The Compatibility Gladiator
Application Compatibility Planning, Remediation, Mitigation, Virtualization, and Modernization
Are you sure you need to rebuild the WMI Repository?
To continue the subject of WMI troubleshooting: I am always frustrated at the quick, shotgun method...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 02/04/2014
The Importance of Troubleshooting WMI Part 2
To continue my discussion regarding the importance of troubleshooting WMI, I want to move the focus...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 01/22/2014
App-V 5: Why are all of these Different Language Shortcuts Displaying in my Start Menu?
If you have been using App-V 5 SP1 with RDS (Remote Desktop Services) or Citrix XenApp servers, you...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 01/21/2014
Why is it important to Become Familiar with WMI Troubleshooting? Pt. 1
Often in Virtualization and Management Products like SCVMM, MED-V, Config Manager, UE-V, and App-V...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 01/19/2014
App-V 5 SP2 Application Publishing and Client Interaction - Now Available!
A much desired, long-awaited, and highly anticipated white paper was released last week. If you are...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 01/19/2014
Virtualize! But How? P2V? I thought you took that feature out of VMM!
UPDATE: 10/21/2014: The MVMC 3.0 is now released with P2V functionality restored....
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 01/17/2014
App-V 5: Capturing Data Source Configuration
You may have noticed that in previously releases of Softgrid and App-V, it was recommended as a best...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 01/11/2014
Building Azure Web Sites
Normally I do not use this space to advertise books except in the case of two exceptions: If it is a...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 01/07/2014
The Case of the Ever-Expanding, Dynamically-Expanding VHD
I recently had an issue where I encountered something quite bizarre. In an effort to reduce size on...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 12/11/2013
Important Note for App-V 4.6 Users Upgrading to Windows 8.1
If you have not already heard, today MDOP (Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack) 2013 R2 became...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 12/02/2013
MED-V: More Detail on Full-Screen vs. Seamless Mode
I recently had a customer inquire further as to how the mechanics differ between all of the...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/26/2013
App-V 5: Further Dissection of the App-V Error Code Format
I recently just returned from the Microsoft Global MVP Summit where I got to spend some time with...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/26/2013
App-V 5: Useful Stuff for the App-V Professional (I hope!)
So I’ve been receiving a lot of feedback on ways to enhance App-V toolkits for customers and...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/15/2013
Here's a Short Blog with a very Important Message (T-MINUS LESS THAN 6 MONTHS)
Early last year I wrote a blog specifying how MED-V does NOT affect the Windows XP EOL Support...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/14/2013
App-V: On Operational Troubleshooting of the V5 Client
Update 12/6/2014: The App-V 5 logs have been consolidated and are organized differently as of App-V...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/13/2013
App-V: On Virtual Services in App-V 5.0
On the subject of services, it is probably worth mentioning some of the changes with how App-V...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/12/2013
App-V: On COM+
Throughout the history of App-V and Softgrid, you have likely read from many sources that COM+...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/07/2013
App-V: On Named Kernel Object Virtualization (a.k.a. the VObjects Subsystem)
Virtual Objects: You have also possibly heard this referred to as virtual eventing. You have seen...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/05/2013
App-V 5: On Explaining this New VFS to Softgrid Users
There is an expression that is based upon a well-known book – “Who moved my...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/04/2013
App-V 5 and Citrix Integration: New Whitepaper
Ever since the summer (TechEd) I have been promising customers we would have a white paper coming on...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/30/2013
Refreshing my Windows Store Applications
If you are like me you may be doing a lot of reimaging for Windows 8.1 now that is has become...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/26/2013
App-V 5: On that issue with Firefox where you cannot save preferences
If you have had a chance to sequence Firefox within App-V 5, you probably have encountered an issue...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/24/2013
The feed of Windows Azure Pack Gallery Resources and SCVMM Service Templates which are compatible with the RTM releases is now LIVE
Windows Azure pack information can be found here:...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/21/2013
I'm going to make this blunt . . .
Are you an App-V Guru? Are you good with traveling? Do you work well with customers? Are you agile...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/21/2013
Holy Massive Cloud Software/Resource Release Batman!!
