Login Smartcard option does not appear for a vSphere Client VMRC session

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Unable to log in using smart card authentication on Windows 2022 virtual machine VMRC protocol session in the vSphere Client inventory.

• The smart card reader connected a client computer does not appear in the vSphere Client VMRC protocol session.
• RDP protocol smart card redirection works.

Environment

vSphere 7
vSphere 8

Cause

Windows 2022 detects the smartcard reader and loads the Microsoft UMDF2 driver. The smartcard reader requires the WUDF driver when using the vSphere client VMRC protocol.

RDP protocol smart card redirection method is not the same as the VMRC protocol smart card redirection method and can work with the UMDF2 driver.

Resolution

Open a VMRC protocol session to the virtual machine

1. Login with username and password (see Note 1)
2. Navigate to the Device Manager, Smart Card Readers  
3. Select "Microsoft Usbccid SmartCard Reader (UMDF2)"
4. Right click, select Update driver  
5. Select "Browse my computer for driver"
6. Select "Let me pick from a list"  
7. Select "Microsoft Usbccid Smartcard reader (WUDF), finish installation"
8. Logout (additionally reboot if needed)
9. Login at the VMRC desktop using smartcard

Note 1 if smartcard login is required, disable temporarily to login with username and password to update the smartcard reader to the WUDF driver.