Walking through the App-V 5.0 Beta Server Setup (Part 1)

May 8, 2012 by Anurag Juneja [MSFT] · Comments Off
Filed under: App-V, App-V 5.0, Microsoft Application Virtualization

The App-V 5.0 Beta Server is made up 3 components – Management Server, Publishing Server and the Management Database. The components are dependent but have varying requirements and actions to have them successfully deployed. The goal of this series of blog posts is to walk you through the process of deploying the App-V 5.0 Beta server in your environment.

This first post will discuss the things that you will need to do to be able to prepare your environment to do the deployments. The following posts will discuss the actual installation process and will review the process of deploying the server in a script.

Getting ready to deploy

There are 3 things you need to consider before deploying the App-V Server.

· Unsupported Scenarios: These are the scenarios where the deployments are not supported and could result in failures.

· Prerequisites: These are the pre-requisites that need to be present to ensure that the installation is able to successfully complete and the service is functional. These can vary from component to component.

· Deployment Preparations: These are items that you will need to get ready before launching the installation.

Unsupported Scenarios

The following deployment scenarios are currently not supported:

· Deployment on Windows Server Core

· Deployment on a machine which has previous versions of the App-V Server components deployed (e.g. App-V 4.5 Server)

· Deployment of the App-V Management Database to SQL Server Express edition

· Remotely deploying the Management Server Database. The installer must be run directly on the SQL server for the database install to succeed.

· Deployment on a machine configured as a domain controller.

Pre-requisites

The system pre-requisites - which are required for all the components – are as follows:

· Windows Server 2008 R2 or later

· Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Extended Version (Download http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=17718 )

o Note: If .Net 4.0 is not present on the machine, server setup currently will fail silently so if you run appv_server_setup.exe and nothing happens, check if .Net 4.0 is installed on the machine. For more details on how to check your machine for a .Net installation, refer to http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/kbarticle.aspx?id=318785

· The account used to launch appv_server_setup.exe must have Administrative privileges on the targeted machine and must be able to query AD. If the Management Server Database component is selected, Database Admin (DBA) privileges are also needed.

In addition to the system pre-requisites, each component has certain prerequisites that need to be met before the installation will successfully complete.

Management Server / Publishing Server

· Windows Web Server with IIS Role added and configured with only the following features enabled:

o Common HTTP Features

§ Static Content

§ Default Document

o Application Development

§ ASP.Net

§ .Net Extensibility

§ ISAPI Extensions

§ ISAPI Filters

o Security

§ Windows Authentication

§ Request Filtering

· The following Windows Web Server features must be disabled:

o Common HTTP Features

§ WebDAV Publishing

o Security

§ Basic Authentication

· Disable “Anonymous Authentication” in the IIS Console.

· Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 (This must be installed/configured via the ‘Add Features Wizard’ in Server Manager)

o This is required in addition to the .Net 4.0 requirement called out above so as to support the App-V PowerShell module.

· Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Runtime Redistributable (Download http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=15336)

o Note: This only applies to the App-V 5.0 Beta Management Server and is not required for the Publishing Server.

· Run the following command in an elevated command prompt. This has to be done in addition to the prerequisites detailed above

o Windows Server 2008 R2

dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:IIS-ApplicationDevelopment /FeatureName:IIS-ASPNET /FeatureName:IIS-CommonHttpFeatures ^

/FeatureName:IIS-DefaultDocument /FeatureName:IIS-DirectoryBrowsing /FeatureName:IIS-HealthAndDiagnostics /FeatureName:IIS-HttpCompressionStatic ^

/FeatureName:IIS-HttpErrors /FeatureName:IIS-HttpLogging /FeatureName:IIS-HttpTracing /FeatureName:IIS-ISAPIExtensions /FeatureName:IIS-ISAPIFilter ^

/FeatureName:IIS-LoggingLibraries /FeatureName:IIS-ManagementConsole /FeatureName:IIS-ManagementService /FeatureName:IIS-NetFxExtensibility ^

/FeatureName:IIS-Performance /FeatureName:IIS-RequestFiltering /FeatureName:IIS-RequestMonitor /FeatureName:IIS-Security /FeatureName:IIS-StaticContent ^

/FeatureName:IIS-WebServer /FeatureName:IIS-WebServerManagementTools /FeatureName:IIS-WebServerRole /FeatureName:IIS-WindowsAuthentication ^

/FeatureName:WAS-ConfigurationAPI /FeatureName:WAS-NetFxEnvironment /FeatureName:WAS-ProcessModel /FeatureName:WAS-WindowsActivationService

o Windows Server 2012

dism /Online /Enable-Feature /all /FeatureName:IIS-ApplicationDevelopment /FeatureName:IIS-ASPNET /FeatureName:IIS-ASPNET45 ^

/FeatureName:IIS-CommonHttpFeatures /FeatureName:IIS-DefaultDocument /FeatureName:IIS-DirectoryBrowsing /FeatureName:IIS-HealthAndDiagnostics ^

/FeatureName:IIS-HttpCompressionStatic /FeatureName:IIS-HttpErrors /FeatureName:IIS-HttpLogging /FeatureName:IIS-HttpTracing /FeatureName:IIS-ISAPIExtensions ^

