desktop environment. These optimizations are the most common ones that apply to many environments. The Windows 7 and 8.x optimizations are divided into the following sections: • Services – The OSOT disables services that are useful only in a physical desktop (hardware) environment, such as transferring files in the background using idle network bandwidth (BITS). • Group Policy Objects (GPO) – The OSOT recommends certain optimizations that are carried out through GPOs. • Registry – Many optimizations in the OSOT are programmatically handled through the . These affect the operating system or user desktops, such as screensavers and backgrounds.

Windows 7 and Windows 8.x Service Modifications The following table outlines the OSOT-recommended state of services for optimizing Windows 7 and Windows 8.x virtual machines. The services are common to both operating systems, except where noted. Beginning with Windows 8, most unneeded services in a virtual environment are in a manual (triggered start) state. Even if a service is configured as manual by default, disable the service to avoid potential issues. You can disable all these services in your initial image before capturing. Analyze each service for applicability in your corporate environment. Some services, such as Windows Themes, might be desired and left at default values. Discretionary changes are marked with an asterisk (*). Non- applicable services for Windows 8.x are designated under Comments.

SERVICE NAME WINDOWS DEFAULT RECOMMENDED COMMENTS IN OSOT INTERNAL NAME STATE Application AeLookupSvc Manual Disable Automatically applies software Experience Win8.x updates to programs to make Lookup Service Manual sure that they run on newly (Triggered released service packs. Start) Used in Windows 8.x. Background bits Manual Disable Transfers files in the Intelligent background using idle network Transfer Service* bandwidth. If the service is disabled, Windows Update and MSN Explorer cannot automatically download programs and other information. BitLocker Drive dbesvc Manual Disable Not recommended to encrypt Encryption virtual desktop infrastructure Service (VDI) virtual machines. Block Level wbengine Manual Disable Leveraged for backing up data Backup Engine on a workstation. Service BranchCache PeerDistSvc Manual Disable Caches files on the server in a branch office. * Discretionary changes

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SERVICE NAME WINDOWS DEFAULT RECOMMENDED COMMENTS IN OSOT INTERNAL NAME STATE Computer Browser Manual Disable Browses computers on the Browser same network. Desktop Window UxSms Auto Disable Provides part of the new Manager Session Windows Themes, and reverts Manager* to basic styles when running applications that are not compatible with Windows 7. Diagnostic Policy DPS Auto Disable Problem detection and Service troubleshooting resolution. Disabled on Windows 8.x. Diagnostic WdiServiceHost Manual Disable Problem detection and Service Host troubleshooting resolution. Diagnostic WdiSystemHost Manual Disable Problem detection and System Host troubleshooting resolution. Disk Defragsvc Manual Disable Provides disk defragmenting Defragmenter services for hard drives and can impact performance if run on a virtual machine. Not applicable on Windows 8.x. Function fdPHost Manual Disable Hosts the Function Discovery Discovery network discovery providers Provider Host that supply services for the Simple Services Discovery Protocol and Web Services – Discovery protocol. Function FDResPub Manual Disable Publishes this computer and Discovery resources attached to this Resource computer so that they can be Publication discovered over the network. Group Policy gpsvc Auto Manual Applies settings configured by Client the administrator for the computer and users through the Group Policy component. Home Group HomeGroupListener Manual Disable Leveraged for home Listener networking. Home Group HomeGroupProvider Manual Disable Leveraged for home Provider networking. Hyper-V Data vmickvpexchange Manual Disable Enables data exchange Exchange Service between the virtual machine and the operating system running on the physical host machine. Windows 8.x only. * Discretionary changes

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SERVICE NAME WINDOWS DEFAULT RECOMMENDED COMMENTS IN OSOT INTERNAL NAME STATE Hyper-V Guest vmicshutdown Manual Disable Facilitates shutdown of the Shutdown virtual machine from the Service management interface on the physical computer. Windows 8.x only. Hyper-V vmicheartbeat Manual Disable Monitors the state of the Heartbeat Service virtual machine by reporting a heartbeat at regular intervals. Windows 8.x only. Hyper-V Remote vmicrdv Manual Disable Provides a platform for Desktop communication between the Virtualization virtual machine and the Service operating system running on the physical computer. Windows 8.x only. Hyper-V Time vmictimesync Manual Disable Synchronizes the virtual Synchronization machine’s system time with Service the physical computer’s computer time. Windows 8.x only. Hyper-V Volume vmicvss Manual Disable Coordinates the communications that are Requestor required to use the Volume Shadow Copy Service to back up applications and data on the virtual machine from the operating system on the physical computer. Windows 8.x only. Family Safety WPCSvc Manual Disable Stub for Windows Parental Control functionality that existed in . Windows 8.x only. Windows wbiosrvc Manual Disable Gives client applications the Biometric Service ability to capture, compare, manipulate, and store biometric data without gaining direct access to biometric hardware or samples. Windows 8.x only. Windows Store WSService Manual Disable Provides infrastructure support Service (Triggered for Windows Store. Started on Start) demand. If disabled, apps bought using the Windows Store do not behave correctly. Windows 8.x only. * Discretionary changes

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SERVICE NAME WINDOWS DEFAULT RECOMMENDED COMMENTS IN OSOT INTERNAL NAME STATE Interactive UI0Detect Manual Disable Displays a dialog box when a Services service tries to send a message Detection to the console. IP Helper* IP Helper Auto Disable Disable if not leveraging IPv6.

