Citrix Remote Desktop Not Launching? Possible Reasons Why

Is your Citrix remote desktop not launching? Something as seemingly uncomplicated as a Citrix remote desktop not launching can be due to a number of causes. Here are five of the most common, and a look at Parallels RAS as an alternative.

1. Unspecified Secure Ticket Authority (STA)

When your Citrix remote desktop is not launching, one of the first things you’ll want to check is whether your NetScaler Gateway has, in fact, an STA specified in NetScaler Gateway > Virtual Servers > Published Applications. Add a valid STA URL if there is none.

2. Mismatching STA Servers in NetScaler Gateway Virtual Server and Storefront

While you’re inspecting STA URLs, you might as well check whether the STA server paths specified in NetScaler Gateway match what is specified in StoreFront. This mismatch issue can be avoided right from the start by making sure the STA servers you enter in the NetScaler Gateway wizard are also entered into StoreFront (or Web Interface, if that’s what you’re using).

3. Missing Certificate on NetScaler

When a user attempts to launch a desktop from Citrix Receiver, one of the several steps involved is a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) handshake between Receiver and NetScaler Gateway. This would require the presence of an SSL certificate on NetScaler. Because of this, you need to make sure the right digital certificate is installed there.

4. Unopened Ports as a Cause of Citrix Remote Desktop no Launching

The Citrix infrastructure involves several ports, so you need to be sure they are opened in your firewall(s). Two ports you can check when a Citrix remote desktop is not launching are port 1494 (when Session reliability is OFF) or port 2598 (when Session reliability is ON). NetScaler Gateway will need either one of these ports to be open for it to communicate with XenApp/XenDesktop servers.

5. Receiver with Non-Elevated Permissions

When you log in as a normal user to Citrix Receiver without elevated permissions, you may see the list of apps and desktops; however, you cannot launch them. And when you relaunch Citrix Receiver with administrative permissions, and then login as a regular user, Citrix Receiver launches just fine.

To resolve this issue, ensure your account has full administrative permissions on the client machine (HKEY_USERS\USER_SID\SOFTWARE\Citrix). If your domain account lacks elevated permissions, back up your Registry and delete the Citrix Registry key. Next, exit the Citrix Receiver and relaunch it.

Note: You should be cautious when deleting the Registry key since the Registry Editor has its risks. Citrix can’t guarantee that issues arising from unstable OS will be solved. As such, ensure that you’ve backed up your Registry before editing it.

Avoid Citrix Remote Desktop by Switching to an Alternative – Parallels RAS

We suggest you try Parallels® Remote Application Server (RAS), a virtual application and desktop delivery solution with a simplified architecture that makes it easy to pinpoint the root cause of any issue. That, plus the fact that Parallels RAS provides precise information about any logon issue/error can save IT and users much-needed time.

Download your FREE 30-day Parallels RAS trial now and say goodbye to all your desktop launch issues!

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