/FeatureName:IIS-ISAPIFilter /FeatureName:IIS-LoggingLibraries /FeatureName:IIS-ManagementConsole /FeatureName:IIS-ManagementService /FeatureName:IIS-NetFxExtensibility ^

/FeatureName:IIS-NetFxExtensibility45 /FeatureName:IIS-Performance /FeatureName:IIS-RequestFiltering /FeatureName:IIS-RequestMonitor /FeatureName:IIS-Security ^

/FeatureName:IIS-StaticContent /FeatureName:IIS-WebServer /FeatureName:IIS-WebServerManagementTools /FeatureName:IIS-WebServerRole /FeatureName:IIS-WindowsAuthentication ^

/FeatureName:WAS-ConfigurationAPI /FeatureName:WAS-NetFxEnvironment /FeatureName:WAS-ProcessModel /FeatureName:WAS-WindowsActivationService

· Register ASP.NET (both 32-bit and 64-bit versions) - after IIS, .Net 3.5 and .Net 4.0 have been installed.

o 32-bit registration: c:\windows\microsoft.net\framework\v4.0.30319\aspnet_regiis.exe -ir

o 64-bit registration: c:\windows\microsoft.net\framework64\v4.0.30319\aspnet_regiis.exe -ir

Management Server Database

· Microsoft SQL Server 2008 SP2 or Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2

o SQL Server has to be Standard, Enterprise or Datacenter edition

o “Database Engine Services” feature must be enabled

Deployment Preparations

The App-V server is supported in a single-server deployment and a distributed deployment. A single-server deployment has all the 3 components deployed on the same machine while a distributed deployment has each component installed on a different machine.

- Note, if you are doing a distributed deployment, you will need to plan to do the Management Server Database deployment first as the database information will be needed for the Management Server deployment.

The table below lists the set of information that you should have prepared when starting the deployments.

· Note this list assumes that each component is installed on a separate server.

Management Server

· Install location

o By default this will be installed to %PROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft Application Virtualization Server

· Location of the App-V Management Database

o SQL Server Name

o SQL Instance Name

o Database Name

· Access rights for the App-V Management Console

o This is the user or the group that should be granted access to the management console at the end of the deployment. Post deployment, only these users will have access to the Management Console until additional administrators are added via the Management console.

o Note: Global security groups and AD Distribution groups are not supported. Domain local or Universal groups are required for this.

· App-V Management Service Website name

o A name for the website is required, if you do not want to use the default

· App-V Management Service Port Binding

o This should be a unique port number that is currently not already used by another website on the machine.

§ Note: Install does not validate if the port is in use so this has to be confirmed prior to running install

· Support for Silverlight

o Silverlight is required for the Management Console to be accessible. While this is not a requirement for the deployment, the machine that will be used to access the App-V Management Console must be able to support Silverlight

Publishing Server

· Install location

o By default this will be installed to %PROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft Application Virtualization Server

· App-V Management Service URL

o This is the URL of the App-V Management Service that this Publishing Server will be communicating with and should be of the format http://<ManagementServerName>:<ManagementPortNumber>

· App-V Publishing Service Website name

o A name for the website is required, if you do not want to use the default

· App-V Publishing Service Port Binding

o This should be a unique port number that is currently not already used by another website on the machine.

§ Note: Install does not validate if the port is in use so this has to be confirmed prior to running install

Management Database

· Install location

o By default this will be installed to %PROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft Application Virtualization Server

· Custom SQL Server instance name (if applicable)

o Format should be “INSTANCENAME” as install assumes it is on the local machine. Entering it in the format of “SVR\INSTANCE” will fail.

· Custom App-V Database Name(if applicable)

o This has to be a unique database name. Install will block if a database with the provided name already exists.

o Defaults to AppVManagement

· App-V 5.0 Management Server Machine Account

o The machine account for server on which the Management Server is deployed on or will be deployed on. This must be in the format of Domain\MachineAccount

· App-V 5.0 Management Server Install admin

o This is the account that will be used to install the App-V Management Server. This should be in the format of Domain\AdministratorLoginName

-Priya Ravichandran | Program Manager, Microsoft Application Virtualization

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App-V “Application is not working as expected” Troubleshooting Check List

April 25, 2012 by J.C. Hornbeck · Comments Off
Filed under: App-V, App-V 4.5, App-V 4.6, App-V 5.0, Troubleshoot

Hello everyone, John Behneman here again. The purpose of the article is to highlight some very simple OSD file edits/tweaks that can potentially fix a large number of most common issues we see here in product support. Chances are you can save yourself a lot of time and money if you try these simple troubleshooting techniques before calling us for support.

As a test you should always edit the OSD file in the App-V client cache on the App-V client, not on the original package until you know which parameter is causing the problem. It is always a good policy to backup the OSD cache file before you start editing so you can return it to its original configuration should none of the edits resolve your issue. If you corrupt the cached OSD file and you did not make a backup, you can always redeploy the package or do a DC refresh if you are using an App-V Management Server.

NOTE Before doing anything else, be sure you have the latest version of the App-V client. That alone can fix a lot of issues.

