The Compatibility Gladiator
Application Compatibility Planning, Remediation, Mitigation, Virtualization, and Modernization
On the Art of Troubleshooting App-V Applications
Lately I have been dealing with the big challenge of teaching something that I have become to know...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 04/27/2013
MDOP 2013 embeds APP-V MSI's inside of EXE files
If you are looking for the MSI installer files for APP-V 5 SP1, you will need to manually extract...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 04/24/2013
App-V 5.0: Launching Native/Local Processes Within the Virtual Environment
Update 12/6/2014: With the release of App-V 5.0 SP3, there is an additional option now available....
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 04/23/2013
Must have (User Experience Virtualization) Deployment and Management Resources!
It was no coincidence that the inaugural release of Microsoft User Experience Virtualization (UE-V)...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 03/10/2013
Running a MED-V application that depends on presence may not properly show presence when hovering over it in the System Tray
Let’s review some basic information about how MED-V: The way MED-V V2 works is the Windows 7 host...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 02/26/2013
Office 2013: Deployment and Migration Resources
Now that Office 2013 is generally available, it is time for many organizations who are currently...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 02/01/2013
Must Have App-V 5.0 Migration Resources!
Yes, there is a learning curve with the new release of App-V. This is why it is extremely important...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 01/25/2013
You may need to re-download Configuration Manager 2012 and Endpoint Protection 2012 SP1 Binaries!
The binaries for System Center Configuration Manager 2012 and System Center Endpoint Protection 2012...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 01/25/2013
App-V 4.6 Service Pack 2 is available on Microsoft Update
Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.6 Service Pack 2 is now available via Microsoft Update. This...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 12/11/2012
The Case of the Mysterious Open SFT Handle
Here is another interesting one-off issue that was happening on a few machines in one of my...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 12/06/2012
App-V 4.6: Why is SFTLP.EXE crashing and why can’t I troubleshoot it?
I have encountered an interesting issue where a series of applications that have been virtualized...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 12/04/2012
A special note for those downloading Windows Server Update Services 3.0 Service Pack 2 (KB2734608)
Official information about this update is available here:...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/23/2012
Why is Internet Explorer Crashing on Shutdown? An interesting App-V-related Issue . . .
Recently, I came across something very interesting. I was working with a customer who was working...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/20/2012
Windows 8: For Those of us who Still Prefer Keyboard Shortcuts to Touch Screens - WE SALUTE YOU!!
Yes, I admit it. I am using Windows 8 on both a traditional desktop PC and a laptop (They'll take my...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/12/2012
Windows 8: Shutdown, Logoff, and Restart
I’ve noticed that there has been a lot of adjustments and learning curves to Windows 8 –...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/12/2012
MED-V: How to Customize and Repackage a Workspace using PowerShell
One of the benefits of MED-V 2 was the introduction of PowerShell to control, manage, and deploy the...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/09/2012
Important Information for those still using Softgrid 4.1 and 4.2
If you are currently using Softgrid 4.1 or4.2 clients and/or servers, you need to be aware of the...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 09/25/2012
Some issues with the MED-V V2 Toolkit and how to Remediate them
I wanted to address some issues that have been seen with the MED-V Toolkit. These are minor/cosmetic...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 09/07/2012
How does each Version of MED-V use Proxies?
In Version 1, the MED-V Management Console, will use the IE proxy settings of the current user to...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 09/04/2012
App-V 4.5: Difference between what happens when you change the LogLevel on the Streaming Server vs. the Management Server
Here’s an interesting item I stumbled upon recently. While I was editing this document...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 09/04/2012
App-V 4.6: Oldie but Goodie! Using URL Shortcuts to Simply User Experience when Running Virtualized IE Plug-ins (Plus a Bonus Tip!!)
We know how to bring Internet Explorer into the App-V bubble. It’s as simple as creating a...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 09/01/2012
App-V 4.6: Important Consideration for Streaming from DP when Migrating from Configuration Manager 2007 to 2012
If you are currently using Configuration Manager 2007 to distribute your App-V applications through...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 08/22/2012
App-V 4.6: Configuration when Using Proxy Servers with HTTP Streaming
How App-V uses proxy settings will vary depending on configuration values. The values related to...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 08/21/2012
Windows ADK is now Available!
The Windows® Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) is now Available for Download. This...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 08/19/2012
Software Update to block RSA keylengths <1024 has been Released to the Download Center
Today (August 14th) an update was released that, once applied, will block RSA certificates with keys...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 08/14/2012
The Virtual Machine Servicing Tool 2012 is now available!
