Microsoft Alerts Azure Virtual Desktop Users About Critical Black Screen Glitch – Is Your System Affected?

In a recent advisory, Microsoft has raised alarms for Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) users, warning that a newly installed Windows 10 July 2024 preview update (KB5040525) could trigger black screen issues lasting up to 30 minutes during login.

Users are facing additional frustrations, including single sign-on (SSO) failures in popular Office applications like Outlook and Teams. This can lead to blocking connections to backend services, data sync failures, and disconnections where Office apps lose network access while apps like Edge remain unaffected—intensifying the disruption for users.

The tech giant provided insight into the technical underpinnings of this issue, describing it as a deadlock between the Azure Active Directory (AAD) broker and both the AppX deployment service (AppxSvc) and the Background Tasks Infrastructure service. They clarified that this problem differs from a previously documented issue associated with the AppX Deployment Service being in an invalid state, which had been resolved in updates released on October 22, 2024 (KB5045594).

This black screen problem is more prevalent among users leveraging FSLogix user profile containers, a common setup in remote desktop environments, particularly within corporate settings. Interestingly, users of Windows 10 Education and those who rely on Windows Home or Pro editions at home may be less likely to experience these issues as Azure Virtual Desktop is predominantly tailored for enterprise use.

For those unfamiliar, Azure Virtual Desktop is a robust cloud-based desktop and application virtualization service, empowering customers to access Windows desktops via various clients including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, or HTML5. Launched as 'Windows Virtual Desktop' in September 2018, it reached general availability worldwide just a year later after a successful public preview phase.

As Microsoft continues to address these complications, AVD users are advised to stay informed about updates and potential resolutions. If you find yourself grappling with these login issues, it may be worth keeping an eye on Microsoft’s Windows release health page for the latest news and fixes. Don't let a black screen bring your workflow to a halt—make sure you're prepared!