Release Notes
Graphics Agent for Windows 24.03.3
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The PCoIP Graphics Agent for Windows requires a license registration code (for Teradici Cloud Licensing), or a license activation code (for Local License Servers). If you are a new user, request a registratration code for a full evaluation.
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When reporting issues to Teradici, run the SupportBundler.exe application and include the output it generates.
Release 24.03.3 of the Graphics Agent for Windows is a maintenance release which replaces and deprecates 24.03.2.
There are no changes in this release. This release was issued to maintain version parity with other products.
Previous release information:
Improved Network Efficiency for Graphics-Intensive Deployments
PCoIP Ultra now defaults to Auto Offload in deployments where client machines that support H.264 Hardware Decoding connect to Anyware agents. Additionally, YUV Chroma subsampling Additionally, YUV Chroma subsampling defaults to 4:2:0. This ensures higher framerates of high-resolution content, along with optimized bandwidth utilization, especially in remote locations that have bandwidth constraints.
When set to Auto Offload, PCoIP Ultra automatically switches between CPU and GPU Offload modes; thereby leveraging the capability of CPU Offload to provide the best image fidelity, while relying on GPU Offload during periods of high display activity. This results in efficient utilization of network bandwidth, and at the same time, ensures that users see both video and still image content in the most optimized way.
The Auto Offload mode is described in detail in the topics PCoIP Ultra and Configuring PCoIP Ultra.
Smart Cards Authentication for Enhanced Security
Version 24.03 of the Graphics Agent introduces support smart card authentication. Linux client machines connecting to agent machines can now connect using smart cards for authentication and SSO (single sign-on). Additionally, agents can read and process smart card information for in-session tasks such as document signing.
Smart card authentication not only adds a layer of security, but also ensures simplified identity management while accessing PCoIP deployments. For information on agent setup required for smart cards authentication, see Configuring the Agent for Smart Card Authentication.
Note: Smart card authentication is only supported in deployments where Linux clients connect to Windows Standard agents or Windows Graphics agents.
Smartcard can be used for subsequent connection
Issue where a user is unable to reconnect with SmartCard authentication after disconnecting has been resolved.
Agent installer should succeed on a machine without Internet connectivity
Agent installer can complete the installation/upgrade successfully on a machine without Internet connectivity.
Audio now resumes after the mobile client app is brought to the foreground
Audio now resumes properly when the mobile client app is brought to the foreground.
Anyware Client connection issue with network scanner fixed
PCoIP connection can be established when a network scanner is running a scan on one of the PCoIP Agent network ports.
USB headset can now be unplugged safely inside an active PCoIP session
Unplugging an USB headset while audio is playing on the host is now working properly.
USB devices were not forwarded from a ThinPro client
Sometimes, USB devices forwarded from a ThinPro client did not show up on the host. This issue has now been fixed.
Toggling between Teradici virtual audio and Bloomberg keyboard no longer causes issues in Windows audio
User can now safely switch the audio input/output between Teradici virtual audio and Bloomberg keyboard on the host side.
Windows 11 update can replace AMD GPU driver on Windows Graphics Agent
Running Windows 11 update can replace a newer AMD GPU driver with an older driver which can cause incompatibility with the Anyware Graphics Agent. This can include incorrect mirroring of displays.
- Windows 11 OS can automatically replace AMD driver with outdated versions, which can cause issues.
- The best way to check what driver is currently used by Windows 11 OS is to run the "AMD Software" tool that should be installed with the AMD driver. If the tool cannot launch and shows a warning about driver incompatibility, that means that Windows 11 OS replaced the driver.
- To prevent driver replacement, there are 3 steps that can be done in Windows 11 OS. Step 1. Change "Device installation settings". For this please do the following:
- Press Windows + S keys together to open Search.
- Type Device installation settings.
- Click on Change Device installation settings and then select the option No (your device might not work as expected).
- Click on Save Changes.
Step 2. Prevent Windows Update from replacing AMD drivers in Windows 11. For this please do the following:
- Open Group Policy Editor.
- Go to Computer Configuration => Administrative Templates
- Open Windows Components => Windows Update
- Double-click "Do not include driver with Windows Update" in Group Policy.
- Enable the policy.
- Click OK.
- Reboot.
Step 3 (Optional). Completely disable "Windows Update".