So, Microsoft had a bunch of new releases this week! Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, a Bing...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/19/2013
App-V: On Application Compatibility and Shims with Regards to Applications Virtualized with App-V 4.x and 5.x
While the origins of Softgrid may have revolved around addressing some application compatibility...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/09/2013
Special note for Those Updating 4.6 to SP2 or SP3 using the MSI instead of the EXE
If you have updated App-V 4.6 SP1 to SP2 or SP3 using only the MSI, please be aware that you will...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/03/2013
Oracle Preview Virtual Machines on Windows Azure are now Available!
Virtual Machines for Oracle are now available in preview. Microsoft and Oracle have combined to...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 09/30/2013
App-V: On Registry Staging and how it can affect VDI Environments
UPDATE: PLEASE READ THIS AFTER READING THIS ARTICLE:...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 09/25/2013
App-V 5: To Virtualize or not to Virtualize! How App-V 5 Answers that Question when you Launch a Shortcut
Wow, that blog post title sounds like every formulaic business book title from the last twenty...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 09/12/2013
App-V: On COM Isolation and Interaction
Through the history of Windows, the COM (Component Object Model) has been integral to application...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 09/11/2013
App-V: On Virtualizing Multiple Excel Add-ins
Yes, I’m still obsessed with the subject of add-in virtualization. I felt it also necessary to...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 09/04/2013
App-V: Still More on Those Office Add-ins
As you can tell, I have been obsessed with Office Add-ins lately. Shifting gears from...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 08/07/2013
Feed of Windows Azure Pack Gallery Resources and SCVMM Service Templates is now LIVE
The feed of Windows Azure Pack Gallery Resources and SCVMM Service Templates is now LIVE at:...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 07/30/2013
App-V: On that Failed Office Add-in
Troubleshooting virtualized Office add-ins are always fun. Correction: troubleshooting Office...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 07/25/2013
MED-V V1: How to Update the Policy UpdatePolling Interval
Within MED-V V1, you can modify the default policy interval by modifying one of the XML files on the...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 06/18/2013
App-V 4.6: Troubleshooting A09 Errors (04-00000A09) with Office Deployment Kit Proxies
One touchy feature that has frustrated packagers has been the issues arising when the ODK (Office...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 06/13/2013
Microsoft Virtual Academy - Private & Hybrid Cloud Events
Join Microsoft MVP Pete Zerger for a free two-day Jump Start series covering the end-to-end process...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 06/12/2013
App-V 5.0: On these 0xc0000142 errors and where they are coming from.
"Where are these 0xc0000142 errors coming from in App-V 5.0?" There has been some chatter revolving...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 06/10/2013
App-V: Adding Additional Languages to Office 2010 Packages (. . . and pre-setting the Outlook Default Language)
Here is the scenario: You have gone through the trouble of sequencing Office 2010 with either 4.6 or...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 05/29/2013
Come See Me at TechEd 2013 North America!
TechEd 2013 North America is 6/2 through 6/6 in New Orleans!...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 05/24/2013
MED-V: To Cache Credentials or to not Cache Credentials (Ramifications of Disabling “DisablePasswordSaving” vs. Enabling it)
How’s that for a double negative? Disabling the disabling of password saving. In essence,...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 05/22/2013
App-V and CM 2012: GRRRRRRRR! Where did “Remove this virtual application when it is no longer advertised” go!?!?!?
With Configuration Manager 2007 Integration in App-V 4.6, there was a very popular feature that...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 05/22/2013
App-V: Process Exit Codes and why they matter when troubleshooting virtual applications
In a previous blog post...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 05/14/2013
MCS is Hiring: Especially in Virtualization!
Microsoft Consulting Services is sponsoring a career webinar on Tuesday 5/21 from 5:00pm –...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 05/14/2013
App-V 5: MSI Wrapper Caveats (Oh, and App-V WMI classes are different in 5.0)
For those enterprises using 3rd-party ESD (Electronic Software Distribution) products to deploy and...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 05/11/2013
App-V 5 Scripting: Change
It is almost easier to pretend you know nothing about App-V 4.x scripting when looking at scripting...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 05/02/2013