The latest version of the VMST has been released! The Virtual Machine Servicing Tool (VMST) 2012...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 08/13/2012
MED-V V1 Disaster Recovery
Disaster recovery in MED-V v1 is a very straight-forward and seamless process. Offline access is...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 08/10/2012
Important Notice About a Forthcoming Update
If you are currently working with App-V, SCVMM, Hyper-V, SCCM, or any management environment...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 08/09/2012
Using Virtual PC with Windows 7: Be sure to use Integration Features when the Narrator Accessibility Feature is Enabled
There is an important item to be aware of if you are using Windows Virtual PC (VPC7) and you are...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 08/06/2012
App-V 4.6: Using Service and Process Inclusions
App-V has a feature that can often answer many questions. Is there a way to allow anti-virus...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 08/01/2012
App-V 4.6: Are you using the Latest Version of the Client and Sequencer? You should be.
When many organizations move to Windows 7, they also take on the task of discovering, inventorying,...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 07/30/2012
How MED-V Affects Windows XP End-of-Life Support Policy (It Doesn’t.)
Lately, I have many customers who are in the process or quickly planning their migration from...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 07/29/2012
Bringing Legacy Blog Back to Cover Legacy Products
Just about a year ago, I moved all new posts over to Technet.com. In spite of that, this blog still...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 07/28/2012
MED-V V2: Using the CTRL-ALT-Pause Key Combination to Access Hidden Dialog boxes in MED-V
If you are experiencing issues with MED-V published applications or startup programs such as: Hidden...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 07/11/2012
MED-V V2: How to Enable Advanced Logging
In MED-V V2 all events logs are stored on the MED-V Host (Windows 7) and the MED-V Guest (Windows...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 07/10/2012
App-V: Refresh “On-login” and Slow Startups in Windows 7
When you configure App-V’s desktop configuration refresh feature (i.e. DC Refresh,...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 06/06/2012
Where Have I Been?
For once, I will switch gears and talk a little bit about myself personally. For the past several...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 04/28/2012
App-V: Why would new users on RDS/Terminal Servers not get any App-V Applications?
App-V: Why would new users on RDS/Terminal Servers not get any App-V Applications? I recently came...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 01/16/2012
App-V: Error Message when trying to launch a Virtualized Instance of Visual Studio 2010
Microsoft App-V is the only application virtualization product capable of virtualizing Visual Studio...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 01/16/2012
SCVMM 2008 R2: VMM Service Crash with UnauthorizedAccessException while Gathering Information on the Source Machine
Symptoms When click clicking “SCAN SYSTEM” in the SCVMM P2V (Physical to Virtual)...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/30/2011
Decommissioned or Unreachable Domains: How the App-V 4.5 Management Server handles them differently from Softgrid 4.1 Virtual Application Servers
Here is the scenario: You are leveraging an App-V Management Server that will be assigning groups...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/29/2011
The Default Block Size of 64KB in App-V 4.6 and Later may Cause Slow Streaming with Certain Network Configurations
Starting with the 4.6 sequencer, the default block size for sequenced packages was changed to 64K....
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/28/2011
Troubleshooting MED-V V2 Workspace Authentication
One feature introduced into MED-V v2 is the option to allow a seamless authentication experience for...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 11/03/2011
App-V: Intermittent DC Refresh and/or Launch Failures may be tied to Intermittent SQL Connectivity
DC Refreshes and Application Launches may fail intermittently in the case of an unstable SQL Server...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/29/2011
SCVMM: Creating a New Template from a Virtual Machine with a Differencing Disk will copy only the differencing disk without the Parent Disk
If you use a Virtual Machine as the basis for a template in System Center Virtual machine Manager...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/20/2011
App-V: Arithmetic Overflow Error (0000B065) when Running System Utilization Report
Administrators can use the System Utilization Report to graph the total daily system usage. You can...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/20/2011
A Visual Studio 2008 Package Sequenced with Microsoft Application Virtualization may not Function Properly after Upgrading to Visual Studio Service Pack 1
Symptoms: If you open a Visual Studio 2008 package for upgrade (or simply upgrade in the 4.6 SP1...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/18/2011
Use the MOFCOMP Utility to fix MED-V Error 7006
A WMI feature of MED-V v2 lets you configure your environment to detect certain network changes that...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 10/13/2011
MED-V 1.0: Unhandled Exception when running the VM Prerequisite Wizard
If you are still using MED-V v1, you may run into this issue when you are running the VM...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 09/20/2011
App-V: Error when you attempt to launch an application: xxxxxx-xxxxxx0a-00000124
Scenario: Users receive the following error message when attempting to launch an application...
Author: Steve Thomas (MSFT) Date: 09/20/2011