Troubleshooting Citrix Clients

Sometimes it can be helpful to have a list of questions to approach a troubleshooting scenario. Citrix client issues are often one of these areas that can benefit because so many items could impact client connectivity it is easy to overlook one. While this list isn't a be-all-end-all, it - plus your favorite search engine - can help you get by most client connectivity issues.

Troubleshooting Questions for Citrix Clients

For every problem

• Which version and build of the client are you using?

• Is it the same problem with the latest version (if not already in use)?

• Did it work at least once? Did you change anything since then?

• Can the issue be reproduced on demand? By one user, 1+ users, all users?

Installation Issues

• What is the error message (send a screen shot)?

• How are you trying to install the client (client database, MSI, silent installation, other)?

• Is the same problem seen when a user with administrator’s rights is tested?

Connectivity

• Do you see the logon box or the background screen of the server, or does the connection fail before this?

• Any errors on the event viewer of the server (send the event viewer files)?

• Is it happening for all applications? All servers? All users? At all times?

• Is the browser configured to allow ActiveX script?

• If connecting with Web Client, what is the browser version?

• Is it the same issue with non-seamless connections? And for seamless connections?

• Do you have the same problem if connecting with the RDP client?

• Can you telnet to the Presentation Server using port 1494?

• Are there any proxy servers or firewalls between the client and the server?

• Are you connecting through Web Interface, MSAM or Advanced Access Control? If so, try connecting directly to the farm using a Custom ICA connection. Refer to the administrator’s guide of the ICA client in use to know how to create an ICA connection.

• Is the problem persistent if you disable the mappings (drives, printers)? You can disable mappings within the Citrix Connection Configuration > Client Settings section.

• Through which protocol does the client connect: TCP/IP, TCP/IP + HTTP, SSL/TLS + HTTPS?

• Is the problem persistent if the connection is made using TCP/IP + HTTP?  

• Which settings are applied for Session Reliability, Data Compression and Speed Screen Latency reduction?

• Is the problem persistent if these features are deactivated?

• How do users authenticate against the farm: Primary Windows Credentials, Pass-through or Pass-through with Smartcard?

• If connecting with the Java client, what is the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) version?

• Did you manually change any settings in the client configuration files?

Disappearing Citrix Policies?

Ever have your Citrix policies disappear for some unknown reason? You may need to update your Citrix policy engine. 

Symptom:

• Your Citrix Policies disappeared – shortly followed by lots of cursing.

Issue:

• During times of high memory consumption the policy engine can truncate Citrix policies thus leaving your environment without them.

Impact:

• Any XenApp 6.5/XenDesktop 5.5/6 Farm. Both AppCenter/Studio IMA and Microsoft Active Directory based policies will be deleted.

Resolution:

• Install http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX140488 on ALL workstations used to manage Citrix policies. This is a Limited Release Hotfix, but given the nature of the issue it resolves, I recommend pre-emptive installation when appropriate. Recovery of lost policies is not part of this release – that requires either a manual backup from before they were lost and subsequent restoration; or in the case of IMA policies a backup of the DB from which one may restore settings.

Office 2013 over VDI

If you plan to deploy Microsoft Office 2013 over VDI keep an eye out for issues with screen flickers or audio pops. These are a side effect of a default Office option for hardware acceleration.

Issue:

• When using XenDesktop/XenApp 7.x with Office 2013 installed, there can be speaker popping, Office application windows can randomly go black, and there can be screen flickers.

Reason:

• Hardware acceleration with Office 2013

Resolution:

• On clients (server or desktop OS) with Office 2013 deployed: disable hardware graphics acceleration. 

This checkbox is available in all (I believe, only checked Outlook, Excel, and Word) the Office applications.

This setting may also be applied via the Office ADMX template in Group Policy.

Reference: KB2768648

Documenting XenApp 6.5 Environments

Frequently I need to document XenApp environments either for build documents or for health check purposes. While I have a small arsenial of scripts I have written to acomplish several aspects of these documentation encounters, I recently came across Carl Webster's documentation script. I have to say I was impressed with the thoroughness of the script. I recommend anyone check this out if you need to quickly document a XenApp 6.5 environment.

Carl Webster's XenApp Documentation