- If the driver was replaced by Windows 11 OS, it can be manually replaced back to the new one, or a user can remove the driver using the "Add or remove programs" tool provided by Windows OS or/and the "AMDCleanupUtility" tool provided by AMD, and then install the new driver using the installer. To manually change the driver to the new one, please run "Device Manager", then open "Display adapters", right click on "AMD" adapter (for example "AMD Radeon Pro W5500" adapter), then choose "Update driver", then "Browse my computer for drivers", then "Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer", and then select the newest available driver. After that reboot the machine.
Also, for more information please visit the websites: [https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/faq/pa-300] [https://www.windowslatest.com/2023/05/30/windows-11s-microsoft-update-replaces-amd-gpu-drivers-with-older-versions/]
Hot-plugged Wacom Tablets on Zero Clients Might Not Appear in the USB Menu
Wacom tablets hot plugged to Zero Clients that are connected to Windows Agents might not appear in the USB menu. If tablets, are repeatedly hot plugged, the sessions might stop responding.
- If the Wacom tablet is connected, disconnect it and try connecting again.
- If the Wacom tablet does not appear in the USB menu despite a reconnect attempt, disconnect the tablet, and restart the PCoIP session.
- If the session stops responding due to repeated hot-plugging attempts, reboot the host machine.
Bloomberg Keyboard 5 Firmware Upgrade Does Not work over PCoIP Session
When the Bloomberg Keyboard 5 firmware upgrade process starts, the Bloomberg Biometric module gets disconnected from the PCoIP session, and the upgrade becomes unresponsive.
Perform the following steps: # Disconnect from the PCoIP session. # Upgrade the Bloomberg Keyboard 5 firmware from a local machine. # If the Bloomberg Biometric module disconnects, connect the Biometric module to the remote host again.
Resolution Mismatch for Multiple Display Connections
A resolution mismatch might occur in connections to Windows Graphics Agents where the main display is on the right and the orientation of a secondary display is set to portrait.
- Make the left display your main display. -OR-
- Change the orientation of the secondary display to landscape.
Alternatively, from {}Registry Editor{}, set the pcoip.use_ccd_apis value to {}1{}.
Multiple collaboration manager UI icons shown in the system tray on Windows
When connecting/disconnecting repeatedly without logging out of the session, multiple instances of the collaboration manager icon may appear in the system tray.
Hovering the mouse over the collaboration manager UI icons will make the duplicates disappear. The corresponding icon for the active collaboration manager UI will remain.
Resizing collaboration session window causes crash
Re-sizing the PCoIP Client window while participating in a PCoIP Ultra Collaboration session may cause the PCoIP client to crash.
Avoid re-sizing client window size while participating in a PCoIP Ultra Collaboration session.
If this occurs, re-start the collaboration session by sending a new invitation to the Guest Collaborator.
Cursor artifacts may appear if collaborator client window is resized
When the collaborator client window is resized, cursor artifacts may be seen on the collaborator client momentarily.
Once the resizing settles, the artifacts will disappear.
Collaborator may not see the remote cursor when first connected
When a guest collaborator connects to the host's session, the host's cursor may not be visible to the guest until it moves.
The host collaborator should move their cursor. This will update its position and cause the cursor to appear in the guest collaborator's client.
Connecting a USB Webcam may cause browser to quit
When a webcam is connected to a remote desktop, the browser on the remote desktop may terminate.
Disable webUSB in chrome:
chrome://flags/#enable-webusb-device-detection
Multi-channel audio deteriorates after switching from wired to wireless network
When a session started with a wired connection is switched to a wireless network, the multi-channel audio quality deteriorates. The audio quality does not improve after switching back from the wireless network to a wired connection.
Disconnect the session and reconnect after switching to a wireless network.
Power save not supported
Power save is an operating system feature where the screen goes black after some time to save power. This event will cause the PCoIP Graphics Agent to crash.
Power save mode must be disabled on the host computer.
To clarify, lock screen mode, where it prompts the user to login when left idle, is supported. Power save option, where the screen goes black after some time to save power, is not supported and must be disabled.
Long connection time results in failed PCoIP connection
Fixes an issue where PCoIP connection would fail due to long connection time. Affected versions are:
- PCoIP Agent for Windows 21.01.0
- PCoIP Agent for Windows 21.01.1
- PCoIP Agent for Windows 21.01.2
No known workaround.
