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Create a Custom Windows Workspace

Beginner 15 minutes Auto-generated screenshots

Overview

In this tutorial, you'll create a custom Windows workspace on the RosettaHub Supercloud platform. You'll clone a Windows formation, launch it, connect via Remote Desktop (RDP), install custom software, snapshot the environment into a reusable image, and share it with others.

This tutorial follows the same lifecycle as the Linux Workspace tutorial but uses RDP instead of SSH for remote access. Formations are cloud-agnostic IaC recipes -- the same formation can deploy across AWS, Azure, GCP, or Alibaba Cloud.

Prerequisites

  • [ ] RosettaHub account with active subscription
  • [ ] At least one cloud account connected (see Cloud Keys)
  • [ ] Access to the Windows 2022 public formation
  • [ ] Remote Desktop client installed (built-in on Windows; available for Mac and Linux)

Steps

Step 1: Open the Workspaces and Labs Perspective

From the RosettaHub dashboard, select the Workspaces and Labs perspective. In the Cloud Formations panel, locate the Windows 2022 formation.

Step 2: Clone the Formation

Right-click Windows 2022 and select Clone. Name your new formation my-windows.

Tip

Cloning creates a private copy of the formation under your account. You can customize it freely without affecting the original.

Step 3: Launch Your Workspace

Click on your new my-windows formation. In the launch confirmation dialog, click Yes to deploy.

Your session appears under the Sessions panel. Wait for the status indicator to show a green tick -- this indicates your Windows machine is fully provisioned and ready.

Note

Windows machines typically take a few minutes to provision as the OS completes its initial setup.

Step 4: Download the RDP File

Click on your running session to view connectivity details. Click the Download RDP File button to save the pre-configured Remote Desktop connection file.

Step 5: Open the RDP Connection

Locate the downloaded RDP file and double-click it to open. Your Remote Desktop client will launch. Click Connect to proceed.

Step 6: Enter Administrator Credentials

When prompted, enter the Administrator password provided in the session connectivity details. Click OK to authenticate.

Tip

The Administrator password is displayed in the session connectivity panel. Copy it from there before opening the RDP connection.

Step 7: Accept the Certificate

A certificate warning dialog may appear. Click Yes to accept and proceed with the connection.

You are now connected to your Windows workspace via Remote Desktop with full Administrator rights.

Step 8: Customize Your Environment

Install any software you need. You have full administrative access. For example, download and install Firefox:

  1. Open the built-in browser (Edge or Internet Explorer)
  2. Navigate to the Firefox download page
  3. Download and run the installer
  4. Verify Firefox is installed by launching it

You can install development tools, configure system settings, set up services, or make any other customizations.

Step 9: Create a Machine Image

Once your customizations are complete, snapshot your session to preserve them.

  1. Return to the RosettaHub dashboard
  2. Right-click your running session in the Sessions panel
  3. Select Create Machine Image
  4. Keep Update Originator Formation On Success checked

RosettaHub will:

  • Snapshot the current state of your Windows machine into a new machine image
  • The new image appears under the Images panel (see Images Guide)
  • Automatically update the my-windows formation to use the new image

Note

Future launches of this formation will include all your installed software and configuration changes.

Step 10: Share Your Formation

Share your customized formation with others:

  1. Right-click the my-windows formation
  2. Select Share
  3. Choose to share with a specific user, your organization, or a group

Step 11: Shut Down Your Machine

When you are finished working, shut down the machine to stop compute costs.

  1. Right-click your running session
  2. Select Shutdown

Warning

Running machines incur hourly compute costs. Always shut down machines when you are not actively using them. After shutdown, only image storage costs remain.

Next Steps

Troubleshooting

Session stuck at pending or creating status

This may indicate:

  • Cloud provider quota limits reached
  • Region availability issues
  • Budget allocation exceeded

Check your cloud account status and region settings, or contact your organization administrator.

Cannot connect via RDP

Ensure that:

  • The session shows a green tick (fully provisioned)
  • You downloaded the RDP file from the correct session
  • Your network allows outbound RDP traffic (typically port 3389)
  • You are using the correct Administrator password from the connectivity panel
RDP connection is slow or laggy

Try the following:

  • Reduce the display resolution in your RDP client settings
  • Disable visual effects (wallpaper, font smoothing) in the RDP experience tab
  • Choose a cloud region closer to your physical location
  • Select an instance type with more CPU and memory
Create Machine Image fails

The snapshot process may fail if:

  • The machine is in a transitional state (starting, stopping)
  • Cloud provider limits on the number of images have been reached
  • There is insufficient storage quota

Wait for the machine to reach a stable state and try again.