When you install Horizon Agent on a virtual machine, you can select or deselect custom setup options. In addition, Horizon Agent installs certain features automatically on all guest operating systems on which they are supported. These features are not optional.

To learn which features are supported on which guest operating systems, see "Feature Support Matrix for Horizon Agent" in the Horizon 7 Architecture Planning document.

To change custom setup options after you install the latest Horizon Agent version, see Modify Installed Components with the Horizon Agent Installer.

All custom setup options are selected by default except USB Redirection, Scanner Redirection, Smartcard Redirection, Serial Port Redirection, Flash Redirection, Skype for Business, VMware Horizon Instant Clone Agent, HTML5 Multimedia Redirection, Horizon Performance Tracker, VMware Integrated Printing, and SDO Sensor Redirection.

Table 1. Horizon Agent Custom Setup Options in an IPv4 Environment
Option Description
Core Installs the core functionality.
USB Redirection Gives users access to locally connected USB devices on their desktops.

This option is not selected by default. You must select the option to install it.

For guidance about using USB redirection securely, see the Horizon 7 Security document. For example, you can use group policy settings to disable USB redirection for specific users.

For information about using the USB redirection feature, and USB device type limitations, see "Using USB Devices with Remote Desktops and Applications" in the Configuring Remote Desktop Features in Horizon 7 document.
Real-Time Audio-Video Redirects webcam and audio devices that are connected to the client system so that they can be used on the remote desktop.
Client Drive Redirection Allows Horizon Client users to share local drives with their remote desktops.

After this option is installed, no further configuration is required on the remote desktop.

Client Drive Redirection is also supported on published desktops and published applications and on virtual desktops that run on unmanaged machines.

Virtual Printing Lets users print to any printer available on their client computers. Users do not have to install additional drivers on their desktops.

Virtual printing is supported on the following remote desktops and applications:

  • Desktops that are deployed on single-user machines, including Windows desktop and Windows server machines
  • Published desktops and published applications that are deployed on RDS hosts, where the RDS hosts are virtual machines or physical machines
  • Published applications that are launched from Horizon Client inside remote desktops (nested sessions).

The virtual printing feature is supported only when you install it from Horizon Agent. It is not supported if you install it with VMware Tools.

If you select this option, you cannot select VMware Integrated Printing.

Help Desk Plugin for Horizon Agent You must have a Horizon Enterprise edition license or Horizon Apps Advanced edition license for Horizon 7 to use the Help Desk Tool. This option is installed and enabled by default.
vRealize Operations Desktop Agent Provides information that allows vRealize Operations Manager to monitor remote desktops.
VMware Horizon 7 Persona Management Synchronizes the user profile on the local desktop with a remote profile repository, so that users have access to their profiles whenever they log in to a desktop.
Scanner Redirection Redirects scanning and imaging devices that are connected to the client system so that they can be used on the remote desktop or application.

This option is not selected by default. You must select the option to install it.

VMware Client IP Transparency Enables remote connections to Internet Explorer to use the client's IP address instead of the remote desktop machine's IP address.

This setup option is not selected by default. You must select the option to install it.

Smartcard Redirection Lets users authenticate with smart cards when they use the PCoIP or VMware Blast display protocol. This option is not selected by default.

Smartcard Redirection is supported on remote desktops that are deployed on single-user machines.

Serial Port Redirection Redirects serial COM ports that are connected to the client system so that they can be used on the remote desktop.

This option is not selected by default. You must select the option to install it.

VMware Audio Provides a virtual audio driver on the remote desktop.
Flash Redirection Redirects Flash multimedia content in an Internet Explorer 9, 10, or 11 browser to the client, for performance optimization.
URL Content Redirection Redirects URL content in an Internet Explorer 9, 10, or 11 browser from client-to-client, for performance optimization.
VMware Horizon View Composer Agent Lets this virtual machine be the golden image virtual machine of a View Composer linked-clone desktop pool. If you select this option, you cannot select the VMware Horizon Instant Clone Agent option.
VMware Horizon Instant Clone Agent Lets this virtual machine be the golden image virtual machine of an instant-clone desktop pool. This option is not selected by default. If you select this option, you cannot select the VMware Horizon View Composer Agent option.
Fingerprint Scanner Redirection Redirects fingerprint scanner devices that are plugged into a serial port on a Windows client system to virtual desktops, published desktops, and published applications.
VMware Virtualization Pack for Skype for Business Makes optimized audio and video calls with Skype for Business inside a virtual desktop. This option is not selected by default. You must select the option to install it.
Horizon Performance Tracker Monitors the performance of the display protocol and system resource usage. This option is not selected by default. You must select the option to install it. .NET Framework 4.0 or later is required if you install Horizon Performance Tracker.
VMware Integrated Printing Enables users to print to any printer available on their client machines. Location-based printing is supported.
VMware Integrated Printing is supported on the following remote desktops and applications:
  • Desktops that are deployed on single-user machines, including Windows desktop and Windows server machines
  • Published desktops and published applications that are deployed on RDS hosts, where the RDS hosts are virtual machines or physical machines
This option is not selected by default. You must select the option to install it. If you select this option, you cannot select Virtual Printing.
SDO Sensor Redirection Enables the Simple Device Orientation (SDO) sensor redirection feature. This option is not selected by default. You must select the option to install it.
Geolocation Redirection Enables the Geolocation Redirection feature. This option is not selected by default. You must select this option to install it.

In an IPv6 environment, Core, VMware Horizon View Composer Agent, Virtual Printing, and VMware Audio options are selected and installed by default.

Table 2. Horizon Agent Features That Are Installed Automatically (Not Optional)
Feature Description
PCoIP Agent Lets users use the PCoIP display protocol to connect to the remote desktop.

Installing the PCoIP Agent feature disables sleep mode on Windows desktops. When a user navigates to the Power Options or Shut Down menu, sleep mode or standby mode is inactive. Desktops do not go into sleep or standby mode after a default period of inactivity. Desktops remain in active mode.

Windows Media Multimedia Redirection (MMR) Extends multimedia redirection to Windows 7 and later desktops and clients. This feature delivers a multimedia stream directly to the client computer, allowing the multimedia stream to be processed on the client hardware instead of the remote ESXi host.
Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams Redirects Microsoft Teams audio calls, video calls, and desktop share views to process on the client machine instead of in the virtual desktop.
Unity Touch Allows tablet and smart phone users to interact easily with Windows applications that run on the remote desktop. Users can browse, search, and open Windows applications and files, choose favorite applications and files, and switch between running applications, all without using the Start menu or Taskbar.
Virtual video driver Provides a virtual video driver on the remote desktop.
VMware Blast Installs the VMware Blast display protocol on remote desktops.
Core Installs the core functionality.
PSG Agent Installs the PCoIP Secure Gateway on remote desktops to implement the PCoIP display protocol.
HTML5 Multimedia Redirection Redirects HTML5 multimedia content in a Chrome or Edge browser to the client, for performance optimization.
Browser Redirection Renders a website on the client system instead of the agent system, and displays the website over the remote browser's viewport, when a user uses the Chrome browser in a remote desktop.