Cloud computer FAQs

Startup failure

If your cloud computer fails to start, try the following solutions in order:

• Disable your firewall and try to restart the cloud computer.

• Restore the disk data to a previous point in time by using the most recent valid snapshot. For more information, see Back up and restore cloud computer data.

• Reset the cloud computer by changing its image. For more information, see Change the image of a cloud computer or a cloud computer in a pool.

  Note

  Before you change the image, create a snapshot to back up your data in case you need to restore it later. For more information, see Use snapshots (Public Preview).

No internet connection

If you can connect to your cloud computer but not the internet, contact your administrator. They must enable internet access for the office network to which your cloud computer is assigned. For more information, see Network FAQ.

Website access issues

This issue can have the following causes:

• The office network for your cloud computer does not have internet access enabled. Ask your administrator to enable internet access for the office network. For more information, see Manage public bandwidth.

• A proxy configured on the cloud computer might block access to some websites. To resolve this, disable the proxy or use a browser extension to configure Proxy Auto-Configuration (PAC).

Firefox access issues on Ubuntu

If you use the built-in Firefox browser on an Ubuntu cloud computer and receive a "403 Forbidden" error for websites that work correctly in Chrome, follow these steps to resolve the issue.

1. In Firefox, click the menu icon in the upper-right corner and select Add-ons and themes.

2. In the new panel, select Extensions and click Add to Firefox.

3. After the installation is complete, a new icon appears in the upper-right corner of the browser.

4. Restart the browser.

5. Click the icon and select .

6. Click Apply (container).

VPN disconnection on Windows

If your virtual private network (VPN) software on a Windows cloud computer keeps disconnecting, you can add a domain-to-IP address mapping in the Hosts file to resolve the issue.

1. Click vpnhosts.exe to download the tool.

2. Open Command Prompt, navigate to the directory where the vpnhosts.exe tool is located, and run the following command to add the mapping to the Hosts file:

   .\vpnhosts.exe -set

   If the set hosts successfully message is returned, you have successfully modified the Hosts file.

   Important

   If you modify the Hosts file, you can still create a snapshot of the cloud computer, but you cannot use that snapshot to create a custom image.

To remove the mapping and restore the Hosts file, run the following command:

.\vpnhosts.exe -clean

If the clean hosts successfully message is returned, the hosts file is restored successfully.

Accessing high-security websites

When you access high-security websites from a Windows cloud computer, content may be blocked or pages may fail to load. For example, a page may not refresh during software registration, or a QR code may fail to appear. This can happen because IE Enhanced Security Configuration is disabled by default on Windows cloud computers. To fix this, enable the feature and add the website to your trusted sites. The following example uses a scenario where a Baidu Netdisk client fails to display a QR code.

1. In the search box in the lower-left corner of the cloud computer desktop, enter Control Panel and open it.

2. Set View by to Small icons and click Administrative Tools.

3. Double-click Server Manager and click Local Server.

4. In the Properties section, click Off next to IE Enhanced Security Configuration.

5. In the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration panel, set both Administrators and Users to On (Recommended) and click OK.

   Reopen the Server Manager > Local Server page. The status of IE Enhanced Security Configuration is updated to On.

6. When you access Baidu Netdisk again, a dialog box for Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration appears. Note the website address at the top of the dialog box, click Add, enter the address in the Add this website to the zone text box, click Add, and then click Close.

7. Another enhanced security dialog box may appear. Repeat the previous step: note the address, click Add, enter the address in the Add this website to the zone text box, click Add, and then click Close.

   Reopen Baidu Netdisk. The QR code on the sign-in page now refreshes automatically.

File upload size limits

Windows cloud computers do not have a file size limit for uploads. Linux cloud computers have a 4 GB limit per file.

File upload and download

File transfer methods vary by client. Choose a method that is appropriate for your client and needs. For more information, see Transfer files.

Copy-paste errors

Symptom

You cannot copy and paste a file from your local computer to a cloud computer.