Soon to expire licenses can cause licensing failure for new host
If a license server is operating in a different timezone than the PCoIP Agent and a license is still valid in the timezone of the PCoIP license server but considered expired in the timezone of the PCoIP Agent, then a PCoIP session can be denied with a licensing error.
This issue only affects hosts that do NOT have a valid license granted previously.
Wait until the following day in the timezone of the license server.
Session fails to start with PCoIP Ultra GPU or Auto Offload enabled
If you are unable to start a session with PCoIP Ultra GPU Offload or Auto Offload enabled it may be due to a lack of GPU memory. This can be verified by looking for "out of memory" in the PCoIP server log.
Potential workarounds are:
- disable PCoIP Ultra GPU Offload or Auto Offload
- reduce the number of displays connected to the client.
- reduce the resolutions of the displays connected to the client until a session can successfully be started.
PCoIP single sign on will fail if a popup is shown on the secure desktop (Ctrl+Alt+Del screen)
When a popup is shown on the secure desktop, for example "Incorrect password or username" or "Smartcard subsystem failure", PCoIP SSO cannot be started.
The user will still get a PCoIP session when SSO fails; from that session, dismiss the popup and finish the logon manually. After completing this procedure, future SSO connections should work as expected.
NVIDIA control panel still contains Teradici information after PCoIP Graphics Agent uninstall
During normal operation the PCoIP Graphics Agent for Windows will populate information about remoted displays into the NVIDIA graphics stack. This information is provided by PCoIP clients either for the real displays they have attached or a virtual display when the client is run windowed.
This information is left populated in the NVIDIA driver between PCoIP sessions to improve re-connection times. It is also left populated if the Agent software is uninstalled.
Left over client display information can be manually removed from the NVIDIA control panel using the following steps. # Open the NVIDIA control panel # Navigate to the "View System Topology" view (this is typically nested under "Workstation" settings) # Look under each graphics card for displays that appear to have an EDID loaded from file # Click the +EDID+ link to bring up the EDID management dialog # Navigate to the "Unload" tab in this dialog and check the box next to each EDID where the status is listed as "File" # Click the "Unload EDID" button to purge this information from the graphics driver
PowerShell scripts cannot be executed by PCoIP Agent Installer
Folder where the PowerShell.exe binary is located is not present in the Windows system environment variable PATH.
Ensure that folders "%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\" and "%SYSTEMROOT%\System32" are present in the System variable PATH.
ZoomText is not supported on Windows Graphics Agent
ZoomText cursor and magnification features get internally disabled when launched with Windows Graphics Agent versions post 20.01.
PCoIP Agent and PCoIP License Server commands have the same name
When both the PCoIP Agent and PCoIP License Server are installed on the same machine, they will both try and create the command pcoip-list-licenses and pcoip-support-bundle, which causes one to overwrite the other's command. Whichever is installed or updated last will be the one that the command will map to.
It is advised not to install the PCoIP License Server and PCoIP Agent on the same machine
Wacom tablet bridging: Cursor issue with Windows Ink setting enabled
When a Wacom tablet is running in bridged mode in a PCoIP session, the cursor may not be shown correctly with Windows Ink setting enabled in the Wacom Desktop Center.
Disable Windows Ink in Wacom Desktop Center. Applications which rely on Windows Ink feature may not work after turning off that setting.
Wacom display toggle does not work in local termination mode
After connecting Wacom tablet in local termination mode, display toggle is not supported in the PCoIP session.
Connect Wacom tablet in USB bridging mode.
Custom resolutions may not work for NVIDIA in a multi display scenario
It has been observed that in a a dual display scenario, with one display rotated the NVIDIA driver version 44166 (branch 441_58) does not apply custom resolution to the right display. As a result, the rotated display comes up as black.
This issue may not occur, if the custom resolution already exists in the list of resolutions for the display.
As a workaround, downgrade the NVIDIA Grid driver to 43179 (branch r430_00) to avoid this issue.
GPU license can limit the size and number of connected displays
NVIDIA licensing limits the size and number of displays that can be connected. This document: [https://docs.nvidia.com/grid/latest/grid-vgpu-user-guide/index.html#physical-gpu-display-resolution-handling] shows that the GPU may enforce a maximum of 1, 2, or 4 displays and may limit resolution as low as 1280×1024 for a single display.
Configure a NVIDIA GPU license that supports the number and resolution of displays that you require.