How to launch App-V Application OSD in Notepad from the Client Cache

To find the cached OSD for an App-V application, launch the Application Virtualization Client Admin console, highlight the Application node of in the left hand pane, find the desired application in the right hand pane and double-click on it. Find the Local OSD File: parameter on the General Tab and copy the parameter. Type Notepad<space> in the Start -> Run and then paste the Local OSD File: parameter after the space in Notepad so you have something similar to following string:

notepad C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Application Virtualization Client\SoftGrid Client\OSD Cache\3277aa21-2d5c-4bc4-a396-8f20c7953fec.osd

Now, click OK and Notepad will open the cached OSD of the application you wish to modify so you can add tags or modify existing tag in the appropriate section of the OSD. The following is a graphical representation of the process:

Figure 1 - Copy the Local OSD File parameter.

Figure 2 - Type notepad plus a space and then paste the Local OSD File parameter.

Figure 3 -The Cached OSD is presented for editing.

Editing tags 1-5 in the OSD

Figure 4 - Snippet of an App-V OSD file

Test items 1,3,4 in Figure 4 should be tested on every Application that exhibits a problem when virtualize with App-V, items 2 & 5 should be done only in specific situations to be explained in more detail below.

Test item 1:

Change

<LOCAL_INTERACTION_ALLOWED>FALSE</LOCAL_INTERACTION_ALLOWED>

<LOCAL_INTERACTION_ALLOWED>TRUE</LOCAL_INTERACTION_ALLOWED>

Test

For more information:

A Look Under the Covers - The LOCAL_INTERACTION_ALLOWED Tag : http://blogs.technet.com/b/appv/archive/2007/09/20/a-look-under-the-covers-the-local-interaction-allowed-tag.aspx

Test item 2:

If an App-V application fails to shutdown properly or causes anomalies with the OS when the application is shutdown, try setting the following value to TRUE.

Change

Test

For more information:

An application may not shut down completely when you exit the application in Microsoft SoftGrid : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931589

Test item 3:

Change

Test

For more information:

When launching an application virtualized using Microsoft App-V, the application hangs for 10 minutes and then terminates : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2195120

A known good App-V virtual application package may fail with error 19-00001003 after adding a pre-launch script : http://blogs.technet.com/b/appv/archive/2011/10/20/a-known-good-app-v-virtual-application-package-may-fail-with-error-19-00001003-after-adding-a-pre-launch-script.aspx

Test item 4:

On rare occasions the working directory parameter can cause problems, as a test try removing the value altogether.

Change

<WORKINGDIR>%CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES%\Microsoft Host Integration Server 2010\system\<WORKINGDIR>

For more information:

<WORKINGDIR> Examples - Specifying a Working Directory : http://blogs.technet.com/b/virtualworld/archive/2007/11/07/workingdir-examples-specifying-a-working-directory.aspx

Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.6 SP1 Sequencing Guide : http://download.microsoft.com/download/F/7/8/F784A197-73BE-48FF-83DA-4102C05A6D44/App-V/App-V%204.6%20Service%20Pack%201%20Sequencing%20Guide.docx

Test item 5:

Typically the problem these tags cause is that short-cuts for a particular application may not be available to users that have been granted access to the application. You may see the following entry in the sftlog.txt on the App-V client:

The app manager could not create an application from '\\softgriddc\content\DefaultApp.osd' (rc 07708A44-00000007)
Removing these entries altogether will deploy this application to any Operating System, even to Operating Systems for which the application may not be designed. In this situation the cached OSD will not exist on the client and you must edit the OSD from the content share on the App-V Management server or in the original package before deployment.

Change

</VM>
<OS VALUE="Win7"/>
<OS VALUE="Win764"/>
</IMPLEMENTATION>

</VM>
</IMPLEMENTATION>

For more information:

Error xxxxxx44-00001007 in the SFTLOG.TXT file : http://blogs.technet.com/b/appv/archive/2008/10/29/error-xxxxxx44-00001007-in-the-sftlog-txt-file.aspx

Updated OS VALUE XML Tag Reference and Supported Client Versions : http://blogs.technet.com/b/appv/archive/2009/10/29/updated-os-value-xml-tag-reference-and-supported-client-versions.aspx

If your package is still not working properly after the aforementioned tweaks, grab a cup of coffee and startup Process Monitor in the bubble.

NOTE For more information on how to use Process Monitor please see How to run Process Monitor (ProcMon) inside the App-V virtual environment - http://blogs.technet.com/b/appv/archive/2012/04/24/how-to-run-process-monitor-procmon-inside-the-app-v-virtual-environment.aspx

Please be sure to return all the OSD tag values back to the original settings, I would advise doing this after each test item so you know exactly what fixed the issue. It is possible that you may need to tweak more than one value to get some applications working. If you are editing the OSD in the App-V Client Cache, and you deploy your App-V Applications using an App-V Management Server you can always do a DC refresh to return the OSD to its original configuration.

DC Refresh:

For suffering through all the steps above here is an additional couple of nuggets of information.

Bonus Test 1:

There are 2 types of packages a MNT, which is the preferred method, where the application is installed to directory on the Q: drive during sequencing, and VFS where the application is installed to the C: drive.