Cause

The file path may be too long. The Windows operating system limits file paths to 260 characters. For more information about this limitation, see Maximum Path Length Limitation.

Solution

• Shorten the file path or copy the files in smaller batches.

• Use an alternative method to transfer the files, such as local disk mapping or the built-in file transfer feature.

File creation in C: drive root

Symptom

When using a Windows cloud computer from a cloud computer in a pool, you might receive a "Destination Folder Access Denied" message when you try to create a folder in the root of the C: drive, even with local administrator permissions.

Cause

For a cloud computer in a pool, the root of the C: drive is restricted to prevent all users from creating files and folders there.

Solution

In the client, hover over the card of the cloud computer, click Manage, and select Details to find the cloud computer ID. Provide this ID to your administrator for assistance. For information about the operations that an administrator must perform, see What do I do if an end user is unable to create files and folders in the root directory of the C drive?.

Excel content converts to image

Symptom

After you connect to an ASP-based cloud computer by using the Windows client or macOS client, Excel cell content becomes an image when you copy it between your local computer and the cloud computer.

Cause

The clipboard on ASP-based cloud computers supports only text and images. Rich text is automatically converted to an image when pasted.

Administrator permission prompts

Symptom

You have administrator permissions, but you are still prompted for them in certain scenarios, such as the following:

Possible scenarios include:

• You right-click This PC, select Properties, navigate to Remote settings > Advanced > Settings, and on the Data Execution Prevention tab, you see the message: "To change these settings, you must be logged on as an administrator."

• An installation fails after you right-click an installer and select Run as administrator.

Cause

This occurs because some operations require the specific SeShutdownPrivilege permission, which your administrator account might lack.

Solution

1. In the taskbar search box, enter cmd and click Open.

2. In the Command Prompt window, enter gpedit.msc and press Enter.

3. In the Local Group Policy Editor, go to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > User Rights Assignment. Find the Shut down the system policy and add the Administrators group to it.

4. Restart the cloud computer.

Font installation permissions

You need administrator permissions to install custom fonts on a cloud computer. Ask your administrator to grant you these permissions.

For administrators: On the User Management page, select the desired user and click Configure Local Administrator to grant administrator permissions for the cloud computer.

Data disk smaller than specified

Symptom

The cloud computer template specifies a 150 GiB data disk, but after you sign in to the cloud computer, the data disk shows a capacity of only 70 GiB.

Cause

If a cloud computer template contains a custom image, and the data disk size in the template is larger than the data disk size defined in the image, the created cloud computer will initially have a data disk that matches the image's size. The additional capacity from the template remains in an unallocated state and must be manually partitioned before use.

Solution

Sign in to the cloud computer and manually extend the data disk partition. For more information, see Extend a data disk partition.

Low disk space

Enterprise Edition users should contact their administrator to increase disk capacity. For more information, see Increase disk capacity.

Personal Edition users can upgrade their cloud computer plan to increase disk capacity. For more information, see How do I upgrade a cloud computer plan or network bandwidth?.

System disk size unchanged after resize

Symptom

An administrator resizes the system disk of your Windows cloud computer, but you do not see the capacity change. This can happen if you have security software (such as Huorong Security) installed.

Cause

The security software is blocking the AliyunEDSAgent from resizing the system disk.

Solution

1. Open the Huorong Security software, select Protection, and turn off Enhanced Protection.

2. Right-click a blank area on the taskbar and select Task Manager. On the Services tab, find and restart the AliyunEDSAgent service.

3. Wait a minute and check if the system disk capacity has updated. If it has, you can re-enable Enhanced Protection in Huorong Security.

Toolbar and performance panel

Update Windows OS

"Your Windows license will expire soon" pop-up

Changing system time

No. Do not change the system time of a cloud computer. Changing the system time can cause service exceptions and may prevent you from connecting to the cloud computer.

