5.1
Table Of Contents
- ThinApp User’s Guide
- Contents
- About This Book
- Installing ThinApp
- Capturing Applications
- Phases of the Capture Process
- Preparing to Capture Applications
- Capturing Applications with the Setup Capture Wizard
- Create a System Image Before the Application Installation
- Rescan the System with the Installed Application
- Defining Entry Points as Shortcuts into the Virtual Environment
- Set Entry Points
- Manage with VMware Horizon Application Manager
- Set User Groups
- Defining Isolation Modes for the Physical File System
- Set File System Isolation Modes
- Storing Application Changes in the Sandbox
- Customize the Sandbox Location
- Send Anonymous Statistics to VMware
- Customize ThinApp Project Settings
- Defining Package Settings
- Customize Package Settings
- Opening Project and Parameter Files
- Build Virtual Applications
- Advanced Package Configuration
- Capturing Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP
- Capturing Multiple Application Installers with ThinApp Converter
- ThinApp Package Management
- Deploying Applications
- ThinApp Deployment Options
- Establishing File Type Associations with the thinreg.exe Utility
- Building an MSI Database
- Controlling Application Access with Active Directory
- Starting and Stopping Virtual Services
- Using ThinApp Packages Streamed from the Network
- Using Captured Applications with Other System Components
- Performing Paste Operations
- Accessing Printers
- Accessing Drivers
- Accessing the Local Disk, the Removable Disk, and Network Shares
- Accessing the System Registry
- Accessing Networking and Sockets
- Using Shared Memory and Named Pipes
- Using COM, DCOM, and Out-of-Process COM Components
- Starting Services
- Using File Type Associations
- Sample Isolation Mode Configuration Depending on Deployment Context
- Updating and Linking Applications
- Application Updates That the End User Triggers
- Application Sync Updates
- Using Application Sync in a Managed or Unmanaged Environment
- Update Firefox 2.0.0.3 to Firefox 3 with Application Sync
- Fix an Incorrect Update with Application Sync
- Application Sync Effect on Entry Point Executable Files
- Updating thinreg.exe Registrations with Application Sync
- Maintaining the Primary Data Container Name with Application Sync
- Completing the Application Sync Process When Applications Create Child Processes
- Application Link Updates
- View of the Application using Application Link
- Link a Base Application to the Microsoft .NET Framework
- Set Up Nested Links with Application Link
- Affecting Isolation Modes with Application Link
- PermittedGroups Effect on Linked Packages
- Sandbox Changes for Standalone and Linked Packages
- Import Order for Linked Packages
- File and Registry Collisions in Linked Packages
- VBScript Collisions in Linked Packages
- VBScript Function Order in Linked Packages
- Storing Multiple Versions of a Linked Application in the Same Directory
- Using Application Sync for a Base Application and Linked Packages
- Application Sync Updates
- Application Updates That the Administrator Triggers
- Automatic Application Updates
- Upgrading Running Applications on a Network Share
- Application Synchronization Using Group Policy Object
- Sandbox Considerations for Upgraded Applications
- Updating the ThinApp Version of Packages
- Application Updates That the End User Triggers
- Locating the ThinApp Sandbox
- Creating ThinApp Snapshots and Projects from the Command Line
- ThinApp File System Formats and Macros
- Creating ThinApp Scripts
- Callback Functions
- Implement Scripts in a ThinApp Environment
- API Functions
- Monitoring and Troubleshooting ThinApp
- Glossary
- Index
ThinApp User’s Guide
20 VMware, Inc.
Set File System Isolation Modes
The capture process sets the level of read and write access to the physical file system to determine which
directories are visible and writable by the virtual application.
For information about Full isolation and registry isolation that are available only outside of the Setup Capture
wizard, see “DirectoryIsolationMode” on page 64 and “RegistryIsolationMode” on page 65.
Set file system isolation modes in the Setup Capture wizard
On the Isolation page, select the isolation mode for the physical file system.
Storing Application Changes in the Sandbox
The sandbox is the directory where all changes that the captured application makes are stored. The sandbox
is runtime modification storage and is not a cache. The next time you open the application, those changes are
incorporated from the sandbox.
When you delete the sandbox directory, the application reverts to its captured state. You might delete a
sandbox when an application has a problem and you want to revert the application back to the working
original state.
Customize the Sandbox Location
You can deploy the sandbox to a local user machine, carry it on a mobile USB device, or store it in a network
location.
If you deploy the sandbox to a local machine, use the user’s profile as the sandbox location. The default
location of the sandbox for Firefox might be %AppData%\Thinstall\Mozilla Firefox 3.0. The typical
%AppData% location is C:\Documents and Settings\<user_name>\Application Data. The user’s profile
is the default location because of the write access.
A network location is useful for backing up the sandbox and for users who log in to any computer and keep
their application settings. Use the absolute path to the location, such as \\thinapp\sandbox\Firefox. You
can select a network location even if an application is installed on a local machine.
A portable device location is useful to keep the sandbox data on the device where the application resides.
Customize the sandbox location in the Setup Capture wizard
On the Sandbox page, select the user’s profile, application directory, or custom location for the sandbox.
Send Anonymous Statistics to VMware
To improve ThinApp support for applications, VMware uses the capture process to confirm whether to collect
anonymous data about deployed ThinApp packages. The data includes the application start time, total
running time, and number of runs for the application.
Send anonymous statistics to VMware
On the Usage Statistics page, click the Yes - Send anonymous usage statistics to VMware option button to
confirm the data collection status.
Option Description
Full write access to non system directories
(Merged isolation mode)
Allows the application to read resources on and write to the local machine.
Restricted write access (WriteCopy
isolation mode)
Allows the application to read resources on the local machine and to
restrict most modifications to the sandbox.
ThinApp copies file system changes to the sandbox to ensure that
ThinApp only modifies copies of files instead of the actual physical files.