A default installation of Microsoft Windows contains a number of configuration settings, components, and scheduled tasks that may not be required or are not desirable in a Virtual Desktop environment. This section will detail these settings, and provide instructions on how to make the recommended changes.
Many of these optimizations are implemented using Windows Group Policies, which can be applied to the Virtual Desktop master image prior to deployment, or by using domain-enforced Active Directory Group Policies. It is recommended to apply the majority of the policies directly to the master image when using linked-clone desktops. Doing this allows the refresh or recompose operation to proceed more quickly, as the majority of the settings the desktop requires will already have been applied. Were the necessary policies to be applied using only domain-based Group Policy templates, a refresh or recompose is likely to take more time and resources to complete as each desktop...