Media Center Mcx2Svc Manual Disable Allows Media Center Extenders Extender to locate and connect to the computer. Not applicable on Windows 8.x. Microsoft iSCSI MSiSCSI Manual Disable Not needed for virtual Initiator Service machines. Microsoft swprv Manual Disable or Enable Leveraged by the Volume Software Shadow Shadow Copy Service for Copy Provider backups. Disable if you are not using and View Persona Management. Must be enabled when using Persona Management. Offline Files* CscService Manual Manual Used for maintenance of the Offline Files cache. Leave as manual for local mode desktops. Reports and wercplsupport Manual Disable Supports viewing, sending, Solutions Control and deletion of system-level Panel Support problem reports for the Problem Reports and Solutions . Secure Socket SstpSvc Manual Disable Provides VPN capability. Tunneling Protocol Service Security Center wscsvc Auto Disable Monitors configuration of security-related services. SSDP Discovery SSDPSRV Manual Disable Discovers UPnP devices.

Superfetch* SysMain Auto Disable Loads applications into memory for faster reload over time. Nonpersistent virtual machines usually do not benefit from this setting being enabled. Tablet PC Input TabletInputService Manual Disable Enables Tablet PC services. Service * Discretionary changes

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SERVICE NAME WINDOWS DEFAULT RECOMMENDED COMMENTS IN OSOT INTERNAL NAME STATE Themes* Themes Auto Disable Disable on Windows 7 if you want to use the Classic interface (no orb for the start button). Not applicable on Windows 8.x UPnP Host upnphost Manual Disable Dependent on SSDP service. Service Volume Shadow VSS Manual Disable or Enable Disable if you are not using Copy Service System Restore and View Persona Management. Enable if using Persona Management. Windows Backup SDRSVC Manual Disable Backs up workstation data.

Windows WinDefend Auto Disable Disable if antispyware and Defender* antimalware is not needed. Windows Error WerSvc Manual Disable Supports Service reporting. Windows MpsSvc Auto Auto Do not disable the service. Firewall* Instead, disable the firewall profiles. ehRecvr Manual Disable Used by Media Center. Center Receiver Not applicable on Service Windows 8.x. Windows Media ehSched Manual Disable Used by Media Center. Center Scheduler Not applicable on Service Windows 8.x. Windows Media WMPNetworkSvc Manual Disable Used by Media Center. Center Network Not applicable on Sharing Service Windows 8.x. * WSearch Auto Disable Disable if you are not doing a lot of searching on a virtual machine. Windows wuauserv Auto Disable Disable, unless needed for Update* updates. WLAN Wlansvc Manual Disable For managing wireless AutoConfig networks. WWAN WwanSvc Manual Disable Used for Mobile Broadband AutoConfig Devices. * Discretionary changes

Table 7: Windows 7 and 8 .x Service Parameters

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Windows Optimizations Available Using Group Policy The OSOT carries out some Windows optimizations using Group Policy. Group Policy is a feature of Windows operating systems. It provides centralized management and configuration of computers and remote users in an environment. Group Policy settings are contained in entities called Group Policy objects (GPOs). GPOs are associated with Active Directory objects. You can apply GPOs to View components at a domain-wide level to control various areas of the View environment. After they are applied, GPO settings are stored in the local Windows registry of the specified component. You can apply optimizations dynamically after building the master image with GPOs. Many organizations prefer to use GPOs because you can leverage existing policies that manage physical machines for virtual desktops. GPOs provide many benefits for desktop management, but you must be careful in your design and implementation. When using GPOs for virtual desktops, the recommended approach is to place virtual machines in a dedicated OU within Active Directory, block inheritance, and enforce loopback processing for user-based GPOs. With this method, user GPOs applied at your dedicated OU override other user-based GPOs applied previously. If you apply optimizations to the master image, they are persistent only if users cannot change them. If individual users have administrative rights, they can override the optimizations. To preserve your optimizations, modify the desktops by GPO so that the optimizations are enforced. Blocking inheritance is an important step if you want to manage virtual machines. In some cases, a Group Policy being applied for computer accounts in other OUs might conflict with a setting, such as a wallpaper policy, that you want to apply in your environment. For more information about inheritance, see the Microsoft Group Policy blog entry, Tales from the Community: Enforced vs. Block Inheritance. Loopback policy processing is useful when you want to have Group Policies applied to users according to where the computer account is located in Active Directory. If a computer account is located in a special OU that has certain Group Policy settings applied for end users of those systems, use loopback policy processing to verify that Group Policies are applied in the expected and preferred fashion. For more information, see the Loopback Processing section of the Microsoft TechNet Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding the Group Policy Feature Set. The following table provides the group policies that the OSOT applies to the remote desktop environment, their locations, and their settings. Discretionary changes are marked with an asterisk (*).

