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App-V 5 local publishing of an App-V client package

Here is a quick tip for App-V 5 local publishing of an App-V client package

After packaging an application recently, we wanted to test it locally first before adding to the App-V shared content store, or distributing it via the App-V infrastructure mode servers etc.

You may however come across some errors when trying to add and publish the appv package similar to the below.


add-appvclientpackage : Application Virtualization Service failed to complete requested operation.
Operation attempted: Retrieve Package and Version IDs From Package URL.
AppV Error Code: 0C80070002.
Error module: Streaming Manager. Internal error detail: 74F00F0C80070002.
Please consult AppV Client Event Log for more details.
At line:1 char:1
+ add-appvclientpackage “C:\admin\G&G IP v4.3.2015.49 OSL\G&G IP v4.3.2015.49 OSL. …
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidResult: (:) [Add-AppvClientPackage], ClientException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : RetrieveGuidsFromPackageURL,Microsoft.AppV.AppvClientPowerShell.AddAppvPackage

Some things to keep in mind when publishing from a local source.

  • Run the powershell console as an administrator
  • Ensure your content is pointing to a UNC share path not a direct path (even though direct is apparently supported?)
  • Ensure the Network Service account has permission to access this local folder or path

So, instead of: add-appvclientpackage “C:\folder\ApplicationName\ApplicationName.appv”

Share it and try: add-appvclientpackage “\\server\folder\\ApplicationName\ApplicationName.appv“

 

Full command to add a package locally, publish it and mount it:

Add-AppvClientPackage -Path ” \\server\folder\\ApplicationName\ApplicationName.appv ” | Publish-AppvClientPackage -Global | Mount-AppvClientPackage

 

App-V 5.0 apps not working when published as seamless applications

Scenario:

Our AppV Applications on Citrix are published globally to the citrix servers computer accounts so the apps are available before the users login. These applications all launch and integrate with AppV either directly calling the AppV exe or by using the /appvve or switch on a hosted Citrix desktop. When the same AppV application is launched seamlessly the app opens but without AppV integration.

Solution:

*UPDATED* – The /Appvve: switch will work if published via Citrix, but only if the Application/s (in APPV) are published to the end user account (not just the computer accounts)

The /appvve switch doesnt work with Citrix published applications. Use the APP-v console to make the applications available for the end user/s or user groups and then script the launch of the app with powershell.

Launch_APP_JAMES.ps1

—— begin script——–

$appvname = get-appvclientpackage “James”
start-appvvirtualprocess -appvclientobject $appvname excel.exe

—— end script——–

I then publish this PS1 script from Citrix in the published app command line:

“C:WindowsSystem32WindowsPowerShellv1.0powershell.exe” -windowstyle hidden “\lonfs001xenapp$AppsSAPLaunch_APPV_JAMES.ps1”

Resources:

There is a myriad of other ways you can integrate or launch apps inside the APPV bubble see below link for more details. We were unable to use the ‘file type associations’ as we want normal excel to load without the APPV integration and add-ins and for select users have this APPV integration be available.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2848278

Does App-V 5.0 support Junction points?

YES!

We had an application that was old and a number of its ‘working files’ referenced c:\program files\PROGRAM, but the new version of the app was c:\program files (x86)\PROGRAM

This was embedded in many of the older files that referred to this path directly

During the APP-V sequencing a junction point was created with

mklink /d  “C:\Program Files\PROGRAM”  “C:\Program Files (x86)\PROGRAM”

And when the package launches this directory is ‘linked’ for the users seamlessly, without affecting the underlying server or needing to create the junction point on the server outside of the package.

App-V DB Install Error

Scenario: When installing the APP-V server side components and pointing to the SQL database sometimes we would get the following message.

Our user account had full rights to the SQL instance and was a local admin of the APP-V box.

Error: The installation program could not connect to the configuration data store. Please see the installation log file for more information.

appv_db_setup

Solution: right click and run the setup as admin

App-V Error – Application took too long to be ready to interact with the user

Exact Error: The application took too long to be ready to interact with the user, possibly because the system was too busy. Try again in a few minutes. If the problem persists Report the following error code to your System Administrator

Error code: 4604EE8-0B01FE04-0000041E

rtmerror

Solution: seems to be realted to a number of JAVA applications, in this instance it was the Cisco Systems Real Time Monitoring toool

Simply change the OSD file to point to console instead of windows

Change:
<VM VALUE=”Win32″>
<SUBSYSTEM VALUE=”windows“/>
</VM>

To:
<VM VALUE=”Win32″>
<SUBSYSTEM VALUE=”console“/>
</VM>

java_fix_appv

App-V Application refresh failure with same name

Situation: we had recently repackaged a new verson of an applicaiton and though the ucn path had changed, the APP-V name was identical.

