Welcome to the one-hundred-ninety-fourth (194th) edition of the Windows 365 Community newsletter! This week, we bring you the latest Windows 365 news, free events, and expert tips & tricks from the world of Cloud PC.
Windows 365 and the External Identity preview – using a guest account to access Cloud PCs
In this blog post, Paul Winstanley and Niall Brady explore the new External Identity preview feature for Windows 365, which allows guest users—such as contractors or partners—to securely access Cloud PCs without needing native accounts in the host tenant. Paul and Niall walk through the setup process, including licensing, provisioning policies, and registry tweaks required for authentication via the Windows App or browser. They highlight key requirements like Entra-only join, Windows 11 Enterprise with the latest updates, and single sign-on configuration. They also share troubleshooting insights, such as resolving usage location errors during license assignment. The article concludes with a successful guest login demonstration, showcasing how this long-awaited feature streamlines external collaboration while maintaining enterprise-grade security.
Visit: Windows 365 and the External Identity preview – using a guest account to access Cloud PCs
How to setup Windows 365 Cloud PCs for guest users
Steve Weiner presents a step-by-step video guide on configuring Windows 365 Cloud PCs for guest users using the new External Identity preview feature. He walks through the setup process in Microsoft Entra ID, license assignment, and provisioning policies, demonstrating how external collaborators can securely access Cloud PCs via the Windows App. The video highlights key requirements, such as Entra join, Windows 11 Enterprise, and single sign-on, while also addressing common troubleshooting scenarios. Steve’s walkthrough offers a clear and practical approach to enabling secure, streamlined access for users outside the host tenant.
Assigning a Windows 365 Cloud PC to external identities
In this blog post, Dominiek Verham explores the newly released External Identity feature for Windows 365, now in public preview. This capability enables organizations to securely assign Cloud PCs to external guest users without creating identities in their own tenant, which is a major win for contractor scenarios. Through a hands-on walkthrough, Dominiek demonstrates how to provision a Cloud PC for a guest user, configure the necessary settings, and navigate the sign-in experience via both the Windows app and browser. His post also highlights common pitfalls and offers practical tips to ensure a smooth deployment and management experience
Visit: Assigning a Windows 365 Cloud PC to external identities
Using remediation scripts in Intune to grab Windows 365 health check logs
In this blog post, Paul Winstanley and Niall Brady showcase a clever Intune remediation solution for Windows 365. The approach automates the collection of health check logs from devices running the Windows app, helping admins remotely diagnose issues without user intervention. By leveraging custom scripts and Intune’s diagnostics capabilities, the solution streamlines troubleshooting and enhances visibility into Cloud PC health. While not officially supported by Microsoft, it’s a practical tool for proactive monitoring in enterprise environments.
Visit: Using remediation scripts in Intune to grab Windows 365 health check logs
Multimedia Redirection and WebRTC Redirector plug-in updates for Windows 365 & Azure Virtual Desktop
Donna Ryan from Microsoft shares important updates on maintaining optimal performance for Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop environments. In her latest post, she addresses the challenges of manually updating the Multimedia Redirection and WebRTC Redirector plug-ins—critical components for media playback and Teams optimization. To streamline this process, Donna introduces automation scripts hosted on GitHub that allow IT admins to silently update these plug-ins across Cloud PCs and session hosts, minimizing user disruption and ensuring consistency. This proactive approach helps organizations stay secure and efficient without the hassle of manual maintenance
Visit: Multimedia Redirection and WebRTC Redirector plug-in updates for Windows 365 & Azure Virtual Desktop