POLICY IN OSOT LOCATION IN WINDOWS RECOMMENDED SETTINGS Icon User Configuration > Administrative Remove the Action Center icon = Enabled Removal Templates > and Event Logs Computer Configuration > Administrative Maximum application log size = 1024 Templates > Event Log Service > Specific Maximum security log size = 1024 Event Log Maximum system log size = 1024 To set the security log size to 1024 with this Group Policy setting, you are restricted to 2048x0, unless you set this using the previous Group Policy setting valid for Windows XP SP2 and Server 2003 and later, located under Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Event Log. * Discretionary changes

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POLICY IN OSOT LOCATION IN WINDOWS RECOMMENDED SETTINGS Firewall* Computer Configuration > State = On (Recommended) or Off Settings > Security Settings > Windows Note: Do not disable the Firewall Service. Firewall with Advanced Security > Disable the firewall profiles as needed. Windows Firewall Properties User Configuration > Administrative Empty Temporary Internet Files folder Settings (cache) Templates > Windows Components > when browser is closed = Enabled Internet Explorer > Internet Control Panel > Advanced Page Internet Explorer Computer Configuration > Administrative Prevent performance of First Run Settings (IE First Run Templates > Windows Components > Customize settings = Enabled Wizard) Internet Explorer Recycle Bin For Windows 7: To eliminate user undelete capabilities to User Configuration > Administrative save on disk storage: Do not move deleted Templates > Windows Components > files to the recycle bin = Enable Windows Explorer For Windows 8: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Computer Configuration > Administrative Enables users to connect remotely using Templates > Windows Components > = Enabled Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Connections Remote Desktop Computer Configuration > Administrative To require user authentication for remote Templates > Windows Components > connections: Network Level Authentication Remote Desktop Services > Remote = Enabled Desktop Session Host > Security RSS Feeds User Configuration > Administrative Turn off background synchronization for Templates > Windows Components > RSS feeds and Web Slices = Enabled Feeds Screen Saver* User Configuration > Administrative Password protect the screen saver = Templates > Control Panel > Enabled Personalization Screen saver timeout = 600 Force specific screen saver = %windir%\system32\scrnsave.scr System Restore Computer Configuration > Administrative Turn off System Restore = Enabled Templates > System > System Restore User Access Control Computer Configuration > Windows Behavior of the elevation prompt for Settings > Security Settings > Local administrators in Admin Approval Mode = Policies > Security Options Elevate without prompting Detect application installations and prompt for elevation = Disabled Only elevate UIAccess applications that are installed in secure locations = Disabled Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode = Disabled * Discretionary changes

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POLICY IN OSOT LOCATION IN WINDOWS RECOMMENDED SETTINGS Wallpaper User Configuration > Administrative Desktop Wallpaper = “ ” Templates > Desktop > Desktop Note: This setting requires that you enter a space to set the wallpaper to none. Specifying a file that does not exist prevents a user from setting any wallpaper. Windows Defender Computer Configuration > Administrative Turn off Windows Defender = Enabled Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Windows Sideshow Computer Configuration > Administrative Turn off Windows Sideshow = Enabled Templates > Windows Components > Windows Sideshow Windows Update* Computer Configuration > Administrative Turn Off Access to All Windows Update Templates > System> Internet Features = Enabled Communication Management > Internet Turn off Windows Update Communication Settings Searching = Enabled Note: If the Windows Update Service is disabled, this setting is not necessary. * Discretionary changes

Table 8: Windows 7 and Windows 8 x. Group Policies

Windows 7 and Windows 8.x Optimizations Using the Registry The OSOT configures many registry key values to optimize Windows 7 and 8.x desktops. These settings are in the Windows 7 and Windows 8.x template. You can • Add and edit registry keys and values • Restore the registry to a pre-optimized state The registry settings used in the OSOT are in Appendix A: Optimizations Reference. Most of the optimizations that directly affect the operating system are located in the HKEY Local Machine (HKLM) hive. You can make other optimizations in the users’ registry to reduce repetitive tasks and to improve visual desktop characteristics. The visual desktop settings, such as screensavers and backgrounds, can unnecessarily introduce significant bandwidth usage into the display stream, which is why they are included as recommended optimizations.

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Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2012 OS Optimizations

The OSOT provides recommendations for optimizing the Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012 R2 operating systems in a remote desktop environment. • Group Policy – Use Microsoft Windows Group Policy settings to adopt industry best practices for shared RDSH servers and to apply user-specific settings for control functions and features specific to the virtual desktop. • Registry – Modify the Windows registry to adopt recommended best practices for Windows RDSH servers and performance tuning. Note: The order in which you apply these optimizations listed in the different tables does not matter.

