Citrix, VDI and Remote Desktop: Where the Evidence Actually Resides Session Hosts, Golden Images, Profile Stores and the Endpoint That Holds Almost Nothing
Guide · 17 pages · 23 min read · Published 2026-08-30
Citrix, VDI and Remote Desktop: Where the Evidence Actually Resides Session Hosts, Golden Images, Profile Stores and the Endpoint That Holds Almost Nothing
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17 pages · 23 min read
Citrix, VDI and Remote Desktop: Where the Evidence Actually Resides Session Hosts, Golden Images, Profile Stores and the Endpoint That Holds Almost Nothing
VDI & REMOTEDESKTOPEVIDENCE · AGUIDEFORUKLAWYERS Citrix, VDI and Remote Desktop: Where the Evidence Actually Resides Session Hosts, Golden Images, Profile Stores and the Endpoint That Holds Almost Nothing COMPUTERFORENSICSLAB § ABOUTTHEAUTHOR PRE PA REDBYCOMPUTERFORENSICSLABE - DISCOVERYTEAM VDI & SESSION-HOST COLLECTION CPR PART 35 EXPERT REPORTS FULL CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY DOCUMENTATION § CONTENTS In this guide 01 Executive summary 02 The problem in plain English: imaging the window 03 The architectures in plain English: RDS, Citrix, VDI 04 Persistent versus non-persistent: the question that decides everything 05 Where the user's world actually lives: profiles and redirection 06 The connection record: brokers, gateways and session logs 07 What the endpoint does keep 08 Source architecture: where else the evidence lives 09 Worked examples 10 Common mistakes and technical limitations 11 Questions to ask · Suggested wording 12 Checklist and red flags · When to involve a digital forensic expert 13 Frequently asked questions 14 Glossary · References · Disclaimer · How a specialist laboratory can assist § 0 1 · ORIENTATION Executive summary THEHEADLINEPOINT : FOLLOWTHESESSION , NOTTHESCREEN § 0 2 · FIRSTPRINCIPLES The problem in plain English: imaging the window § 0 3 · THEESTATES The architectures in plain English: RDS, Citrix, VDI § 0 4 · THEDECIDINGQUESTION Persistent versus non-persistent: the question that decides everything § 0 5 · THEUSER ' SREALHARDDRIVE Where the user's world actually lives: profiles and redirection § 0 6 · THELOGBOOK The connection record: brokers, gateways and session logs § 0 7 · THETHINTRACE What the endpoint does keep § 0 8 · THEWIDERMAP Source architecture: where else the evidence lives EVIDENCE GATEWAY ENDPOINT DESKTOP / PROFILE IDENTIT Y DELETED / HOST STORE PROVIDER RECOVERABLE BROKER / LOGS § 0 9 · INTHEWILD Worked examples EXAMPLE1 · THEEMPTYLAPTOPANDTHEFULLPROFILECONTAINER EXAMPLE2 · THE02 : 00SESSIONSANDTHEBORROWEDCREDENTIALS EXAMPLE3 · THENIGHTLYREVERTANDTHEEIGHT - HOURWINDOW § 1 0 · WHEREITGOESWRONG Common mistakes and technical limitations Common mistakes Technical limitations § 1 1 · INTERROGATORIES & DRAFTINGAIDS Questions to ask · Suggested wording Ask your client Ask your opponent Ask your eDiscovery / forensic provider § 1 2 · QUICKCONTROL Checklist and red flags · When to involve a digital forensic expert The VDI / remote desktop checklist Red flags When to involve a digital forensic expert § 1 3 · COMMONQUESTIONS Frequently asked questions The employee only ever used a company laptop. Why isn't imaging it enough? The desktop rebuilds itself every night. Has the evidence been destroyed? Can these environments show us exactly what the user saw on screen? How do we prove which person was behind a session, rather than which account? Work happened through published apps, not a desktop. What changes? Our opponent runs Citrix and says session data "is not retained". How do we test that? § 1 4 · REFERENCE Glossary VDI Sources and authoritative references DISCLAIMER § HOWASPECIALISTLABORATORYCANASSIST Working with Computer Forensics Lab Speak to a forensic examiner, not a salesperson. INSTRUCTTHELAB NEWENQUIRIESEMAILE - DISCOVERY
Whether you are responding to a regulator, preparing for disclosure, or scoping an internal investigation, start the chain of custody with a short, confidential conversation.
