When you install Horizon Agent, certain features are automatically installed on all guest Windows operating systems on which they are supported. In addition, you can select or deselect custom setup options.
To learn which features are supported on which guest operating systems, see "Feature Support Matrix for Horizon Agent" in the Horizon Overview and Deployment Planning document.
To change custom setup options after you install the latest Horizon Agent version, you must uninstall and reinstall Horizon Agent. For patches and upgrades, you can run the new Horizon Agent installer and select a new set of options without uninstalling the previous version.
In an IPv6 environment, Horizon Audio options are selected and installed by default.
Horizon Agent Features That Are Installed Automatically
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Core | Installs the core functionality. |
| 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. |
| PSG Agent | Installs the PCoIP Secure Gateway on remote desktops to implement the PCoIP display protocol. |
| Blast | Installs the Omnissa Horizon Blast display protocol on remote desktops. |
| Windows Media Multimedia Redirection (MMR) | Extends multimedia redirection to Windows 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Virtual video driver | Provides a virtual video driver on the remote 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. |
| Integrated Printing | Enables users to print to any printer available on their client machines. Location-based printing is supported.
Integrated Printing is supported on the following remote desktops and applications:
|
| vRealize Operations Desktop Agent | This feature that allows vRealize Operations Manager to monitor remote desktops is deprecated in this release. When you perform a fresh installation, the desktop agent will not collect data. When you perform an upgrade, if the desktop agent has been configured with vRealize Operations before the upgrade, the desktop agent will still collect and report data to vROps. You need to stop the service manually. |
Horizon Agent Custom Setup Options in an IPv4 Environment
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| 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 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 Horizon Remote Desktop Features and GPOs 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. |
| Help Desk Plugin for Horizon Agent | Enables the Horizon Help Desk Tool, which shows the status of Horizon 8 user sessions and helps with troubleshooting and maintenance. You must have a Horizon Enterprise edition license or Horizon Apps Advanced edition license for Horizon to use the Help Desk Tool. This option is installed and enabled by default. |
| 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. |
| Smartcard Redirection | Lets users authenticate with smart cards when they use the PCoIP or Omnissa Horizon 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. |
| Horizon Audio | Provides a virtual audio driver on the remote desktop. |
| UNC Path Redirection | Redirects UNC Path in Outlook 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 or Office365 Outlook from agent-to-client, for performance optimization. |
| URL Content Redirection | Redirects URL content in an Internet Explorer 9, 10, or 11 browser, Chrome, Edge-chromium, Firefox, and third-party not-browser application from agent-to-client, for performance optimization. |
| Horizon Instant Clone Agent | Lets this virtual machine be the golden image of an instant-clone desktop pool. This option is selected by default. |
| 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. |
| 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 4.6.2 or later is required if you install Horizon Performance Tracker. |
| 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. |
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