Windows Server Optimizations Using Group Policy This section describes the computer-specific and user-specific settings that the OSOT customizes for Windows Servers. These modifications are industry best practices for RDSH servers, which are shared by multiple non- administrative users simultaneously. The OSOT implements the settings on the server through either Group Policies or Group Policy Preferences, or enables them manually through registry changes. Additional user-specific settings are configured and applied through Group Policy configurations and preferences. These settings provide enhanced user experience, control functions, and features specific to the virtual desktop. The Group Policy handles additional service disablement, and those settings changes are documented in Table 9.

GROUP POLICY (AS LISTED IN LOCATION IN WINDOWS SERVER THE OSOT WINDOWS2008-2012 SERVER (BUILT-IN) TEMPLATE) Windows Error Reporting Service Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Error Reporting > Disable Windows Error Reporting = Enabled CEIP Consolidator Administrative Templates > System > Internet Communication CEIP Kernel Management > Internet Communication Settings > Turn off Windows CEIP Usb Customer Experience Improvement Program = Enabled Windows Update Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Updates > Configure Automatic Updates = Disabled

Table 9: Windows Server Settings Applied Through Group Policy

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Windows Server Optimizations Using the Registry You can optimize the following general registry entries in the OSOT, and they are recommended best practices for Windows RDSH servers. For more information about the values for the OSOT optimizations in the OSOT built-in templates, see Appendix A: Optimizations Reference.

GENERAL REGISTRY ENTRY LOCATION IN WINDOWS SERVER (AS LISTED IN THE OSOT WINDOWS2008-2012 SERVER (BUILT-IN) TEMPLATE) NTFS – Last Access Update – [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ Disable FileSystem] "NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate"=dword:00000001 Increase Services Startup [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control] "ServicesPipeTimeout"=dword:0002bf20 CIFS Notification Change – [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ Disable CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer] "NoRemoteRecursiveEvents"=dword:00000001 Hide Hard Error Messages [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ Windows] "ErrorMode"=dword:00000002 Background Layout Service – [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ Disable CurrentVersion\OptimalLayout] "EnableAutoLayout"=dword:00000000 Crash Control – Automatically [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ Reboot – Enable CrashControl] "CrashDumpEnabled"=dword: 00000000 Crash Control – Sending alert – "LogEvent "=dword:00000000 Disable "SendAlert"=dword:00000000 Crash Control – Writing event to the system log – Disable Creation of Crash Dump – Disable TCP/IP Offload – Disable [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ Services\Tcpip\Parameters] "DisableTaskOffload"=dword:00000001 Spooler Warnings – Disable [HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\ Providers "EventLog"=dword:00000001

Table 10: Registry Settings in the Windows Server2008-2012 Template

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SMB File Server Tuning You can optimize the following list of registry keys in the OSOT. The optimizations can increase the performance of the server when using SMB. Consider these settings based on the requirements of the environment. Tune settings based on testing and observation. For more information, see Performance Tuning Guidelines for Windows Server 2008 R2 and the Microsoft KB 324446.

REGISTRY KEY LOCATION IN WINDOWS SERVER RECOMMENDED (AS LISTED VALUE IN THE OSOT WINDOWS2008-2012 SERVER (BUILT-IN) TEMPLATE) NTFS – 8dot3 Name HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ 1 Creation – Disable FileSystem\REG_DWORD) Lanman Server – Treat HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ 1 host as stable storage LanmanServer\ Parameters\(REG_DWORD) Lanman Server – HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ Above 512 Asynchronous Credits LanmanServer\ Parameters\(REG_DWORD) Lanman Server – Samba HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ Above 64 2 Credits Min LanmanServer\ Parameters\(REG_DWORD) Lanman Server – Samba HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ Above 1024 2 Credits Max LanmanServer\ Parameters\(REG_DWORD) Lanman Server – Max HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ Above 20 Threads Per Queue LanmanServer\Parameters\(REG_DWORD) Lanman Server – Require HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ 1 Security Signature LanmanServer\Parameters\(REG_DWORD) Lanman Server – Max HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ Above 50 MpxCt (not applicable LanmanServer\Parameters\(REG_DWORD) with SMB 2 clients) NTFS – Last Access HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ 1 (default) Update – Disable FileSystem\(REG_DWORD)

Table 11: Registry Keys

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Recommended General Windows Server Optimizations The following registry entries can be optimized in the OSOT. They are general best practices, but might not be applicable to all server installations. If changing any of these settings renders an application unusable, use the default value.

