Right Click and Publish App-V Package along with Dynamic Configuration File - Context Menu Shortcut

In my previous blog I had posted about a simple registry tweak to publish packages globally/User by just right clicking and selecting the option. But in that method, it will not use the dynamic configuration file. And so I have covered how to do that in this blog.


copy the below code in notepad and save it in .reg format. After saving, double click on it and register the keys.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.appv]
@="appvex"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\appvex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\appvex\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\appvex\shell\Publish Globally]
@="&Publish Globally"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\appvex\shell\Publish Globally\command]
@="cmd /c start /b /wait powershell.exe -nologo -ExecutionPolicy bypass -file \"c:\\Publish globally.ps1\" \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\appvex\shell\Publish to User]
@="Publish to &User"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\appvex\shell\Publish to User\command]
@="cmd /c start /b /wait powershell.exe -nologo -ExecutionPolicy bypass -file \"c:\\Publish to user.ps1\" \"%1\""

Publish Globally:


Copy the below code in a notepad and save it as Publish globally.ps1. Place this file in C:\ drive. If you are planning to keep it elsewhere, then edit the registry entry accordingly.

#Import App-V Client Module
Import-Module AppvClient

#Enable execution of scripts
Set-AppvClientConfiguration -EnablePackageScripts 1


#get appvfile

$appvfile = "$args"

Write-Host $appvfile

#get appv file location

$appvlocation = $appvfile.lastindexof("\")

$location = $appvfile.substring(0,$appvlocation)

Write-Host $location

Write-Host "Path is valid = $(Test-Path $location)"

Set-Location $location 

#get _Deploymentconfig file

ForEach ($file in "$location") 

{
$Name=Get-ChildItem $file
  for ($i = 0; $i -lt $Name.count; $i++)
  {
   
    if ($Name[$i].Extension -eq ".xml")
   {
    $xmlFileName = $Name[$i].FullName
    if ($xmlFileName.contains("_DeploymentConfig"))
    {
     $deploymentconfigfile = $xmlFileName
Write-Host "$deploymentconfigfile"

    }
    
    
   }

  }


Add-AppvClientPackage -path $appvfile -DynamicDeploymentConfiguration "$deploymentconfigfile" | Publish-AppvClientPackage -Global  | Mount-AppvClientPackage 

}

Publish to User:

Copy the below code in a notepad and save it as Publish to user.ps1. Place this file in C:\ drive. If you are planning to keep it elsewhere, then edit the registry entry accordingly.

#Import App-V Client Module
Import-Module AppvClient

#Enable execution of scripts
Set-AppvClientConfiguration -EnablePackageScripts 1


#get appvfile

$appvfile = "$args"

Write-Host $appvfile

#get appv file location

$appvlocation = $appvfile.lastindexof("\")

$location = $appvfile.substring(0,$appvlocation)

Write-Host $location

Write-Host "Path is valid = $(Test-Path $location)"

Set-Location $location 

#get _userconfig file

ForEach ($file in "$location") 

{
$Name=Get-ChildItem $file
  for ($i = 0; $i -lt $Name.count; $i++)
  {
   
    if ($Name[$i].Extension -eq ".xml")
   {
    $xmlFileName = $Name[$i].FullName
    if ($xmlFileName.contains("_UserConfig"))
    {
     $UserConfigfile = $xmlFileName
Write-Host "$UserConfigfile"

    }
    
    
   }

  }


Add-AppvClientPackage -path $appvfile | Publish-AppvClientPackage -DynamicUserConfigurationPath "$UserConfigfile"| Mount-AppvClientPackage 

}

Context Menu Preview:


When you right click any .appv file, it will show the below two context menu shortcuts.If you want to publish globally along with the deploymentconfig file then click on Publish Globally and to publish to a user along with the Userconfig file then click on Publish to User.

Right-Click and Publish AppV packages using ContextMenu Shortcut - A simple registry hack

I always wanted a simple trick to install the App-V virtual packages in a single click without any need to open powershell and type commands in a standalone machine. I have worked on many software's and  used to see some of them provide context menu shortcut (notepad++, winzip etc..) So I had an idea to create a simple registry tweak to publish the virtual packages either globally or to a user by just right clicking a .appv file using context menu option.