Ubuntu Chinese IME issues

Symptom

• When you switch to the Hanyu Pinyin (altgr) input method on an Ubuntu cloud computer, the cloud computer becomes unresponsive and a black screen appears.

• After you use the Chinese (Intelligent pinyin) input method on an Ubuntu cloud computer and restart it, you can no longer enter Chinese characters.

Viewing GPU information

You can use one of the following methods to view the GPU information of the cloud computer:

• In NVIDIA Control Panel:

  After you connect to the cloud computer, right-click a blank area on the desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel to view the GPU model and version information.

• In Task Manager:

  1. After you connect to the cloud computer, right-click a blank area on the taskbar and select Task Manager.

  2. In the Task Manager window, go to the Performance > GPU tab to view information such as the GPU model, version, and usage.

• By running a command:

  1. After you connect to the cloud computer, enter cmd in the search box, select Run as administrator, and open the Administrator: Command Prompt window.

  2. Run the following command to view information such as the GPU model, version, and usage:

     "C:/Program Files/NVIDIA Corporation/NVSMI/nvidia-smi.exe"

Changing color format

No, this is not supported.

Incorrect desktop icon spacing

Symptom

The space between desktop icons is unusually large.

Cause

A known Windows OS issue can change the icon spacing after the cloud computer's resolution is modified.

Solution

Modify the registry in the cloud computer to resolve the issue:

1. In the cloud computer, press Win+R to open the Run window, and enter regedit and click OK to open the Registry Editor.

2. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics, and then press the Enter key.

3. On the right, find the two keys named IconSpacing and IconVerticalSpacing, and double-click each key to change its value to -1125.

4. Restart the cloud computer.

Display settings window closes

Symptom

On the cloud computer desktop, you right-click a blank area and select Display Settings. After a moment, the Settings window closes unexpectedly.

Cause

Related system services on the cloud computer are not running.

Solution

Enable the required system services:

1. In the cloud computer, press Win+R. In the Run window, enter services.msc and click OK.

2. In the Services window, start the following services one by one: Remote Procedure Call (RPC), Network Connection Broker, and Connected Devices Platform Service.

   1. Right-click the service name and select Properties.

   2. In the dialog box, set the Startup type to Automatic.

   3. Under Service status, click Start.

   4. Click Apply and then OK.

Dual-screen mode

To use the dual-screen feature, connect an external display to your local computer. Then, in the cloud computer, click the floating ball. If the ball is hidden at the edge of the screen, click the small tab to reveal it. Choose Settings > Display Settings and set Dual Monitor Mode to On. When the cloud computer enters full-screen mode, the external display automatically becomes an extended screen. This setting applies only to the current cloud computer and takes effect after you exit and re-enter full-screen mode. For more information, see Adjust the cloud computer display.

Dual-screen mode issues

If you cannot enter dual-screen mode, the cause may be an incompatible driver. The dual-screen mode is not supported on cloud computers that use a Windows Server 2016 image. To use this feature, you must contact an administrator to change the cloud computer's image to Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2022. For more information, see Change the image of a cloud computer or a cloud computer in a pool.

IIS installation on Windows

Although Internet Information Services (IIS) is a Windows feature, it is not installed by default and must be added manually. The following procedure describes how to install IIS on a Windows Server 2016 operating system.

1. On the cloud computer desktop, go to Start > Server Manager.

2. On the Dashboard, click Add roles and features.

3. On the Before You Begin, Installation Type, and Server Selection pages, keep the default settings and click Next.

4. On the Server Roles page, select Web Server (IIS). In the dialog box that appears, click Add Features, and then click Next.

5. On the Features page, select any additional features you may need and click Next.

6. On the Web Server Role (IIS) page, click Next.

7. On the Role services page, select any role services you may need and click Next.

8. On the Confirmation page, review your selections and click Install.

9. Wait 2 to 5 minutes for the installation to complete and for the Results page to appear.

10. Open a browser and enter localhost or 127.0.0.1. If a page similar to the following one is displayed, it indicates that IIS is installed successfully.

