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SmartCard or CAC Not Found or Not Recognized on Army AVD Web Portal

2 min read

Introduction #

You are successfully registered for the Army AVD Program, but when you try to connect to a website that requires a SmartCard (CAC) in the Army Azure Virtual Desktop application, the SmartCard (CAC) isn’t detected by the application. The laptop detects your card, but not within the AVD environment.

Issue: #

Using the Army AVD web portal, how can I get Azure to recognize my CAC?

Resolution #

Ensure that CAC redirection is properly set up for your Army Azure Virtual Desktop session or that you are using the desktop app. Here are the steps you can follow:

  1. Test with Another Machine:
    • If possible, test connecting to the Azure Virtual Desktop from another machine to rule out any local configuration issues.
  2. Check Your Azure Virtual Desktop Configuration:
    • Ensure that the Azure Virtual Desktop configuration is the desktop application downloaded from the appropriate source:
    • If using the web browser, Army AVD does not allow for smart card redirection. This means you can only use A365 applications.
      • You cannot sign documents via the web browser
      • You cannot login to other Army websites via the web browser
      • You cannot view encrypted emails and files via the web browser.
  3. Update to the Latest Windows Client:
    • Ensure you have the latest version of the Remote Desktop client installed. You can download it from the Microsoft website if needed.
      • Follow the links listed in Step #2 to ensure you are up-to-date
  4. Verify RemoteFX USB Redirection:
    • Sometimes, smart card readers need to be redirected as USB devices. To do this, you may need to enable RemoteFX USB redirection.
    • In the Remote Desktop Connection client, go to Local Resources -> More....
    • Under Other supported RemoteFX USB devices, ensure your smart card reader is selected.

If you’ve gone through these steps and still face issues, it might be helpful to contact your S6 or the Army Enterprise Service Managed Platform (AESMP) (CAC Required) for further assistance, as there could be specific configurations needed for your Army AVD setup.