Before beginning in-depth troubleshooting, first verify that the application shortcut is located in the "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs" in the MED-V workspace (guest). Then determine if it is a Host issue or a guest issue using the following steps:
1. Look in the Host Start menu and see if the MED-V application is published
2. Look on the Host to see if the application was published by VPC under \%appdata%\roaming\Microsoft\windows\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Virtual PC\<nameof workspace>
If the shortcut files are not in this folder it is likely a problem in the guest. Otherwise, if you do see the shortcut files it is likely a problem on the host.
On the Host
1. Look in the MED-V event log of the host for events from the task category “Application Publishing” for warnings or errors.
2. When MED-V publishes shortcuts to the start menu, it will attempt to publish the shortcut with a name that does not include the workspace name. If there is already a file of the same name as the shortcut name being published, then MED-V will publish the shortcut with a name that includes the workspace name. If the shortcuts are contained in folders of the same name, the contents of those folders are always merged.
3. If users move the MED-V shortcuts out of the start menu, it now becomes a self-managed shortcut and MED-V will not republish it. Use the steps for renaming applications to replace the shortcuts.
To determine if a shortcut is self-managed look for the shortcut under \HKCU\software\microsoft\medv\applicationpublishing\<nameofworkspace>
Each application is represented by an alpha numberic key. Each key will have a source and destination file path for the shortcut file. If you have an entry in the registry and no shortcut on the start menu then the shortcut is a self-managed shortcut.
On the Guest
1. Look on the guest in seamless mode in registry under HKLM\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Virtual Machine\Appallowlist and make sure the application is listed. Each application is represented by an alpha numberic key. Each key will have a source and destination file path for the shortcut file. Validate the shortcut name and path for the application are correct.
2. Check if the application is in the ExcludeList \Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Virtual Machine\Appexcludelist. If the application is in here it needs to be removed and the guest needs to be restarted. Use the shutdown /r cmd in the guest to restart the workspace