Some applications have to be installed to the C: drive to work correctly when virtualized. If the application fails to launch correctly when you sequence it to Q: (MNT), please re-sequence the application by installing it to the C: drive. In some situations the inverse is true, I have had situations where sequencing an application to the Q: drive fixed a problem. The bottom line is you may need to experiment to determine which install type (MNT or VFS) works best for the application. For more information please see the following references:

For more information:

The VFS versus MNT Install : http://blogs.technet.com/b/appv/archive/2007/07/16/the-vfs-versus-mnt-install.aspx

Best practices to use for sequencing in Microsoft App-V (SoftGrid) : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932137/en-us

Bonus Test 2:

By default “Enforce Security Descriptors” is enabled on the Sequencer, sometimes this feature can cause problems, try disabling it by unchecking it. To do this start the sequencer, choose “Modify an Existing Virtual Application Package”, then “Edit Package” and browse to the *.sprj file in the package and select it and click Open then Edit. This will load the following screen, select the Deployment tab and uncheck “Enforce Security Descriptors”, now go to File and Save and it will update the package. You will need to redeploy the package for testing.

Figure 6 – Sequencer Package edit console

For more information:

Improving Security During App-V Sequencing : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee662362.aspx

Bonus Test 3:

If you suspect that System-Guard (protective App-V bubble) is causing your issue you can use the following registry tweak to determine for certain if it is the cause, please only do this as a test, leaving this in production is not recommended. To gain a complete understanding of this tweak please read the following blog post before implementing it.

Allowing Better Interaction to App-V Virtual Applications : http://blogs.technet.com/b/deploymentguys/archive/2011/07/05/allowing-better-interaction-to-app-v-virtual-applications.aspx

Find the following registry hive and add a string value of N+1 where N is the highest number listed in the ObjExclusions registry hive, in most cases the next value will be 94 (on my machine the highest number is 93) and give it a data value of *. After making this change either reboot the test machine or restart the Application Virtualization Client service.

For X86:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SoftGrid\4.5\SystemGuard\ObjExclusions

For X64:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\SoftGrid\4.5\SystemGuard\ObjExclusions

Example:

Figures 7 & 8 - Registry

For more information:

Error message when you try to sequence Abra Suite in Microsoft SoftGrid: "The procedure entry point GetFileVersionInfoA could not be located in the dynamic link library VERSION.DLL" : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931979

Error: HP Universal Printing | Invalid Address when using the Hewlett-Packard Universal Printer Drivers with Microsoft Application Virtualization : http://blogs.technet.com/b/appv/archive/2011/10/13/error-hp-universal-printing-invalid-address-when-using-the-hewlett-packard-universal-printer-drivers-with-microsoft-application-virtualization.aspx

I want to thank Alvin Morales, Mark Stanfill and J.C. Hornbeck for their assistance and guidance during the process of creating this post.

John Behneman | System Center Support Engineer

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The Forefront Server Protection blog: http://blogs.technet.com/b/fss/
The Forefront Endpoint Security blog : http://blogs.technet.com/b/clientsecurity/
The Forefront Identity Manager blog : http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ms-identity-support/
The Forefront TMG blog: http://blogs.technet.com/b/isablog/
The Forefront UAG blog: http://blogs.technet.com/b/edgeaccessblog/

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How to run Process Monitor (ProcMon) inside the App-V virtual environment

April 24, 2012 by J.C. Hornbeck · Comments Off
Filed under: App-V, App-V 4.5, App-V 4.6, App-V 5.0, How To, ProcMon, Troubleshoot

Hi everyone, Mark Stanfill here. Running Process Monitor (ProcMon) to troubleshoot Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) client issues such as missing files, access denied errors or other file and registry-based issues is sometimes necessary to successfully package an application. This post details a simple method to allow you access inside the App-V virtual environment (bubble) for troubleshooting purposes. The procedure consists of 4 main steps:

1. Create a shortcut to an application

2. Edit the shortcut to launch a command prompt inside the App-V bubble

3. Launch ProcMon or other troubleshooting tools

4. Optionally fix the issue

Create a shortcut to an application

Start by identifying an executable inside the package you are investigating. To do this, launch the Application Virtualization client through Start\Run\Sftcmc.msc. In the Application Virtualization client, select Applications and identify your problem application. Right-click on the application on the right-hand pane and choose New Shortcut…. Follow the wizard's prompts to create a shortcut. On the New Shortcut - Step 1 screen, change the name to something easy to identify such as Command Prompt in ApplicationX Bubble. On the New Shortcut - Step 2 screen, click The Desktop for the location to place the shortcut. Leave command line parameters blank for now.

Edit the shortcut to launch a command prompt inside the App-V bubble

Right-click on the newly created shortcut on your desktop and choose Properties. Edit the Target: text to include the string /exe cmd.exe between Sfttray.exe and /launch. For example, this command line:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Application Virtualization Client\sfttray.exe" /launch "DefaultApp MFC Application 1.0.0.1

Becomes:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Application Virtualization Client\sfttray.exe" /exe cmd.exe /launch "DefaultApp MFC Application 1.0.0.1

Click Apply and OK to save the shortcut.

Launch ProcMon or other troubleshooting tools

Double-click on the shortcut to launch the command prompt in the App-V bubble. From the command prompt, type the full path to Procmon.exe to launch it (for example c:\temp\procmon.exe). Procmon will have full access to changes occurring inside the bubble at this point.

