Managing and troubleshooting virtual applications in the Windows 7 Start menu

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Virtualization

Managing and troubleshooting virtual applications in the Windows 7 Start menu

When you install applications on virtual machines that you use with Windows Virtual PC on Windows® 7, you can start these virtual applications directly from the Windows 7 Start menu. This document answers several common questions about publishing virtual applications to the Windows 7 Start menu, explains which virtual applications start automatically when the virtual environment starts, and describes how to troubleshoot common problems with virtual applications published to the Windows 7 Start menu.

What programs start automatically when the virtual environment starts?

Some background applications installed on the guest operating system start automatically when a user logs on to the virtual machine. Similarly, starting a virtual application causes the virtual environment to start, and some background applications start at the same time. In both circumstances, the applications that are listed under the following registry keys will start automatically:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

When all of the virtual applications started by the current user are closed, the virtual applications that started automatically will also be closed, as long as there are no open and active windows for those applications.

How do I close a virtual application that is not responding?

If a virtual application stops responding, you can click anywhere in the virtual application window, and then press Ctrl+Alt+End. You will be prompted to start Task Manager as a virtual application. In this virtual Task Manager window, on the Applications tab, select the application that is not responding, and then click End Task.

If you cannot close the virtual application by clicking End Task, select the Processes tab, select the Image Name that corresponds to the application that is not responding, and then click End Process.

Warning

If you use End Process on the Processes tab to close an application that is not responding, you will not be prompted to save your work, and you will lose any data that was not saved before you closed the application.

How do I troubleshoot a virtual application that is not published to the Windows 7 Start menu?

If you have installed an application on a Windows XP or Windows Vista virtual machine and it does not appear in the Windows 7 Start menu, check the following:

• Verify that the appropriate Integration Components are installed on the virtual machine. To install Integration Components, start the virtual machine. From the Tools menu of the virtual machine window, click Install Integration Components or Update Integration Components.

Note

If options to Install Integration Components or Update Integration Components do not appear in the Tools menu, then the required Integration Components are already installed on the virtual machine.

• Verify that the appropriate RemoteApp update is installed on the virtual machine.

  • For Windows XP, see Update for Windows XP SP3 to enable RemoteApp (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=140339).

  • For Windows Vista, see Update for Windows Vista SP1 or above to enable RemoteApp (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=140340).

• Verify that Auto Publish is enabled in the virtual machine settings. Open the Virtual Machines folder, select the virtual machine, and click Settings in the toolbar. In the list of settings, click Auto Publish, and verify that Automatically publish virtual applications is selected. If it is not selected, you must shut down the virtual machine (if it is running), change the setting, and then start the virtual machine again.

Note

To shut down a virtual machine, open the virtual machine window, and then click Ctrl+Alt+Del in the toolbar (or press Ctrl+Alt+End). In the Windows Security dialog box, click Shut Down.

• Verify that the application was installed in the %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\ directory. If it was installed in a different location, it will not appear in the Windows 7 Start menu unless you create an application shortcut in the All Users profile. To create the required shortcut:

  1. Navigate to the directory where the application is installed, right-click the shortcut to start the application, and then click Copy.

  2. Open the All Users application folder:

     • In Windows 7, click Start, right-click All Programs, and then click Open All Users.

     • In Windows XP and Windows Vista, right-click the Start button, and then click Open All Users.

  3. Right-click in the Start Menu folder window, and then click Paste shortcut.