VMware THINAPP 4.6 - Applications that Thinapp Cannot Virtualize; Recommendations for Installing Thinapp; Using a Clean Computer

ThinApp User’s Guide
12 VMware, Inc.
Applications That ThinApp Cannot Virtualize
ThinAppcannotconvertsomeapplicationsintovirtualapplicationsandmightblockcertainapplicationfunctions.
Youmustusetraditionalinstallationtechnologiestodeploysomeapplicationtypes.
 Applicationsthatdonotnativelysupportthedeploymentoperatingsystem.
Ifanoperatingsystemdoesnotsupportthenativeinstallationofanapplication,thatoperatingsystemis
notasupportedThinAppdeploymentplatformforthatapplication.
 Applicationsrequiringinstallationofkernel‐modedevicedrivers
ODBCdriversworkbecausetheyareusermodedrivers.
 Antivirusandpersonalfirewalls
 Scannerdriversandprinterdrivers
 SomeVPNclients
Device Drivers
ApplicationsthatrequiredevicedriversdonotworkwhenpackagedwithThinApp.Youmustinstallthose
devicedriversintheiroriginalformatonthehostcomputer.BecauseThinAppdoesnotsupportvirtualized
devicedrivers,youcannotuseThinApptovirtualizeantivirus,VPNclients,personalfirewalls,anddiskand
volumemounting‐related
utilities.
IfyoucaptureAdobeAcrobat,youcanmodifyandsavePDFfiles,butyoucannotusethePDFprinterdriver
thatenablesyoutosavedocumentstoPDFformat.
Shell Integration
SomeapplicationsthatprovideshellintegrationhavereducedfunctionswhentheyexistinaThinApp
package.Forexample,avirtualapplicationthatintegrateswithWindowsExplorercannotaddspecificentries
totheWindowsExplorercontextmenus.
DCOM Services that are Accessible on a Network
ThinAppisolatesCOMandDCOMservices.ApplicationsthatinstallDCOMservicesareaccessibleonthe
localcomputeronlybyothercapturedapplicationsrunninginthesameThinAppsandbox.ThinAppsupports
virtualDCOMandCOMonthesamecomputerbutdoesnotsupportnetworkDCOM.
Global Hook Dynamic Link Libraries
SomeapplicationsusetheSetWindowsHookExAPIfunctiontoaddaDLLfiletoallprocessesonthehost
computer.TheDLLinterceptsWindowsmessagestocapturekeyboardandmouseinputfromother
applications.ThinAppignoresrequestsfromapplicationsthatusetheSetWindowsHookExfunctiontotryto
installglobalhookDLLs.ThinApp
mightreducetheapplicationfunctions.
Recommendations for Installing ThinApp
WhenyouinstallThinApp,considertherecommendationsandbestpracticesforthesoftware.
Using a Clean Computer
VMwarerecommendsusingacleancomputertoinstallThinAppbecausetheenvironmentaffectsthe
applicationcaptureprocess.AcleancomputerisaphysicalorvirtualmachinewithonlyaWindowsoperating
systeminstalled.Inacorporateenvironmentwhereyouhaveabasedesktopimage,thebasedesktopimage
isyourclean
computer.Thedesktopcomputermightalreadyhavesomecomponentsandlibrariesinstalled.