Optionally fix the issue

At this point, troubleshooting will depend on the type of application failure you are experiencing. It is possible to fix individual issues such as missing registry keys through Regedit.exe, file permissions (via cacls.exe), etc. These changes only affect the local installation of the package. To fix the issue permanently, you will need to open the package for upgrade in the App-V Sequencer, resolve the issue, then save and publish the modified application.

FAQ

Q: Why do I need a command prompt? Why can't I use Windows Explorer?

A: It is not possible to load the Explorer shell directly from App-V. Access to files is limited to command-line tools. Other GUI tools may, however be launched from the command prompt. One trick to see a full Explorer view is to launch a tool that exposes a file…open dialog such as Notepad.exe and then use that to navigate. You can launch executables through the common file dialog via the right-click context menus.

Q: Why load a command prompt and not just specify /exe ProcMon.exe directly in the command line?

A: This technique will work, but it relies on either specifying the entire path to ProcMon.exe or else putting it in a folder in the user's path. We find that most troubleshooting involves multiple tools and troubleshooting steps inside the bubble, so keeping a command prompt open rather than running multiple commands is more efficient.

Q: I have System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) in my environment. My Target: text specifies VAppLauncher.exe and adding /exe cmd.exe doesn't seem to work.

A: Replace VAppLauncher.exe with the complete path to sfttray.exe (normally C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Application Virtualization Client\sfttray.exe). VAppLauncher does not support the /exe switch.

Q: How can I verify that a command prompt is inside or outside the bubble?

A: The easiest way is to type set SFT_MNT in the command prompt. This variable will not be set outside the bubble. Inside the bubble, you should see a response like SFT_MNT=Q:.

Q: Do I need to specify /externalcapture in the ProcMon command line?

A: /Externalcapture allows Procmon to see in to the App-V bubble without first launching a command prompt in the bubble. If all you need to do is to gather diagnostic information (i.e. you are not going to attempt to fix the issue and don’t need to run any other commands against the package), ProcMon.exe /externalcapture can be ran directly from Explorer to capture data from applications running under App-V.

Mark Stanfill | Senior Support Escalation Engineer

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KB: How to sequence the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Admin Console using Microsoft App-V

April 19, 2012 by J.C. Hornbeck · Comments Off
Filed under: Admin Console, App-V, ConfigMgr 2007, KB Article, Recipe, Sequencing

Here’s one more Knowledge Base article we published today. This one shows you how to sequence (virtualize) the ConfigMgr admin console in App-V.

=====

Symptoms

When trying to Sequence (virtualize) the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 (ConfigMgr) administrator’s console, the resulting package will generate the following error and fail to run:

MMC cannot initialize the snap-in

Resolution

Using the steps below, you can virtualize the admin console and have it run successfully.

NOTE In the example below, it is assumed that we are sequencing the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 admin console for the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Service Pack 1.

1. Follow Best Practices for the Microsoft Application Virtualization Sequencer : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd351420.aspx

2. Build the clean system with 64-bit version of Windows 7 SP1 and join it to the domain.

3. Install the APPV 4.6 SP1 Sequencer with Hotfix 3 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2571168). Launch the Microsoft Application Virtualization Sequencer and select Create New Virtual Application Package.

4. Select Create Package (Default) option and Click Next. Note that Prepare the Computer for Creating a Virtual Package may give the Warning “Windows Defender is active”. If so, launch the Services.msc snap-in and stop the Windows Defender service. After doing so, click refresh and then click Next.

5. Select the Standard Application (default) option and click Next.

6. On the Select Installer Screen, browse to “SPLASH.HTA” on the Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) installation media and click Next.

7. Name the Package SCCMConsole.001 and leave other options as the defaults and click Next.

8. Once the ConfigMgr installation screen appears, click Install Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 and click Next.

9. Select Install or Upgrade an Administrator Console and click Next.

10. Accept license agreement and Click Next.

11. Select No, I do not want to participate right now and click Next.

12. Leave the Destination Folder to the default (i.e. C:\Program Files(x86)\Microsoft Configuration Manager Console\) and click Next.

13. Provide your site Server Name and Click Next, then Next again.

14. Ensure the Pre-check passes then click on Begin Install.

15. Once the installation finishes click Next and then click Finish.

16. Back on the Installation screen on the Sequencer, click on the “Run” option to install the ConfigMgr R3 prerequisite hotfix http://support.microsoft.com/kb/977384) and R3.

17. Provide the path to the 977384 hotfix and choose Install.

18. When complete and back at the Installation screen on the Sequencer, click on the “Run” option to install R3.

19. Click on Run and provide the path to R3’s “SPLASH.HTA” and click Next and install R3.

20. When complete, click on I am Finished installing

21. Select the ConfigMgr console and run it. After launching the console close it. Click Next to review the installation report and click Next when you’re done.

