Symptom 1:  In a Windows Server VDA session the keyboard layout might not sync with the client keyboard layout when launching session with the "Sync only once - when the session launches" in the Citrix Workspace App Windows/Linux/Mac keyboard setting.

Symptom 2:  In a Windows 10/11, Windows Server 2016/2019 VDA session, East-Asian language keyboard layout or input method editor (IME) might not be added to keyboard list on Windows login UI, when launching session with "Sync only once - when the session launches" in CWA Windows/Linux/Mac keyboard setting.

Symptom 3: In a Windows Server VDA session, Citrix Generic client IME might not work on Windows login UI, when launching session with "Allow dynamic sync" in CWA Windows/Linux/Mac keyboard setting.

Symptom 4:  In a Window Server VDA session, "Sync only once - when the session launches" of CWA Windows is not working for Simplified Chinese IME.

Symptom 5:  In a Windows VDA session, synced client keyboard might not be getting selected by default on Windows login UI.

Symptom 6:  In a Windows VDA session, on selecting and cancelling the ctrl+Alt+del option, the keyboard layout is set to VDA default layout.

Disclaimer:  Screenshots reflect Citrix test environment data, not customer information.

The workaround is to manually set the keyboard layout, follow the steps outlined below based on the symptom indicated above:

• For a desktop session, manually set the keyboard layout through keyboard menu of the task bar in the VDA session.
• For an application session, manually set the keyboard layout through the language bar.  Refer to https://docs.citrix.com/en-us/citrix-workspace-app-for-windows/configure.html#language-bar

• There is not a workaround.  However, tryo to copy/paste for username, and generally, password will not include East-Asian language characters (i.e. Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters).

• There is not a workaround.  Manually set keyboard layout or IME from the keyboard layout list of the Windows UI to use Microsoft IME instead (it will need to be installed in the VDA).

• For a desktop session, manually set the keyboard layout through keyboard menu of the task bar in the VDA session.
• For an application session, manually set the keyboard layout through the language bar.  Refer to https://docs.citrix.com/en-us/citrix-workspace-app-for-windows/configure.html#language-bar.

• Manually set the keyboard layout or IME from the keyboard layout list of the Windows UI (respective keyboard layouts or IMEs will need to be installed in the VDA).

• Manually reset the keyboard layout or IME.
• For a desktop session, manually set the keyboard layout through the keyboard menu of the task bar in the VDA session.
• For an application session, manually set the keyboard layout through the language bar.  Refer to https://docs.citrix.com/en-us/citrix-workspace-app-for-windows/configure.html#language-bar.

Problem Cause

These issues are caused by Microsoft API limitations to setting keyboard layout.

Reference articles related to Microsoft issues:

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX390271/cannot-input-chinese-in-microsoft-pinyin-ime-in-windows-server-2022
• https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX335627/remote-language-bar-disappears-when-switching-input-language-to-microsoft-ime
• https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX341644/keyboard-layout-dynamic-sync-not-working-with-east-asian-cyrillic-language-usernames
• https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX462383/cannot-activate-microsoft-pinyin-ime-in-windows-server-201620192022
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/deployment/chinese-ime-dictionaries-not-ready