How to manage App-V packages running on a stand-alone computer by using Windows PowerShell
Applies to:
- Windows 10
- Windows 11
The following sections explain how to perform various management tasks on a stand-alone client computer with Windows PowerShell cmdlets.
Return a list of packages
Enter the Get-AppvClientPackage cmdlet to return a list of packages entitled to a specific user. Its parameters are -Name, -Version, -PackageID, and -VersionID.
For example:
Get-AppvClientPackage –Name "ContosoApplication" -Version 2
Add a package
Use the Add-AppvClientPackage cmdlet to add a package to a computer.
Important
This example only adds a package. It does not publish the package to the user or the computer.
For example:
$Contoso = Add-AppvClientPackage \\\\path\\to\\appv\\package.appv
Publish a package
Use the Publish-AppvClientPackage cmdlet to publish a package that has been added to either a specific user or globally to any user on the computer.
Enter the cmdlet with the application name to publish it to the user.
Publish-AppvClientPackage "ContosoApplication"
To publish the application globally, just add the -Global parameter.
Publish-AppvClientPackage "ContosoApplication" -Global
Publish a package to a specific user
Note
You must use App-V 5.0 SP2 Hotfix Package 5 or later to use this parameter.
An administrator can publish a package to a specific user by specifying the optional –UserSID parameter with the Publish-AppvClientPackage cmdlet, where -UserSID represents the end user’s security identifier (SID).
To use this parameter:
- You can run this cmdlet from the user or administrator session.
- You must be logged in with administrative credentials to use the parameter.
- The end user must be signed in.
- You must provide the end user’s security identifier (SID).
For example:
Publish-AppvClientPackage "ContosoApplication" -UserSID S-1-2-34-56789012-3456789012-345678901-2345
Add and publish a package
Use the Add-AppvClientPackage cmdlet to add a package to a computer and publish it to the user.
For example:
Add-AppvClientPackage <path to App-V package> | Publish-AppvClientPackage
Unpublish an existing package
Use the Unpublish-AppvClientPackage cmdlet to unpublish a package which has been entitled to a user but not remove the package from the computer.
For example:
Unpublish-AppvClientPackage "ContosoApplication"
Unpublish a package for a specific user
Note
You must use App-V 5.0 SP2 Hotfix Package 5 or later to use this parameter.
An administrator can unpublish a package for a specific user by using the optional -UserSID parameter with the Unpublish-AppvClientPackage cmdlet, where -UserSID represents the end user’s security identifier (SID).
To use this parameter:
- You can run this cmdlet from the user or administrator session.
- You must sign in with administrative credentials to use the parameter.
- The end user must be signed in.
- You must provide the end user’s security identifier (SID).
For example:
Unpublish-AppvClientPackage "ContosoApplication" -UserSID S-1-2-34-56789012-3456789012-345678901-2345
Remove an existing package
Use the Remove-AppvClientPackage cmdlet to remove a package from the computer.
For example:
Remove-AppvClientPackage "ContosoApplication"
Note
App-V cmdlets have been assigned to variables for the previous examples for clarity only; assignment is not a requirement. Most cmdlets can be combined as displayed in Add and publish a package. For a detailed tutorial, see App-V 5.0 Client PowerShell Deep Dive.
Enable only administrators to publish or unpublish packages
Starting in App-V 5.0 SP3, you can use the Set-AppvClientConfiguration cmdlet and -RequirePublishAsAdmin parameter to enable only administrators (not end users) to publish or unpublish packages.
You can set the -RequirePublishAsAdmin parameter to the following values:
- 0: False
- 1: True
For example:
Set-AppvClientConfiguration –RequirePublishAsAdmin1
To use the App-V Management console to set this configuration, see How to publish a package by using the Management Console.
About pending packages: UserPending and GlobalPending
Starting in App-V 5.0 SP2, if you run a Windows PowerShell cmdlet that affects a package currently in use, the task you're trying to perform is placed in a pending state. For example, if you try to publish a package when an application in that package is being used, and then run Get-AppvClientPackage, the pending status appears in the cmdlet output as follows:
| Cmdlet output item | Description |
|---|---|
| UserPending | Indicates whether the listed package has a pending task that is being applied to the user: - True - False |
| GlobalPending | Indicates whether the listed package has a pending task that is being applied globally to the computer: - True - False |
The pending task will run later, according to the following rules:
| Task type | Applicable rule |
|---|---|
| User-based (for example, publishing a package to a user) |
The pending task will be performed after the user logs off and then logs back on. |
| Globally based (for example, enabling a connection group globally) |
The pending task will be performed when the computer is shut down and then restarted. |
For more information about pending tasks, see Upgrading an in-use App-V package.