UI scaling issues

UI scaling changes may not apply to some applications because they are incompatible with dynamic resolution switching. Try restarting the cloud computer to resolve the issue. If the issue persists, report it to the software developer and request that they improve compatibility with dynamic resolution switching.

App marketplace purchases

Applications in the app marketplace are provided by third-party service providers. The purchase and billing methods depend on the information on the application's purchase page. You can contact the service provider directly for more information.

How to contact: On the purchase page for the application, click Chat Now to submit your questions to the service provider.

Running local applications

No, you cannot run locally installed applications on a cloud computer. While you can run portable (installation-free) applications from a local drive, this approach is not recommended because it may degrade performance and increase bandwidth usage. To access local files, a better method is to enable local disk mapping, which allows you to read from and write to local files from within the cloud computer. For more information, see Policy overview.

Administrator password prompts for installation

If you are prompted to enter an administrator username and password when installing an application, it means your account lacks the required administrator permissions. Contact your administrator and request that they grant you these permissions.

For administrators: On the User Management page, select the desired user, click the icon in the Local Administrator column, and follow the prompts to grant local administrator permissions.

Adobe software installation issues

If you receive a message such as "Sorry, installation failed. The operating system does not meet the minimum system requirements for this installer" when installing Adobe software, the Windows Server OS version is too old. Contact your administrator to change the cloud computer's image. For more information, see Change the image of a cloud computer or a cloud computer in a pool.

System disk vs. data disk

In a Windows cloud computer, the C: drive is the system disk and the D: drive is the data disk.

The system disk is the default partition for the operating system and related files, such as system drivers, the registry, and default installation directories (like Program Files). It also stores user profiles and folders such as Desktop and Downloads. The data disk is a separate partition typically used to store personal data and applications.

Just as with a physical computer, you can install applications on the D: drive. Applications that run from the D: drive of a regular computer can also run from the D: drive of a cloud computer.

Mouse issues in games and 3D software

Considerations for software and games

• Some software or games have high-performance requirements, such as a dedicated graphics card. Ensure that your cloud computer meets the requirements of your application.

  Note

  To determine whether a specific software or game requires a graphics card, check its official website.

• Due to Citrix policy limitations, you must maintain the connection to a Citrix-based cloud computer while running software or games. If you disconnect, the application stops running.

• You cannot deploy games that are intended to be accessed from the public internet.

Game software not running correctly

If your cloud computer meets a game's system requirements but the game still fails to run, the DirectPlay component may be missing. You can install it by following these steps.

1. In the Windows cloud computer, go to Start > Windows Administrative Tools > Server Manager.

2. On the Dashboard of Server Manager, click Add roles and features.

3. On the Before You Begin, Installation Type, Server Selection, and Server Roles pages, keep the default settings and click Next.

4. On the Features page, select DirectPlay and click Next.

5. On the Confirmation page, click Install.

6. Wait 2 to 5 minutes for the installation to complete and for the Results page to appear.

Remote assistance issues with Chrome

Symptom

• An administrator uses the Chrome browser to initiate remote assistance from the console. After the user accepts the remote assistance request, the administrator cannot sign in to the cloud computer desktop.

• An end user uses the Chrome browser to sign in to the web client but cannot use stream collaboration to connect to other cloud computer desktops.

Cause

The Chrome browser version is outdated, or the Use hardware acceleration when available feature is disabled.

Solution

Upgrade your Chrome browser to the latest version or enable the Use hardware acceleration when available feature, and then try initiating remote assistance again.

1. In the upper-right corner of the Chrome browser, click the More icon (three vertical dots).

2. In the left navigation pane, click System.

3. Turn on the Use hardware acceleration when available switch and click Relaunch.

4. In the Chrome browser, enter Chrome://gpu. If the following information is displayed, you can re-initiate remote assistance in the console.