22. Select the Customize option and click Next

23. Now under Edit Short Cut screen, right Click and edit the ConfigMgr Console.

24 Click on “Change Icon…” and browse to “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager Console\bin\i386\” and select “SETUP.EXE”

25. Select the proper icon and provide the version No: 4.00.6487.2157

26. Click “Save”

27. Right click “ConfigMgr Documentation” and click “Edit”

28. Click on “Change Icon…” and browse to “C:\Windows” and select “hh”

29. Select the proper icon and click “Save”

30. Right click on ConfigMgr setup and select Remove.

31. Right click on ConfigMgr Setup Repair Wizard and select Remove.

32. Click next and then Run ALL.

33. Select the Target OS, click Next and then select Create the Package. The Package will be saved as SCMMConsole.001.

34. Copy the Package to the App-V management content share.

35. Edit the OSD file of ConfigMgr Console.OSD in Notepad. Change the VALUE of <SUBSYSTEM VALUE= "windows"/> to <SUBSYSTEM VALUE= "console"/> and save the OSD file.

36. Now follow the normal procedure to import the Package in to your APPV Management server and verify that the console is published to the APPV users.

When you double click ConfigMgr Console on an App-V client you may see the error “MMC cannot initialize the snap-in.” If so, hold the Shift Key and right-click on ConfigMgr Console and select Run as different user. Provide whichever user credentials that have access to the ConfigMgr site server.

More Information

This is published on the Microsoft App-V blog here:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/appv/archive/2012/03/20/how-to-sequence-the-system-center-configuration-manager-2007-r3-admin-console-with-microsoft-app-v.aspx

Also see the following Knowledge Base article:

2559075 - Elevation and Run-As Considerations in Microsoft App-V Environments (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2559075)

=====

For the most current version of this article please see the following:

2685079 : How to sequence the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 Admin Console using Microsoft App-V

J.C. Hornbeck | System Center & Security Knowledge Engineer

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KB: Launching an App-V application fails with “Unable to initialize package information (0×00000000)” error

April 19, 2012 by J.C. Hornbeck · Comments Off
Filed under: App-V, App-V 4.5, App-V 4.6, ConfigMgr 2007, KB Article

Here’s a new Knowledge Base article we published this morning. This one talks about a couple work arounds for an App-V issue where launching an App-V application fails with "Unable to initialize package information (0x00000000)":

=====

Symptoms

When launching an application virtualized with Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V), the application fails to start and generates the following error message:

Unable to initialize package information (0x00000000)

Cause

This can occur when App-V is set to work in Full Infrastructure Mode (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2008.10.appv.aspx#id0110023) and the Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) client agent is installed on the same machine where the App-V client is already installed. When the Configuration Manager client agent is installed, it assumes that it should handle the virtualized applications. During the Configuration Manager client agent installation, the App-V client cache is flushed and App-V registry keys are modified, causing the error described above.

Resolution

There are 3 potential work arounds for this issue:

1. The ConfigMgr client agent takes managing virtualized applications when “Allow virtual application package advertisement" in the Advertised Programs Client Agent properties in the ConfigMgr console is checked. If this box is unchecked, it is then possible to run both ConfigMgr and App-V client agents at the same time. To modify this setting, open the ConfigMgr Console, expand Site Database, Site Management, <Site Name>, Site Settings, Client Agents; then open the properties for Advertised Programs Client Agent. The next time the client agents refresh (or if you kick off a Machine Policy Retrieval & Evaluation Cycle), the App-V client will become the default handler again.

2. The second option is to manually modify the registry keys on the client back to the original values. Thus, we can make the following modifications:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SoftGrid\4.5\Client\UserInterface

Change to the following:

LaunchCommand "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Application Virtualization Client\sfttray.exe" /launch "<APP>"
DDELaunchCommand"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Application Virtualization Client\sftdde.exe" "<APP>" <DDE>"

However, keep in mind that if “Allow virtual application package advertisement" in the Advertised Programs Client Agent properties in the ConfigMgr console remains checked, it is possible that it will reset the registries to their previous values and the issue will reoccur.

3. The third option is to use ConfigMgr to manage the virtual applications instead of using the App-V management server. More info on this can be found here:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/f/7/8/f784a197-73be-48ff-83da-4102c05a6d44/APP-V/App-V_and_ConfigMgr_Whitepaper_Final.docx

More Information

Below are the App-V registry keys that are changed during the SCCM client agent installation:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SoftGrid\4.5\Client\UserInterface

LaunchCommand "C:\Windows\system32\CCM\VappLauncher.exe" /launch "<APP>"

DDELaunchCommand"C:\Windows\system32\CCM\VappLauncher.exe" /launch "<APP>"
Instead of the original values shown below:
LaunchCommand "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Application Virtualization Client\sfttray.exe" /launch "<APP>"

DDELaunchCommand"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Application Virtualization Client\sftdde.exe" "<APP>" <DDE>"

=====

For the most current version of this article please see the following:

2694295 : Launching an App-V application fails with "Unable to initialize package information (0x00000000)" error

J.C. Hornbeck | System Center & Security Knowledge Engineer

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MDOP Engineering Team at MMS 2012

April 17, 2012 by J.C. Hornbeck · Comments Off
Filed under: App-V, App-V 5.0, MDOP, MMS 2012, System Center 2012, UE Virtualization

The MDOP Engineering Team is in Las Vegas this week for MMS 2012. Angie, Aseem, Briton, Dan, Derrick, Dilip, Karan, Tim and myself are hanging out with customers and partners at the Venetian Resort.

