Issue #
You come across the following error when launching a hosted desktop utilizing FsLogix as its profile management component.
FsLogix there is a problem with your profile status code 0x0000000F. Reason 0x00000000, Error code: 0x00000000.
The fslogix user profile log shows the following:
[ERROR:00000005] VirtualDiskAPI::CreateFormattedDisk initialize vhd(x) failed (Access is denied.)
[14:13:49.995][tid:000013e0.0000039c][INFO] Could not detach the VHD as the user ERROR: 1314. This is sometimes expected, trying again as SYSTEM
[14:13:50.035][tid:000013e0.0000039c][INFO] Detached vhd(x)
[14:13:50.035][tid:000013e0.0000039c][INFO] Detach request returning after 46 milliseconds
[14:13:50.035][tid:000013e0.0000039c][INFO] Successfully detached vhd(x)
[14:13:50.037][tid:000013e0.0000039c][INFO] ===== End Session: Create Formatted Disk
[14:13:50.037][tid:000013e0.0000039c][INFO] Status set to 15: Cannot initialize virtual disk
The above error can occur in any Citrix or Microsoft RDS hosted environment where FsLogix has been deployed.
Resolution and root cause #
As always, you need to first check the FsLogix logs (user profile). Each status or error code may be linked to various root causes. One common such cause for status code 0x0000000F is that the FsLogix service process is denied access to the target FsLogix profile container folder. Besides checking NTFS permissions, a critical component is related to the antimalware systems running on the target file server where the actual FsLogix profile containers are created and stored as well as related to the antimalware configuration of the target Citrix VDA or Microsoft RDS session host servers.
Firstly, ensure that all proper antivirus exclusions are configured for FsLogix, so that vhd and vhdx files as well as FsLogix service executables are excluded from Microsoft Windows Defender or other antivirus system scanning. Any time you see load time issues or locks on files, go straight to Antivirus being the most likely cause.
Anti-Virus Exclusions #
Citrix VDA or Microsoft RDS session host processes and paths
- C:\Program Files\FSLogix\Apps\frxdrv.sys and frxsvc.exe
- C:\Windows\TEMP\Exclude .VHD and .VHDX
FsLogix File Server
- VHD(X) profile container directory, including subdirectories
Note that in some cases simply excluding *.vhdx files from the antivirus platform may not work. You will need to create the exclusions below, as per the antivirus software documentation.
- \\SERVER\*.vhdx (File Server)
- \\EXAMPLE.COM\*.VHDX (DFS namespace)
- K:\*.vhdx (Local drive on the file server)
- C:\Windows\TEMP\*.vhdx
- C:\Program Files\FSLogix\*
Secondly, one common policy which can cause this error is the Microsoft Windows Defender Controlled Folder Access policy, which could be applied to the file server or Citrix VDA / MS RDS server in question and therefore block disk sector access of the FsLogix service process.
You can find more detailed guidance and step-by-step procedures for analyzing and troubleshooting Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops organized by category in my Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Troubleshooting e-book.