POLICY (AS LISTED IN THE LOCATION IN WINDOWS SERVER OSOT WINDOWS2008-2012 SERVER (BUILT-IN) TEMPLATE) Force Offscreen Composition for [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Internet Explorer Explorer\Main] "Force Offscreen Composition"=dword:00000001 Reduce Menu Show Delay [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop] "MenuShowDelay"="150" Visual Effects – Drag Window – [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ Disable CurrentVersion\ Visual Effects – Explorer Listview Explorer\VisualEffects] – Disable "VisualFXSetting"=dword:00000003 Visual Effects – Explorer Listview [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\ Shadow – Disable WindowMetrics] Visual Effects – Explorer Listview "MinAnimate"="0" Watermark – Disable [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ Visual Effects – Explorer Taskbar – CurrentVersion\Explorer Disable \Advanced] "ListviewAlphaSelect"=dword:00000000 Visual Effects – Font Smoothing – "TaskbarAnimations"=dword:00000000 Disable "ListviewWatermark"=dword:00000000 Visual Effects – FX – Disable "ListviewShadow"=dword:00000000 Visual Effects – Min Animate – [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop] Disable "DragFullWindows"="0" "FontSmoothing"="0" "UserPreferencesMask"=hex:90,12,01,80 Desktop Cleanup Wizard – Disable [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer] "NoDesktopCleanupWizard"=dword:00000001 Auto Searching Network Printers/ [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ Shares – Disable CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced] "NoNetCrawling"=dword:00000001 Screen Saver – Disable [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\ Windows\Control Panel\Desktop] "ScreenSaveActive"="0" Remove Language Bar [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\CTF] "Disable Thread Input Manager"=dword:00000001 Remove Shut Down option from [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ Start Menu CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer] "NoClose"=dword:00000001 Reduce Cursor Blink Rate [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop] "CursorBlinkRate"="795" Application Hang Timeout [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop] Application Kill Timeouts "AutoEndTasks"="1" "HungAppTimeout"="5000" "WaitToKillAppTimeout"="10000"

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References

VMware Operating System Optimization Tool (OSOT): Fling tool Group Policy Settings Reference for Windows and Windows Server Using REG to Update the Registry

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About the Authors and Contributors

Susan Blau, Technical Writer in Technical Marketing, End-User Computing, VMware, completely rewrote this Windows optimization guide to be a companion piece to the VMware Operating System Optimization Tool (OSOT). She worked in collaboration with Tina de Benedictis, Jason Bassford, Nan Wang, Jack McMichael, Mark Ewert, and Danny Allan to produce this new Windows optimization guide. Tina de Benedictis, Group Manager, Technical Marketing Content, End-User Computing, VMware, provided structural redesign, new material, and content direction for this guide. In a former version, she updated the guide to accommodate the Persona Management and 3D graphics features in View 5.0. Jason Bassford, End-User-Computing Technical Support, VMware, provided invaluable assistance in verifying the accuracy of the technical content, supplying clear explanations of concepts and procedures, identifying bugs in the OSOT UI, and furnishing recommendations for future OSOT UI improvements. Nan Wang, Senior Member of Technical Staff, VMware, supplied details for the OSOT functions, updated the OSOT UI, and served in an advisory capacity for user content and technical accuracy. Jack McMichael, Solutions Consultant in Solutions and Service Engineering, VMware, provided new information for the OSOT and the Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012 customizations. Mark Ewert, Product Line Marketing Manager, VMware, explained the benefits of optimization in a virtual machine environment. Danny Allan, Senior Director, Technical Marketing, VMware, furnished the optimization details for VMware Horizon Air Desktops and Horizon Air Apps. Kaipo Batoon, Senior Technical Marketing Manager in End-User Computing at VMware, updated the document for View 5.2 and 5.3. Jim Britt of Ensynch, Inc., wrote the original version of this paper with Aaron Black of VMware. Aaron Black is currently a Product Manager in End-User Computing at VMware. The following VMware technical staff contributed content to this document: Matthew Mabias, Phillip Helmling, Todd Dayton, Jeff Birnbaum (formerly of VMware), Charles A. Windom Sr., John Dodge, Marilyn Basanta, Rory Clements, Aaron Black, Timothy Federwitz, Rasmus Jensen, Erik Haire, Linus Bourque, Jason Miles, and Warren Ponder. To comment on this paper, contact the VMware End-User-Computing Technical Marketing and Enablement team at [email protected].

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Appendix A: Optimizations Reference

Table 13 lists all the optimizations in alphabetical order for all built-in OSOT templates and the associated recommended value, status, or action. The Template column identifies in which built-in template the optimization is located.