Copy the below code and save it in a notepad with .reg extension. Double click and register it.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.appv]
@="appvex"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\appvex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\appvex\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\appvex\shell\Publish Globally]
@="&Publish Globally"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\appvex\shell\Publish Globally\command]
@="cmd /c start /b /wait powershell.exe  -nologo -ExecutionPolicy bypass -command \"& {add-appvclientpackage '%1' |publish-appvclientpackage -global|mount-appvclientpackage}\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\appvex\shell\Publish to User]
@="Publish to &User"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\appvex\shell\Publish to User\command]
@="cmd /c start /b /wait powershell.exe  -nologo -ExecutionPolicy bypass -command \"& {add-appvclientpackage '%1' |publish-appvclientpackage |mount-appvclientpackage}\""

After registering the registry key, now you should be able to see the below highlighted context menu shortcut when you right-click any .appv file. To publish globally, click on the Publish Globally shortcut and vice versa.





Registry Peak:






Note: This doesn't add the dynamic configuration file while adding/publishing. I will post it separately in my next blog.


Disclaimer - Test it with caution as I don't hold any responsibility for any problem caused. This is issued for experimental purpose only.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

If you would like to try on your own refer to the below link which can guide you.

Reference - http://www.howtogeek.com/107965/how-to-add-any-application-shortcut-to-windows-explorers-context-menu/

Application in use & Unpublish - App-V 5.1

Question : What happens when we unpublish an application that is in use in App-V 5.1? We see that the unpublish is getting failed, but when we launch the shortcut, it doesn't work.What is the issue?

Answer : Lets take an example by publishing the Mozilla Firefox App-V 5.0 package in a standalone machine using Powershell. Launched the shortcut and everything works fine. Now tried to unpublish by keeping mozilla firefox open(in-use).We are seeing the below "Currently in use" error.

We can see that the unpublishing has failed. Nothing has changed to the mozilla application. Shortcuts are seen in the Start menu etc. But when we try to launch the shortcut, we see this error.

When analyzed more by checking in event viewer, we see the below entry.

The package has been scheduled to be unpublished during restart/reboot. How this works?

The App-V client creates an entry in pendingtasks registry for the particular application with its ProductGUID_VersionGUID.

REASON: 

With App-V 5.0 SP2 or higher, App-V packages that are being used cannot be unpublished. It will be made to unpublish automatically during restart/reboot if globally published and unpublish during logoff/login if published to the user. This is handled by making a PendingTasks entry to the following registries.

Global Publish - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\AppV\Client\PendingTasks 

User Publish - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\AppV\Client\PendingTasks

Prior to App-V 5.0 SP2, Application in use cannot be unpublished. It can be done only by closing the application and then unpublishing it again.

Disable file transfer in Microsoft Skype 7.3.0 - MSI

After installing Skype, users can send files to different network by right clicking on file and selecting Skype to send context menu.

In order to prevent file transfer through skype, add the following registry


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Skype\Phone
add a dword "DisableFileTransfer" with value 1

Skype - Disable File Transfer

To disable file transfer through Skype, you need to create this entry in registry HKLM\Software\Policies\Skype\Phone
Create a Dword  DisableFileTransfer with a value 1

You can change HKLM (local machine) to HKCU to disable file transfer for current user only.


Don't forget to restart Skype after applying changes to registry.

How to turn on hidden Primary virtual application directory (PVAD) in APP-V SP3

As we all are aware that the primary virtual application directory (PVAD) is hidden in App-V 5.0 SP3, but there is an option to turn it back on and make it visible during the sequencing phase.

Option 1: open the sequencer.exe with the parameter –EnablePVADControl in command prompt.
                           
Option 2: In the Registry Editor, go to:                     HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AppV\Sequencer\Compatibility    

If the Compatability subkey doesn’t exist, we must create it.Then Create a DWORD Value named EnablePVADControl, and set the value to 1. A value  0 means that PVAD is hidden.