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 use these menus to connect and disconnect the devices.
The types of USB devices that you can redirect depend on how a Horizon administrator has configured the remote desktop or published application.
If you use the client drive redirection feature to share a USB storage device or a folder on a USB storage device, you cannot use the USB redirection feature to redirect the device to a remote desktop or published application because the device is already shared.
You can connect USB devices to a remote desktop or published application either manually or automatically.
Prerequisites
- To use USB devices with a remote desktop or published application, a Horizon administrator must enable the USB redirection feature.
- Before you can use the USB redirection feature in Horizon Client, you must start the remote USB services. The first time you start Horizon Client, it prompts you to start the remote USB services. You can also start the remote USB services from the VMware Horizon Client menu bar. Click and provide the Administrator password when prompted.
- The first time you attempt to connect a USB device, you must provide the Administrator password. Horizon Client prompts you for the password.
Some components required for USB redirection that Horizon Client installs must be configured, and configuration of these components requires Administrator privileges.
- Become familiar with USB Redirection Limitations.
Procedure
Results
The USB device appears in the remote desktop or published application. A USB device might take up to 20 seconds to appear in the remote desktop or published application. The first time you connect the device to a remote desktop you might be prompted to install drivers.
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 computer.
What to do next
If you have problems with USB redirection, see the topic about troubleshooting USB redirection problems in the Configuring Remote Desktop Features in Horizon document.