OSOT OPTIMIZATION NAME RECOMMENDED OSOT TEMPLATE VALUE, STATUS, OR ACTION Action Center Icon – Disable 1 Windows7 Windows8 Aero Peek 0 Windows7 Windows8 Animate Min/Max Windows 0 Windows7 Windows8 Application Event Log Max Size 1 MB Windows7 Windows8 Application Event Log Retention 0 Windows7 Windows8 Application Experience – AitAgent Disable Windows7 Windows8 Application Experience – Lookup Service Windows8

Application Experience – Program Data Updator Disable Windows7 Windows8 Application Hang Timeout 5 seconds WindowsServer2008-2012

Application Kill Timeout 10 seconds WindowsServer2008-2012

Auto End Hang Tasks 1 WindowsServer2008-2012

Auto Searching Network Printers/Shares – Disable Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

Background Intelligent Transfer Service Disable Windows7 Windows8 Background Layout Service – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 WindowsServer2008-2012 Bitlocker Drive Encryption Service Disable Windows7 Windows8 Block Level Backup Engine Service Disable Windows7 Windows8 Boot GUI – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 BranchCache Disable Windows7 Windows8 CEIP Consolidator Disable Windows7 Windows8 WindowsServer2008-2012

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OSOT OPTIMIZATION NAME RECOMMENDED OSOT TEMPLATE VALUE, STATUS, OR ACTION CEIP Kernel Disable Windows7 Windows8 WindowsServer2008-2012 CEIP Usb Disable Windows7 Windows8 WindowsServer2008-2012 Change Group Policy Client start mode to manual Manual Windows7 Windows8 CIFS Change Notifications – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 CIFS Notification Change – Disable Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

ComboBox Animation 0 Windows7 Windows8 Control Animations 0 Windows7 Windows8 Computer Browser Disable Windows7 Windows8 Crash Control – Automatically Reboot – Enable Enable Windows7 Windows8 WindowsServer2008-2012 Crash Control – Sending alert – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 WindowsServer2008-2012 Crash Control – Writing event to the system log – Disable Windows7 Disable Windows8 WindowsServer2008-2012 Creation of Crash Dump – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 WindowsServer2008-2012 Cursor Shadow 0 Windows7 Windows8

Customer experience improvement program – Disable Windows7 Disable Windows8 Data Execution Prevention (DEP) Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

Default power setting Removed Windows7 Set Start button > Windows8 Power to log off as the default Default Screen Saver Set the Default Windows7 Screen Saver to Blank Windows8 Defrag Schedule Disable Windows7 Windows8

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OSOT OPTIMIZATION NAME RECOMMENDED OSOT TEMPLATE VALUE, STATUS, OR ACTION Delete Restore Points for System Restore Remove all restore Windows7 points for the system Windows8 Desktop Cleanup Wizard – Disable Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

Desktop 0 Windows7 (Disable Visual Effects group) Windows8 Desktop Window Manager Session Manager Disable Windows7 Windows8 Diagnostic Policy Service Disable Windows7 Windows8 Diagnostic Service Host Disable Windows7 Windows8 Diagnostic System Host Disable Windows7 Windows8 Disk Defragmenter Service Disable Windows7 Windows8 WindowsServer2008-2012 Disk Timeout Value 200 milliseconds Windows7 Windows8 Do not buffer UDP packets less than 1500 Bytes 1500 Windows7 Windows8 Drag Full Windows 0 Windows7 Windows8 Drop Shadow 0 Windows7 Windows8 Enable Remote Desktop Enable Windows7 Windows8 Family Safety Disable Windows8

Firewall (All Profiles) Disable Windows7 Windows8 Font Smoothing 0 Windows7 Windows8 Force Offscreen Composition for Internet Explorer 1 WindowsServer2008-2012

Function Discovery Provider Host Disable Windows7 Windows8 Function Discovery Resource Publication Disable Windows7 Windows8 Hibernation for Power Config Disable Windows7 Windows8 Hide Fast User Switching 1 Windows7 Windows8 WindowsServer2008-2012

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OSOT OPTIMIZATION NAME RECOMMENDED OSOT TEMPLATE VALUE, STATUS, OR ACTION Hide Hard Error Messages 0 Windows7 0 Windows8 2 WindowsServer2008-2012 HomeGroup Listener Disable Windows7 Windows8 HomeGroup Provider Disable Windows7 Windows8 Hyper-V Data Exchange Service Disable Windows8

Hyper-V Guest Shutdown Service Disable Windows8

Hyper-V Heartbeat Service vmicheartbeat Disable Windows8

Hyper-V Remote Desktop Virtualization Service Disable Windows8

Hyper-V Time Synchronization Service Disable Windows8

Hyper-V Volume Shadow Copy Requestor Disable Windows8

IE Wizard – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 Image Revision 1.0 Windows7 Windows8 Image Virtual Yes Windows7 Windows8 Increase Services Startup 180 seconds WindowsServer2008-2012

Increase Service Startup Timeout 120 seconds Windows7 Windows8 Interactive Services Detection Disable Windows7 Windows8 IP Helper Disable Windows7 Windows8 IPv6 – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 LanmanServer – Asynchronous Credits 512 WindowsServer2008-2012