Brad Anderson kicked things off this morning with his first key note – Microsoft Private Cloud. Built for the Future. Ready Now. I have listed the full set of our MMS sessions below. Please join us for demos and discussions of MBAM, UE-V, App-V and Server App-V. And stop by the MDOP booth as well!

CLIENT & DEVICE MANAGEMENT
CD-B345 Provisioning, Managing, and Supporting BitLocker with Microsoft BitLocker Administration (MBAM)
Tuesday, April 17 4:00 – 5.15pm
Speaker(s): Tim Crabb

CD-B341: Microsoft User Experience Virtualization: Enhancing User State Virtualization through MDOP
Wednesday, April 18 11:45-13:00
Briton Zurcher

CD-B340: Introducing Microsoft Application Virtualization 5.0
Wednesday, April 18 2:15-3:30
Aseem Kohli

CD-IL310: Microsoft User Experience Virtualization Overview Lab
Wednesday, April 18 16:00-17:15 and Thursday, April 19 10:15-11:30
Dan Timpson

CD-B307 Microsoft Application Virtualization 5.0 Migration and Coexistence
Thursday, April 19 11:45-1:00
Dilip Pai

CD-B338 Automating Microsoft Application Virtualization 5.0 Using PowerShell
Thursday, April 19 4:00-5:15
Karan Dhillon

APPLICATION MANAGEMENT
AM-B316 Server App-V: End-to-End Virtual Application Deployment Using System Center 2012
Wednesday, April 18 11:45-13:00
Derrick Isoka

Scott Stearns | Development Manager | MDOP Engineering Team

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Announcing User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) and App-V 5.0

April 5, 2012 by J.C. Hornbeck · Comments Off
Filed under: App-V, App-V 5.0, UE-V

Microsoft’s own Karri Alexion-Tiernan just announced two new virtualization betas you’ll want to check out. The first is a new product to Microsoft’s Desktop Virtualization family – User Experience Virtualization (UE-V). The second is an update to our flagship application virtualization product – Application Virtualization 5.0 (App-V 5.0).

The public betas for UE-V and App-V 5.0 are available for download and when fully completed they will ship as part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP).

You can read Karri’s complete announcement and get all the details here.

J.C. Hornbeck | System Center & Security Knowledge Engineer

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HOTFIX: OSD tasks stop responding in System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2

April 3, 2012 by J.C. Hornbeck · Comments Off
Filed under: App-V, ConfigMgr 2007, Hotfix, KB Article, SP2

Here’s a new Knowledge Base article we published recently. This one is a hotfix for an issue where a ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 task to install a virtual application that is located on an App-V distribution point that has streaming enabled hangs (stops responding):

=====

Symptoms

Consider the following scenario. You create an operating system deployment (OSD) task on a site server that has Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed. You configure the task to install a virtual application that is located on a Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) distribution point that has streaming enabled. In this scenario, the OSD task stops responding….

=====

For the most current version of this article and a download link for the hotfix itself please see the following:

2678547 : OSD tasks stop responding in System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2

J.C. Hornbeck | System Center & Security Knowledge Engineer

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A script to allow easy testing of your App-V package on any OS

April 3, 2012 by J.C. Hornbeck · Comments Off
Filed under: App-V, App-V 4.5, App-V 4.6, OSD, PowerShell, Script, Windows 7, Windows 8

Time and patience are required when creating App-V packages and testing them on various operating systems. You should always target your packages for the right operating system (OS), but testing shows that a package made for one Windows OS may run on another Windows version. This PowerShell script modifies .OSD files for you so that you can test your packages against any OS, such as Windows 8!

This script makes testing easier by modifying your .OSD files for you. It performs the following:

1. Removes any OS values in your .OSD files for you, circumventing human error.

2. It makes a backup of your original .OSD files in a local folder named OSDBACK

3. Writes out a flag file so that this script cannot be run on the same directory more than once. This protects all the backed up .OSD files.

The script works by removing all OS entries such as '<OS VALUE="Win764"/>' leaving the 'OS Value' parameter empty. This allows you to attempt to run a package on any OS. This does NOT mean that your applications will now run without issue on any OS, just that App-V will now let them allow you to test.

All original .OSD files are backed up for your later use.

Values intact prior to script run:

Values removed by script:

How to Use

Open an elevated PowerShell prompt. Type 'powershell' at the Start menu then right click the one named simple 'PowerShell' and choose 'Run as Administrator.' Change to the directory where you have save the script and kick it off with '.\APP-V_OSRemoval.PS1'. If you get an error about scripts being blocked you will need to lower permissions a bit. See these articles if you need help.

When the script runs correctly it will ask for the folder that is the root of all of your App-V files… usually X:\Content. The script will take it from there.

Using the Set-ExecutionPolicy Cmdlet: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee176961.aspx

Software Restriction Policies and PowerShell Code Signing: http://blogs.technet.com/b/industry_insiders/archive/2007/08/17/software-restriction-policies-and-powershell-code-signing.aspx

The script text is below but you can also download the TXT version using the link at the bottom of this article that’s named APP-V_OSRemoval ps1.txt.

