With the USB redirection feature, you can use locally attached USB devices, such as thumb flash drives, in a remote desktop or published application.

When you use the USB redirection feature, most USB devices that are attached to the local client system become available from menus in Horizon Client. You can use the menus to connect and disconnect the devices.

You can redirect locally connected USB thumb flash drives and hard disks for use in published desktops and applications. Published desktops and applications can also support more generic USB devices, including TOPAZ Signature Pad, Olympus Dictation Foot pedal, and Wacom signature pad. Other types of USB devices, including security storage drives and USB CD-ROM drives, are not supported in published desktops and applications.

You can connect USB devices to a remote desktop or published application either manually or automatically.

Important: The following procedures describe how to use Horizon Client to connect USB devices to a remote desktop or published application. An administrator can also configure USB redirection by using a configuration file or by creating a group policy. For more information about using a configuration file, see Configuring USB Redirection on the Client. For more information about creating group policies, see the Horizon Remote Desktop Features and GPOs document.

Prerequisites

  • To use USB devices with a remote desktop or published application, an administrator must enable the USB feature.

    The task of enabling the USB feature includes installing the USB Redirection component of Horizon Agent, and can include setting policies regarding USB redirection. For more information, see the Horizon Remote Desktop Features and GPOs document and Setting USB Configuration Properties.

  • The USB Redirection component must be installed in Horizon Client. If you did not include this component in the installation, uninstall the client and run the installer again to include the USB Redirection component.
  • Become familiar with USB Redirection Limitations.

Procedure

  • Connect a USB device to a remote desktop.
    1. Connect the USB device to your local client system.
    2. From the Horizon Client menu bar, click Connect USB Device.
    3. Select the USB device.
    The device is redirected from the local system to the remote desktop.
  • Connect a USB device to a published application.
    1. Connect the USB device to the local client system.
    2. In the desktop and application selector window, open the published application.
      The name of the application is the name that your administrator has configured for the application.
    3. In the desktop and application selector window, right-click the application icon and select Settings.
    4. In the left pane, select USB Devices.
    5. In the right pane, select the USB device and click Connect.
    6. Select the application, and click OK.
      Note: The name of the application in the list comes from the application itself and might not match the application name that your administrator configured to appear in the desktop and application selector window.
      Horizon Client connects the USB device to the published application that you selected. The USB device is also available to other applications in the same farm as the application that you selected. After you close the application, the USB device is not released right away.
    7. (Optional) To configure Horizon Client to connect the USB device automatically to the published application when the application is started, select the Auto-connect at Startup check box and click Apply.
      This setting is not selected by default, and it is saved in ~/.vmware/view-brokers-prefs.
      This setting also applies to all other applications in the same farm as the application that you selected.
      Note: The configuration key view.usbAutoConnectAtStartUp and command-line option --usbAutoConnectAtStartUp override the setting saved in ~/.vmware/view-brokers-prefs. For more information, see Horizon Client Configuration Settings and Command-Line Options.
    8. (Optional) To configure Horizon Client to connect the USB device automatically to the published application when you plug the device into the local system, select the Auto-connect when inserted check box and click Apply.
      This setting is not selected by default, and it is saved in ~/.vmware/view-brokers-prefs.
      The published application must be activated and in the foreground for this behavior to take effect. This setting also applies to all other applications in the same farm as the application that you selected.
      Note: The configuration key view.usbAutoConnectOnInsert and command-line option --usbAutoConnectOnInsert override the setting saved in ~/.vmware/view-brokers-prefs. For more information, see Horizon Client Configuration Settings and Command-Line Options.
    9. To close the Settings window, click Close.
    10. When you are finished using the application, release the USB device so that you can access it from your local system. In the desktop and application selector window, open the Settings window again, select USB Devices, and select Disconnect.
  • Configure Horizon Client to connect USB devices automatically to a remote desktop when Horizon Client starts.
    This option is not selected by default.
    1. Before you plug in the USB device, start Horizon Client and connect to a remote desktop.
    2. From the Horizon Client menu bar, click Connect USB Device.
    3. Select Automatically Connect at Startup.
    4. Plug in the USB device and restart Horizon Client.
    USB devices that you connect to your local system after you start Horizon Client are redirected to the remote desktop.
  • Configure Horizon Client to connect USB devices automatically to a remote desktop when you plug them in to the local system.
    The remote desktop must be activated and in the foreground for this behavior to take effect.
    Enable this option if you plan to connect devices that use MTP drivers, such as Android-based Samsung smart phones and tablets. This option is not selected by default.
    1. Before you plug in the USB device, start Horizon Client and connect to a remote desktop.
    2. From the Horizon Client menu bar, click Connect USB Device.
    3. Select Automatically Connect when Inserted.
    4. Plug in the USB device.
    USB devices that you connect to your local system after you start Horizon Client are redirected to the remote desktop.
    Note: An administrator can also configure automatically connecting USB devices to remote desktops using the configuration file options view.usbAutoConnectAtStartUp and view.usbAutoConnectOnInsert. For more information, see Horizon Client Configuration Settings and Command-Line Options.

Results

If the USB device does not appear in the remote desktop or published application after several minutes, disconnect and reconnect the device to the client system.

What to do next

If you have problems with USB redirection, see the topic about troubleshooting USB redirection problems in the Horizon Remote Desktop Features and GPOs document.