LanmanServer – Max MpxCt 50 WindowsServer2008-2012

LanmanServer – Max Threads Per Queue 20 WindowsServer2008-2012

LanmanServer – Require Security Signature True WindowsServer2008-2012

LanmanServer – Samba 2 Credits Max 1024 WindowsServer2008-2012

LanmanServer – Samba 2 Credits Min 64 WindowsServer2008-2012

LanmanServer – Treat host as stable storage True WindowsServer2008-2012

Last Access Timestamp Disable Windows7 Windows8

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OSOT OPTIMIZATION NAME RECOMMENDED OSOT TEMPLATE VALUE, STATUS, OR ACTION ListBox Smooth Scrolling 0 Windows7 Windows8 Listview Alpha Select 0 Windows7 Windows8 Listview Shadow 0 Windows7 Windows8 Load HKCU for editing Open HKey Users Windows7 (Default User Profile) Windows8 for editing WindowsServer2008-2012 Lower Terminal Server Client send interval 1 Windows7 Windows8 Machine Account Password Changes – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 Media Center Extender Disable Windows7

Menu Animation 0 Windows7 Windows8 Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service Disable Windows7 Windows8 Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider Disable Windows7 Windows8 Network Location Creates a blank key Windows7 that disables the Windows8 “Choose default network location” prompt NTFS – 8dot3 Name Creation – Disable 1 WindowsServer2008-2012

NTFS – Last Access Update – Disable 1 WindowsServer2008-2012

Offline Files Disable Windows7 Windows8 Reduce Cursor Blink Rate 795 WindowsServer2008-2012

Reduce Menu Show Delay 0.12 seconds Windows7 150 milliseconds Windows8 WindowsServer2008-2012 Registry Idle Backup Task Disable Windows7 Windows8 Remote Desktop Authentication 0 Windows7 Windows8 Remove Language Bar 1 WindowsServer2008-2012

Remove Shut Down option from Start Menu 1 WindowsServer2008-2012

Reports and Solutions Control Panel Support Disable Windows7 Windows8

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OSOT OPTIMIZATION NAME RECOMMENDED OSOT TEMPLATE VALUE, STATUS, OR ACTION RSS Feeds – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 Save Thumbnail 0 Windows7 Windows8 Screen Save Secure 1 Windows7 Windows8 Screen Saver at Logon/Welcome Screen – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 Screen Saver – Disable Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

Screen Saver Timeout 10 minutes Windows7 Windows8 Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol Service Disable Windows7 Windows8 Security Center Disable Windows7 Windows8 Security Event Log Max Size 1 MB Windows7 Windows8 Security Event Log Retention 0 Windows7 Windows8 Selection Fade 0 Windows7 Windows8 Set Default Wallpaper Non-existent Windows7 Windows8 Set Wallpaper to blank at Logon/Welcome Screen Blank Windows7 Windows8 Spooler Warnings Disable Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

SSDP Discovery Disable Windows7 Windows8 Stop Superfetch Service Stop Windows7 Windows8 Storing Recycle Bin Files – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 Superfetch Disable Windows7 Windows8 Superfetch (Registry) – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 System Event Log Max Size 1 MB Windows7 Windows8 System Event Log Retention 0 Windows7 Windows8

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OSOT OPTIMIZATION NAME RECOMMENDED OSOT TEMPLATE VALUE, STATUS, OR ACTION System Restore Disable Windows7 (Located under Windows8 Disable Features group) System Restore – Disable Disable Windows7 (Located under Apply Windows8 HKLM Settings group) System Restore Schedule Disable Windows7 Windows8 Tablet Services Disable Windows7 Windows8 Taskbar Animations 0 Windows7 Windows8 TCP/IP Task Offload – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 TCP/IP Offload – Disable Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

Temporary Internet Files to Non Persistent 0 Windows7 Windows8 Themes Disable Windows7

Thumbnails Or Icon 0 Windows7 Windows8 Tooltip Animation 0 Windows7 Windows8 Transparent Glass 0 Windows7

UAC – Disable 0 Windows7 Use Group Policy to Windows8 configure more granularly Universal PnP Host Service Disable Windows7 Windows8 Unload HKCU for editing Close HKey Users Windows7 (in Default User Windows8 Profile or WindowsServer2008-2012 ntuser.dat file) to save changes Visual Effects 3 Windows7 Windows8 Visual Effects – Drag Window – Disable Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

Visual Effects – Explorer Listview – Disable Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

Visual Effects – Explorer Listview Shadow – Disable Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

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OSOT OPTIMIZATION NAME RECOMMENDED OSOT TEMPLATE VALUE, STATUS, OR ACTION Visual Effects – Explorer Listview Watermark – Disable WindowsServer2008-2012 Disable Visual Effects – Explorer Taskbar – Disable Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

Visual Effects – Font Smoothing – Disable Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

Visual Effects – FX – Disable Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

Visual Effects – Min Animate – Disable Disable WindowsServer2008-2012

Volume Shadow Copy Service Disable Windows7 Windows8 VMware Tools The OSOT does not Windows7 provide installers, so Windows8 place them in a desired location and verify that the path is valid VMware View Agent The OSOT does not Windows7 provide installers, so Windows8 place them in a desired location and verify that the path is valid VMware View Agent Debug – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 VMware View Agent Trace – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 Welcome Screen for Windows 8 – Disable Disable Windows8

