After a series of leaks, Microsoft have officially unveiled Windows 11 earlier today. While most of the reporting has been focussed on the UI changes, there was a huge reveal regarding the Microsoft Store that will prove to be very interesting for...
Nevergreen is a Powershell module that returns the latest version and download links for various Windows applications. It can be used as an alternative to Aaron Parker’s (and others) excellent Evergreen module.
A new MSIX book has been released as a free download - MSIX Packaging Fundamentals, a collaboration between Tim Mangan, Bogdan Mitrache and Kevin Kaminski.
App-V is no longer under active development, but still supported. Microsoft have extended the support date for App-V 5.1 to April 2026:
Shell extensions for App-V packages are broken in Windows 10 1903 and 1909. Previous OS versions are OK, even when fully patched.
Check out this handy new PowerShell Module from Andreas Nick:
The App-V Server can fail to apply UserConfig files when using SQL Server 2016 or later. This Microsoft article details a fix you can apply to the database:
Things have been quiet around here lately, but I’ve been busy as ever. I promised myself I’d blog more frequently in 2020 - there’s still a ton of App-V tricks I have to share, and then there’s the elephant in the room, MSIX…
VLC offer a hidden MSI release on their FTP site. Unfortunately they built it under WINE and the resulting package is corrupt and cannot be modified.
How to fix App-V apps that take a long time to launch due to scanning the contents of HKCR\CLSID at startup.
Details of the June 2018 update for Windows 10 which includes performance improvements.
Another MSIX video from BUILD 2018.
MSIX may one day end up replacing both MSI and App-V. If you deal with enterprise application packaging and deployment you will want to watch this!
The May 2018 Rollup for Windows 10 fixes App-V scripting which was broken by April’s update.
The latest sequencer appears to miss non-exe shortcuts and multiple shortcuts pointing to the same exe.
Prior to the latest App-V hotfixes, trying to write a value containing C:\ to a HKCU key within a connection group would corrupt the virtual registry.
Details of the March 2018 Servicing Release for MDOP.
How to work around a sequencer bug that does not capture file associations properly in order to sequence WinZip 22.
What is the PVAD, and why do some App-V apps only work when installed there?
How to enable Office 365 apps to run in the App-V virtual environment via the AllowJitvInAppvVirtualizedProcess registry key.
An MST for the MSI packages generated by the Sequencer that adds various enhancements.
The first launch of IE11 for a user will fail if it’s run insidethe virtual environment. Here’s how to solve that.
Office 365 applications will not run inside the App-V virtual environment by default.
If your app creates an environment variable and uses it as part of the shortcut path or parameters, here is the fix to get that working.
What are .NET native images, and how they impact performance and can sometimes break your virtualised apps.
How to add Windows Firewall rules to App-V packages via App-V scripts.
How to sequence LibreOffice 4.1.6 in App-V 5.
The MDOP 2015 release which includes App-V 5.1 is now available.
There are a few use cases where you might want to create a connection group that involves calling an executable from one package from a shortcut belonging to another package.
Two simple Powershell scripts for importing and removing all App-V packages in a specific folder.
How to automate image builds using the power of Boxstarter and Chocolatey.
A fix for App-V apps that are unable to connect to a SQL server by adding the Services\WinSock2 key to PassThroughPaths.
Fixing a virtualised Access 2007 that was unable to export to Excel, and an in-house app that was unable to connect to a SQL server.
How to disable file associations and app paths from your virtualised app so that it does not conflict with a locally installed one.
Solve mouse freezes in App-V by updating the .NET Framework from v4.5.2 and applying a registry setting.
I am honoured to have received the Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for App-V from Microsoft
If you download the latest IE preview from the Internet Explorer Developer Channel, you will find it is packaged with App-V and bundles in a version of the App-V client!
If your shortcut name ends in a space it creates a config XML file that SCCM cannot handle.
How to use the __COMPAT_LAYER environment variable to stop apps requesting admin rights in App-V 5.
How to fix a sequencer crashed caused by badly handled file extension / ProgID registrations.
Eclipse-based apps have issues with virtualised user profile folders…
This update was actually released a few weeks ago but it’s not widely known about so I am spreading the word!
Details of the first App-V User Group conference to be held in the UK!
The VFS write checkbox finally makes an appearance!
If an application uses the Flexnet Licensing Service, it can be at first appear to work in App-V, however you can run into problems.
This bug is now fixed in Windows 10.
A guide to terminating child processes in App-V 5, along with a few bugs to avoid.
An MST to modify the MSI packages generated by the App-V sequencer so that they make use of the DeploymentConfig.xml files.
If your VFS is empty, then you won’t be able to see the PVAD folder within the bubble…
Part 2 of the Java sequencing guide - Restricting access to insecure Java versions.
Part 2 of the Java sequencing guide - Problems with App-V 5.0 SP2.
Part 1 of the Java sequencing guide - Introduction and recipe.
Group Policy registry settings captured in App-V packages do not alway work in App-V.
App-V does not handle files or registry entries redirected to the VirtualStore via UAC virtualisation.
In App-V 5, scripts run as the user inherit the environment variables from the Local System account.
How to grant your App-V 5 app to have full write permissions within the VFS.
Apps that write to the old XP-style user profile locations are not redirected properly in App-V.
Not all shortcuts in App-V 5 launch inside the bubble. In particular, any shortcuts to .bat or .cmd files need to be modified to point to cmd.exe.
The MSI packages create by the 5.0 SP1 sequencer refuse to install on the client, so here is an MST to fix it.
An App-V 4.6 bug where having a user-specific path under HKLM breaks the virtual registry.
How to handle apps that register custom event types in App-V 4.6.
I discovered a few things yesterday when trying to troubleshoot a 64-bit application in App-V - here are some notes!
Four App-V MVPs, Nicke Källén, Kalle Saunamäki, Ment van der Plas and Falko Gräfe have come together to write a book about App-V 5, and they are releasing each chapter at a time as they are written for free for a limited time.
For those interested in App-V, and in particular the new v5 release, there is a free European App-V User Group meeting taking place at Microsoft HQ in Amsterdam on the 8th Feb.
A fix for App-V applications that may have stopped working after recent updates to the .NET Framework.
A few bugs in how the App-V 4.6 client handles environment variables.
Discussion and benchmarks on Hyper-V vs VMware Workstation for packagers.
Using the __COMPAT_LAYER environment variable to prevent regedit asking for admin rights.
Modifying shortcuts to .mmc files to make them compatible with App-V 4.x.
Using the findstr command to look for hard-coded paths in config files within your package.
A demonstration of how files and folders may appear hidden in the VFS yet still accessible.
How to prevent your VMs from falling off the domain every 30 days due to computer password changes.
Where to obtain the latest hotfixes for App-V.
Building an App-V lab with VMware Workstation. Part 3 - installing the App-V client, sequencer and management server.
Building an App-V lab with VMware Workstation. Part 2 - configuring the network.
Building an App-V lab with VMware Workstation. Part 1 - creating the base images.
A report back from the European App-V User Group Conference 2011 held in Amsterdam.
Hi, and welcome to my new blog!