Using Windows-p to adjust monitor behavior not supported
Using the Windows-P key combination to adjust projector display types is not supported. Using this key combination and selecting "duplicate" may cause secondary displays to turn black.
Adjust your monitor configuration at the client, before the PCoIP session begins.
Wacom tablet force proportions setting causes cursor offset
Enabling the Wacom tablet's force proportions setting will limit the tablet area to match the aspect ratio of the display, but the PCoIP Client misinterprets the cursor location and displays the cursor in the wrong place.
Map the Wacom tablet either to the entire desktop, or to one of the displays.
Using resolutions unsupported by the AMD GPU profile can cause display problems
Using a display topology outside of the what the AMD GPU instance supports, display problems can occur. These issues include:
- Non functional displays
- Imaging artifacts
- Loss of accelerated capture support
Generally, reducing the display topology to be within the Microsoft Azure instance type's support limitations and reconnecting will solve the problem. In severe cases, a full graphics driver reinstall or re-provisioning of the instance may be required.
High resolution portrait displays do not work with AMD GPU
Portrait-oriented displays with a vertical resolution greater than 2160px are not currently supported by Cloud Access Software on AMD GPUs.
Reducing the resolution of the portrait oriented display to a value less than 2160 pixels may allow it to work,
Display resolution problems when using Windows Server 2019 and NVIDIA GRID 9.1 driver
Display resolution may not work correctly on Windows Server 2019 instances when using the GRID 9.1 driver.
Upgrade to NVIDIA Grid 10.0 driver.
Disabling Windows SSO disables vchan plugins
Vchan plugins are launched when the PCoIP session begins. If the system has single sign on disabled, then the PCoIP session cannot login the user desktop and the vchan plugins cannot start properly. This causes multiple issues including loss of clipboard synchronization and lack of printing support.
Re-enable single sign on to ensure that vchan plugins start properly and both clipboard and printer plugins are available.
If enabling single sign on is not an option, connect, login, disconnect (if not disconnected automatically) and re-connect to ensure vchan plugins are running in the reconnected session.
Wacom touch key for Display Settings does not work in a PCoIP session
The "Display Settings" touch key for Wacom Pen Displays does not work in a PCoIP session. Windows hosts display a "Compatible display device not found" message when the user taps the touch key. Linux hosts do not display a message.
Do not use Wacom Display Settings touch key.
Wacom drawing issues on Windows Server 2019
While using a Wacom tablet in a PCoIP session on Windows Server 2019, pen pressure is detected but drawing with the Wacom stylus does not work.
- Start Wacom Tablet Properties app, switch to Mapping tab, and uncheck "Use windows ink" option.
- For Photoshop users: Create a file “PSUserConfig.txt” with the following content. Place the file in "C:\Users*[User Name]*\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\
\ Settings\"
*# Use WinTab*
*UseSystemStylus 0***
Uninstall failure: unable to delete TeraCleanupLogs schedule task
Sometimes, PCoIP agent uninstall failed because it could not delete TeraCleanupLogs schedule task.
According to [https://superuser.com/questions/1475639/how-to-fix-broken-permissions-for-windows-scheduled-task], this is caused by security patch from Microsoft.
Go to C:\Windows\System_32\Tasks\
- Run the following command to find the hardlink to TeraCleanupLogs task.
fsutil hardlink list TeraCleanupLogs
- Delete the hardlink to the TeraCleanupLogs task.
AMD displays not all present at first connect
In some cases, the graphics driver may not be ready when the initial PCoIP connection is established on an AMD GPU Microsoft Azure instance. When this occurs, not all expected displays will be available.
Disconnect the PCoIP session and reconnect.
PCoIP session ends when using very large application window
PCoIP supports a maximum application window width of 4096 pixels. If an application window is stretched across multiple displays with a total width or height greater than 4096, the PCoIP session will end.
Do not stretch a window more than 4096 pixels, horizontally or vertically.
License registration is unreliable in KVM environments
Retrieval of the VM_UUID can be unreliable when running under KVM. This can cause licensing failures when attempting to validate a license or start a session.
Wacom tablet issues warning in device manager and is not functioning
Wacom functions like clicking with the pen, side-buttons on tablet, and pen pressure sensitivity, do not work.