Welcome Screen for Windows 8.1 – Disable Disable Windows8

Windows Backup Disable Windows7 Windows8 Windows Biometric Service Disable Windows8

Windows Defender Idle Task Disable Windows7 Windows8 Windows Defender Schedule Disable Windows7 Windows8 Windows Defender Service Disable Windows7 Windows8 Windows Error Reporting Service Disable Windows7 Windows8 WindowsServer2008-2012 Windows Firewall Disable Windows7 Windows8 Network Sharing Service Disable Windows7

Windows Media Center Receiver Service Disable Windows7

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OSOT OPTIMIZATION NAME RECOMMENDED OSOT TEMPLATE VALUE, STATUS, OR ACTION Windows Media Center Scheduler Service Disable Windows7

Windows Search Disable Windows7 Windows8 Windows Sideshow – Disable Disable Windows7 Windows8 Windows Store Service Disable Windows8

Windows Update Disable Windows7 (Disable Services group) Windows8 WindowsServer2008-2012 Windows Update – Disable Disable Windows7 (Apply HKLM Settings group) Windows8 WinSAT Disable Windows7 Windows8 WLAN AutoConfig Disable Windows7 Windows8 WWAN AutoConfig Disable Windows7 Windows8

Table 13: Optimizations in the OSOT Built-in Templates

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Appendix B: Release Notes for the OSOT

The following updates were made to the OSOT, categorized by month and year and identified by the build number in the form of bxxxx. The build number is located to the far right of the main tabs in the OSOT.

VMware OS Optimization Tool 2015 • May 2015 (b1050) – The following changes were made to the OSOT UI: - OSOT Windows7 and Windows8 (built-in) templates – Fixed the Disable IPv6 optimization item by changing a registry value from 0xffffffff to 0xff (according to https://support.microsoft.com/ en-us/kb/929852) • May 2015 (b1049) – The following changes were made to the OSOT UI: - Created new groups in the OSOT built-in templates (Windows7, Windows8, Windows2008-2012) - Added new optimization items (steps) to the built-in OSOT templates - Removed the first word, Disable, from the names of numerous optimization items in all OSOT built-in templates (and, in some cases, appended “disable” to the end of the optimization item names) - Remote Analysis tab – Login dialog box was updated so that a domain name prefix is no longer required in the User Name field - In the Apply HKCU Settings to Registry Group (for Windows7 and Windows 8 (built-in) templates), changed the Default log off button step to Default power setting • April 2015 (b1048) – The following changes were made to the OSOT UI: - Windows 8 Fixes: • Hid fast-user switching • Disabled the Welcome screen • Changed the recommendation level for Disable Windows Update service from recommended to optional - Built-in templates: • Windows7-8 template was divided into two separate templates: Windows7 and Windows8 • MasterTemplate was removed • Built-in template is automatically selected based on target OS (for both local and remote analysis) • Template content view was removed on Remote Analysis panel - General fixes: • History tab: Description column was removed • All optimization results are shown with optimization recommendation icons

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- Customizing templates: • Removed two Set buttons to optimize the operation • XML content reflects user changes to the input fields • Mandatory fields are indicated with a red asterisk (*) • New field added: Default selected • Added a Save button, enabled for custom templates and disabled for built-in (read-only) templates • Context menu added for each Step • Added menu item, Remove, for the Group level • Disabled the Remove button for the top level • Adjusted column width for better text display • User is prevented from removing the top-level Group • Updated the Up and Down arrow icons • Label icon has the same context menu as label (tree view) • Step Type field was removed from the Group level • Title of HKCU operations was changed to match command name (LOAD, UNLOAD) for consistency • February 2015 (b1038) – The following changes were made to the OSOT UI: - Steps column title changed to Optimizations - System Information label for Version identifies the Service Pack only, and the Locale label was changed to Windows Locale - A one-line description for the System Information panel was added, which can be seen using a mouse- over (mouse-hover) movement - Analysis Summary legend labels changed from Un-Optimized and Optimized to Optimization Not Applied and Optimization Applied - Product/Feature Compatibility dialog changed the View 5.3 check box label to View 5.3 Feature Pack (to be installed), and the Analyze button to Continue to Analyze

VMware OS Optimization Tool 2014 • December 2014 (b1037) – The state of the default user profile has been changed from selected to deselected so that the capability exists to customize wallpaper on the VM backgrounds for users

VMware, Inc. 3401 Hillview Avenue Palo Alto CA 94304 USA Tel 877-486-9273 Fax 650-427-5001 www.vmware.com Copyright © 2015 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and intellectual property laws. VMware products are covered by one or more patents listed at http://www.vmware.com/go/patents. VMware is a registered trademark or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. Item No: VMW-TWP-OPGDDKTPSVRH6HAIRDKTPAPP-USLET-20151104-WEB