=====

cls
Write-Host APP-V_OSRemoval will backup OSD files to OSDBAK folders
Write-Host then will remove references to OS from each file.
Write-Host

$CurrentDir=Read-Host "Enter the root directory for all OSD files"
$OSD = $CurrentDir + '\*.OSD'
$BAK = $CurrentDir + '\OSDBAK'
$FLAG = $CurrentDir + '\OSDFlag.txt'

#Flag this directory to preserve backups
If ((test-path -Path $FLAG) -ne $true)
{
Get-Date | New-Item -Path $FLAG -type "file"
} Else {
Write-Host
Write-Host OSDParser has already been run once. Running again
Write-Host will overwrite OSD backup files.
Break
}

# Make Backup of OSD's
$DIR = get-childitem $CurrentDir -include *.osd -recurse -Force
foreach ($file in $DIR)
{
    $FileNow = $file.PSParentPath + '\OSDBAK'
    If ((Test-Path -path $FileNow) -ne $True)
    {
        New-Item ($FileNow) -type directory
    }
    Copy-Item $file.PSPath $FileNow
    # Remove references to OS
    (Get-Content $file) -notmatch '<OS VALUE' | Set-Content -path $file
}

# Finished
Write-Host
Write-Host Finished. All OSD files in all
Write-Host subdirectories parsed.

=====

APP-V_OSRemoval ps1.txt

NOTE Use of the script contained herein is on an as-is basis only. Microsoft makes no representations or warranties about the suitability or accuracy of the information contained in this post for any purpose. As with any change, it is your responsibility to ensure accurate and recoverable backups exists prior to implementing the script above.

Jonathan Jordan | Senior Support Escalation Engineer
Steve Bucci | Senior Support Escalation Engineer

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Troubleshooting 04-0000180C / 6156 Errors in Microsoft Application Virtualization

March 27, 2012 by J.C. Hornbeck · Comments Off
Filed under: 04-0000180C, 6156, App-V, App-V 4.5, App-V 4.6, KB Article, Troubleshoot

Here’s a new Knowledge Base article we published today. This one talks about troubleshooting an issue where attempting to upgrade a package in Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) fails with error 04-0000180C:

=====

Symptoms

Attempting to upgrade a package in Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) fails with error 04-0000180C:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Application Virtualization Client>sftmime.com add package:" APP_V1.1" /manifest "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\SMS_CCM\\Cache\\ABC00076.2.S-1-5-21-1111111111-1111111111-1111111111-500\\APP_V1.1_manifest.xml" /overrideUrl "FILE://C:\\Program Files (x86)\\SMS_CCM\\Cache\\ABC00076.2.S-1-5-21-1111111111-1111111111-1111111111-500\\ABC00076.sft"

The Application Virtualization Client could not complete

the operation.

The operation failed because the GUID in the package

manifest matches a package name other than the one

specified. Verify the package name, and then try again.

Error code: 4605F3-18305104-0000180C

For System Center Configuration Manager (CfgMgr) clients, the VirtualApp.log will show entries similar to the following, exiting with error code 6156 (SWRC_PKG_NAMEDOESNOTMATCH):

<![LOG[Executing command line: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SoftGrid\Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization for Desktops\SFTMIME.COM" ADD PACKAGE:"Package1" /MANIFEST "C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\CCM\\Cache\\ABC00500.3.S-1-5-21-1111111111-1111111111-1111111111-2672\\Package1.xml" /OverrideUrl "FILE://C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\CCM\\Cache\\ABC00500.3.S-1-5-21-1111111111-1111111111-1111111111-2672\\ABC00500.sft"]LOG]!><time="16:37:46.837+-120" date="08-08-2008" component="VAppRegistration" context="" type="1" thread="3120" file="registrationhandler.cpp:1031">
<![LOG[The command completed with exit code 6156.]LOG]!><time="16:37:47.368+-120" date="08-08-2008" component="VAppRegistration" context="" type="1" thread="3120" file="registrationhandler.cpp:1140">

Cause

This error indicates that there is a mismatch between the package name of the original package and that of the upgraded package. This results in the App-V client incorrectly determining that there is a duplicate GUID, since the package GUID in both manifests will be the same. To successfully upgrade a package, both of the following conditions must be true:

1. The package GUID must be the same (the Version tag and VERSIONGUID tag will change).

2. The package name must be exactly the same. This can be verified by opening the original and upgrade package's manifest XML in a text editor to compare the NAME and GUID tags.

The NAME tag is derived from the Package Name field on the General Properties tab of the package. The App-V Sequencer allows this field to be changed after sequencing a package but before saving the files. To avoid this error, do not edit this field.

In a second variation, the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) Virtual Application Package Update Wizard allows for the Name: field to be changed on its General page. Editing the Name: or Version: fields of the New Package's values will result in the errors above.

Resolution

To avoid the 04-0000180C and 6156 errors listed above, do not change the package name in either the App-V Sequencer or the ConfigMgr Virtual Application Package Update Wizard. If the package manifest file is correct, simply re-run the Virtual Application Package Update Wizard without changing any values. If the package name has been changed in the Sequencer, re-sequence the application and do not change this value.

=====

For the most current version of this article please see the following:

2688524 : Troubleshooting 04-0000180C / 6156 Errors in Microsoft Application Virtualization

J.C. Hornbeck | System Center & Security Knowledge Engineer

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