If Wacom drivers are already installed but the device is not working correctly then this could be because the drivers were installed with the Wacom tablet connected. In this case the recovery is to unplug the Wacom tablet, uninstall the Wacom drivers and reboot the VM. Once the system comes back up, install the Wacom drivers completely before connecting the Wacom device. You can find the Wacom drivers here.
If the Wacom tablet still is non-functional on the host machine then this could be due to the Wacom tablet not running the latest firmware. The best way to do this is to connect the tablet to a physical machine that also has the Wacom drivers installed. Under the Wacom Desktop Center, go to the "Update" tab to update the firmware of the tablet itself.
PCoIP Agent fails to start
The PCoIP Agent requires port 60443 for proper operation. Unavailability of this port prevents the agent from starting.
The following PCoIP Agent log message can appear: AGENT :0894 Failed to bind required address ssl://127.0.0.1:60443: Cannot bind to port
Reboot the machine.
PCoIP Agent refuses connection with licensing error
The Windows Management Instrumentation service can run into a bad state, which prevents PCoIP Agent from checking out a valid license. When this problem occurs, user will see the "no license" error on the client and should see the following error message in the PCoIP agent log:
Exception caught ( Error processing FNE capability response: [1,7E2,5,0[7000001B,0,C03F9]] Response does not match system hostid. ) while sending a request for license renewal.
This problem was caused by WMI's inability to get host UUID. When running
wmic csproduct get UUID
Node - TERVDIW10DEV22
ERROR:
Description = The paging file is too small for this operation to complete.
The workaround is to restart Windows Management Instrumentation and PCoIP Agent for Windows service in sequence in Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services. If the services won't restart then restarting Windows will resolve the issue.
Windows resolution change options are disabled after uninstalling PCoIP agent
Windows display settings to change resolution are grayed out after uninstalling the PCoIP agent.
open regedit.exe , navigate to HKEYLOCALMACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System and set the value NoDispCpl to 0.
Wacom tablet PTH-451 not detected
Wacom tablet PTH-451 may not be detected correctly when USB bridged to Cloud Access Software Agent for Windows with PCoIP software client for Windows. Software client for macOS and PCoIP Zero Clients work as expected.
Windows INK cursor location not updated
When USB bridging a Wacom tablet to a Windows agent the cursor position is not updated while working in Windows INK.
Starting with PCoIP Agent 2.15 and when using Zero clients with a minimum firmware of 6.2.0.a2, Teradici recommends using local termination for the Wacom tablet. This allows the cursor to be properly displayed in Windows INK.
Windows Interactive logon text interferes with PCoIP session connection
Configuring Windows logon text will cause a PCoIP user to be unable to connect using the PCoIP client. This is because the Single Sign-On implementation within PCoIP needs to be able to authenticate directly to the user desktop.
You can either disable interactive logon text or you can disable the PCoIP SSO.
Wacom tablet cursor fails to highlight some UI elements
When moving the Wacom pen across the desktop some program controls do not highlight properly.
Remove long right mouse click from the pen settings in Windows.
Cloud Access Software indicates no license
Connection via PCoIP can fail stating a lack of license even though the system is properly licensed. Additionally, issuing the pcoip-validate-license.ps1 command can fail resulting in a crash dump.
Rebooting the VM can restore proper licensing functionality.
Licensing can fail if Windows WMI infrastructure is impaired
Windows infrastructure failures can prevent PCoIP agent licensing to be acquired. If the PCoIP agent is not licensed, the user will not be able to connect to the remote machine.
Rebooting the machine may resolve the WMI impairment, enabling PCoIP licensing to be successfully acquired.
Changing window resolution while running a full-screen application may cause issues
Some applications may not be able to handle resolution change when they are running in full-screen mode.
Exit affected applications before changing desktop resolution.
User may be required to log on twice
Rarely, a user may be presented with the lock screen when connecting via PCoIP.
Authenticate a second time to gain access to the desktop.
NVIDIA GRID licensing not enabled on Azure VM
After starting (re-allocating) a previously stopped (de-allocated) VM in Azure, NVIDIA GRID licensing is not always enabled following VM boot up. This results in PCoIP sessions being limited to a single display with a maximum resolution of 2560x1600 pixels. Contact Microsoft Azure for help.
Restart Windows.
Cursor size larger than 64x64 pixels does not display correctly
Display of cursors larger than 64x64 pixels can become truncated and can terminate the PCoIP session.