Users attempting to reconnect to their previously disconnected ICA sessions while accessing Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) via Citrix Workspace App (CWA) are unable to do so. The reconnection process fails, potentially leaving users with a frozen or unresponsive application or desktop session.

To ensure successful reconnection to disconnected ICA sessions on client machines accessing Citrix Workspace App, the following registry keys need to be created and configured on the Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA):

1. Enforce User Policy Evaluation Success

• Registry Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Ica\GroupPolicy

• Name: EnforceUserPolicyEvaluationSuccess

• Type: REG_DWORD

• Value: 0

Instructions ¹ to create this registry key:  

1. Open the Registry Editor on the VDA machine (search for regedit in the Windows search bar and run as administrator).
2. Navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Ica\GroupPolicy.
3. Right-click in the right-hand pane, select New, and then click DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name the new DWORD value EnforceUserPolicyEvaluationSuccess.
5. Double-click the newly created value and set its Value data to 0 (zero).
6. Click OK.

2. Disable Fast Reconnect

• Registry Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Reconnect
• Name: FastReconnect
• Type: REG_DWORD
• Value: 0

Instructions to create this registry key:

1. Open the Registry Editor on the VDA machine (search for regedit in the Windows search bar and run as administrator).
2. Navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Reconnect.
3. Right-click in the right-hand pane, select New, and then click DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name the new DWORD value FastReconnect.
5. Double-click the newly created value and set its Value data to 0 (zero).
6. Click OK.

Important Notes:

• These registry changes require a restart of the Virtual Delivery Agent (machine reboot is recommended for the changes to take full effect).
• Exercise caution when modifying the Windows Registry. It is advisable to create a system restore point before making any changes.

Problem Cause

The inability to reconnect to disconnected ICA sessions can sometimes be attributed to the interaction between Group Policy evaluation and the Fast Reconnect feature in Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.

• Setting the EnforceUserPolicyEvaluationSuccess value to 0 ensures that the ICA session proceeds even if the user policy evaluation does not complete successfully within a specific timeframe. This can prevent potential hangs or failures during the reconnection process.

• Disabling FastReconnect by setting the FastReconnect value to 0 forces a more complete session re-establishment. While Fast Reconnect aims to speed up the reconnection process by preserving certain session states, in some environments, it can interfere with a successful reconnection, particularly when there are underlying issues with policy application or session state persistence. Forcing a full reconnect can bypass these potential conflicts and ensure a more reliable reconnection experience.