Error: The Application Virtualization Client cannot use the OSD file specified because the GUID attribute for the CODEBASE element changed (rc 0C403B04-00001004).

Solution: under sftcmc.msc the properties of the app showed the OSD file pointing to the previous version of the published apps directory

On the server I opened the cmd prompt as ‘run as administrator’ and did the following

list all apps: sftmime query obj:app /short

Remove the application: sftmime.exe remove app:”applicationName” /complete

References:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931188

App-V Registry Keys to force offline operation

Setting the following keys will allow app-v packages to be installed from the packages MSI (if the option is ticked for said package when sequencing) this should then allow for the packages to be run in offline / disconnect mode indefinitely.

MSI Install Example:

msiexec.exe /i “app-v msi package” sftpath=”path to matching package sft file”

Registry keys (taken from vbscript attached below)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,”SOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftSoftGrid4.5ClientNetwork”,”LimitDisconnectedOperation”,0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,”SOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftSoftGrid4.5ClientNetwork”,”Online”,0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,”SOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftSoftGrid4.5ClientConfiguration”,”AutoLoadTriggers”,0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,”SOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftSoftGrid4.5ClientConfiguration”,”AutoLoadTarget”,0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,”SOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftSoftGrid4.5ClientConfiguration”,”RequireAuthorizationIfCached”,0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,”SOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftSoftGrid4.5ClientConfiguration”,”AllowIndependentFileStreaming”,0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,”SOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftSoftGrid4.5ClientPermissions”,”ToggleOfflineMode”,0

App-V Change Tray Visibility (taken from vbscript attached below)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, “SOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftSoftGrid4.5ClientCustomSettings”
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,”SOFTWAREWow6432NodeMicrosoftSoftGrid4.5ClientCustomSettings”,”TrayVisibility”,2
objReg.GetStringValue

Citrix Keys to prevent citrix thin wire session detection from ‘logging off’ the published App-V application (taken from vbscript attached below)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,”SYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlCitrixwfshellTWI”,”LogoffCheckSysModules”, strValue
objReg.SetStringValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,”SYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlCitrixwfshellTWI”,”LogoffCheckSysModules”, strValue & “,sftdcc.exe”

VBScript File (rename from .doc to .vbs)

appv_disconnected

App-V Office Excel 2003 & Excel 2010 File Associations and Opening Multiple Instances from double click

Situation:

Office 2010 installed on Windows 2008 R2 with XenApp 6.5.

App-V with Excel 2003 packaged with old Excel 2003 add-in

When the App-V Excel 2003 Application was open – All excel files opened there after or double clicked – would be converted and loaded into the App-V Excel 2003.

When attachments from outlook 2010 were doubleclicked while the APP-V excel 2003 was opened – the attachments failed to open entirely.

Tests:

Various things were tried

1) deleting the file associations in the App-V package (this was first and foremost as excel 2003 was taking over all associations)

2) trying to force the server to always open multiple instances of excel 2010 with each doubleclick of a file (by editing the HKCR)

For HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTExcel.Sheet.12 and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTExcel.Sheet.8

http://www.coretekservices.com/2011/12/01/how-to-force-windows-7-to-open-excel-spreadsheets-in-separate-windows/

This worked on the desktop but changed the core operating behaviour of excel 2010 for EVERYONE – this was not an acceptable solution.

Final Solution: Get the App-V excel 2003 to ignore the double clicking of files by turning off DDE

Tools > Options > General > “Ignore other Applications”

App-V Sequencing Application doesnt exit

During sequencing and app-v application after sequencing and then runing the first stream for optimisation – the package can launch but not quit out.

The following fixes have worked for me on various occasions

1.

<IMPLEMENTATION>
<CODEBASE HREF=”RTSP://%streamingserver%/PACKAGEPATH/PACKAGENAME.sft” GUID=”BLAH-BLAH” PARAMETERS=”” FILENAME=”PACKAGEPATHEXECUTABLE.exe” SYSGUARDFILE=”PACKAGEPATHosguard.cp” SIZE=”163917615″/>
  <VIRTUALENV TERMINATECHILDREN=”TRUE”>
<POLICIES>
<LOCAL_INTERACTION_ALLOWED>FALSE</LOCAL_INTERACTION_ALLOWED>
</VM>
</IMPLEMENTATION>

2.

The application had a printer driver it was installing during sequencing and after shutting down the application AND splwow64.exe (or simply stopping the printer spooler service) the Application exited gracefully and immediately.

Fixes here later requried installing the driver into the package, but capturing a default printer (like a PDF printer) that was installed on all servers.

3.

When i figure out another ill post it here… do feel free to fill me in with any others? 🙂

 

James