Hotfix Package 4 for Microsoft Application Virtualization 5.0 SP2

This article describes the Microsoft Application Virtualization 5.0 Service Pack 2 Spring 2014 update (also known as Hotfix Package 4 for Microsoft Application Virtualization 5.0 SP2). This cumulative hotfix also contains fixes from Hotfix Package 2 for Application Virtualization 5.0 SP2 (public release).

This hotfix includes a number of significant innovations in Application Virtualization 5.0, focusing on virtualization and deployment scenarios. These include enhancements to application publishing, refresh, and launch performance.

We have also heard your feedback and have made a number of other improvements to App-V. These include enhancements to the package conversion engine and sequencer, improved package conversion rates, and support for a VFS write mode sequencer setting. This last item grants the virtualized application write access to files and folders in the virtualized environment, if required.

Finally, to simplify testing and rollout of new versions of your virtualized applications, we now support parallel deployment and execution of application upgrades while retaining user access to the original application that's running on the same device.

Special note for this and later hotfixes Because of the number and significance of the updates involved, we strongly recommend that you test extensively before you deploy this hotfix package into a production environment.

Note Because App-V hotfixes are cumulative (each new hotfix release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous update package), we recommend that you consider applying the most recent fix release that contains the most recent spring 2014 update (Hotfix 4).

This hotfix package provides the following feature updates and addresses the following issues.

Issue 1

Enhancements to publishing and refresh performance have been made in all App-V deployment scenarios (RDS, Traditional Desktop, and VDI).

Several targeted fixes to the App-V 5.0 SP2 Client or to the Client for RDS have greatly improved publishing and refresh performance. This requires no additional configuration of the client or the environment by the IT administrator.

Note This issue and its resolution are not directly applicable to customers who are using Configuration Manager or System Center Configuration Manager together with App-V 5.0 SP2. For more information, see the Microsoft TechNet documentation.

Issue 2

Publishing and start performance have been implemented in non-persistent VDI or RDS deployments together with a user environment management (UEM) technology.

Previously, the App-V experience in non-persistent environments went as follows:


As noted in Issue 1, publishing and refresh performance has been enhanced. However, by following the practices that are described in the Performance Guidance about configuration of the deployment environment, UEM technology and the App-V 5.0 SP2 Client and Client for RDS (after applying Hotfix Package 4 for Application Virtualization 5.0 SP2), the virtual application start, publishing, and refresh functions are significantly faster.

Learn about Performance Guidance in the Application Virtualization topic on the Microsoft TechNet website.

Issue 3

Package converter has reported low success rates and low detection diagnosis.

Changes to the package converter have improved conversion rates. The package converter raises a new warning for App-V 4.5 and 4.6 packages that contain hard-coded paths to a drive letter, as these cannot be converted correctly.

Issue 4

Virtual application packages that require write access to any files and folders in the virtual environment are incompatible with App-V 5.0.

With this hotfix package, the Application Virtualization 5.0 SP2 contains a new sequencer setting that, when it's applied to a virtual application package, provisions the package with write access to any files and folders in the virtual environment.

Issue 5

Upgraded versions of virtual application packages cannot be deployed in parallel with the original version of the package on the client.

After you apply this hotfix package, the Application Virtualization 5.0 SP2 sequencer can support saving an upgraded version of a package as a new package. These packages can be deployed in parallel.

Issue 6

Virtual application packages that contain shortcuts to executable (.exe) files on a network share cannot start those executables if the system account does not have access to the network share.

After this hotfix package is applied, user credentials are used to access and start executable (.exe) files.

Issue 7

App-V Deployment configuration does not handle certain registry settings correctly.

When registry values are set by using the App-V Dynamic Configuration, DWORD, QWORD, and multi-string value types are not captured correctly. Therefore, the registry value is set incorrectly.

After this hotfix package is applied, these registry settings are captured and set correctly.

Issue 8

The Windows PowerShell window is listed on the taskbar during App-V Client startup.

When a user logs on to an AppV Client, a minimized PowerShell window appears on the taskbar. This PowerShell window is visible until the App-V start tasks are completed. If the user pre-emptively cancels the PowerShell execution, App-V does not start as expected.

After this hotfix package is applied, the PowerShell window is hidden and runs in the background.

Issue 9

App-V Service crashes when packages are deployed through System Center Configuration Manager.

When the Configuration Manager Distribution Point is located on a separate LAN from the App-V client, the client may crash intermittently during the publishing process.

After this hotfix package is applied, the service no longer crashes in this scenario when packages are deployed through System Center Configuration Manager.