ThinApp IE9 Question

[llarava]

Hi,

We are currently evaluating ThinApp and we have some quick and easy that we would appreciate if someone could answer.

1.) It is our understanding that you can thinapp applications that run on WXP 32 bits and execute them on W7 workstation. Is that correct? What are the limitations?

2.) Can you thinapp applications that run on a Windows 7? What are the limitations?

3.) Can you thinapp IE9 and run it on a WXP workstation?

4.) Can you thinapp IE9 and run it on a W7 workstation?

5.) We have legacy application that needs Microsoft Word 97. I have tried to thinapp the application on WXP and run it on W7 but Word97 doesn't run. Has anyone tried to do something like this before?

[shrivastavaa]

Let me try to answer some of these,

1) Yes it is correct, generally they all work (sometimes with some tweak); but if the application has hard check for OS, (like check if OS is not XP and close), ThinApp can not help. In other words when an application claims that it will not work on windows 7, it may work and may not.(Though ThinApp will not be able to support this as this is not supported natively)

2) Yes you can capture apps on windows 7. (I do not recall any difference starting with version 4.5).

3) & 4): I have personally never tried it so I'll let other answer it but AFAIK; my QE guys had tried this.(WIll confirm in case you do not get answer) additionaly take a look here http://communities.vmware.com/thread/329125?tstart=0

5) I guess some users did capture that. So you have done -> PreScan -> Install legacy App & Install office 97 -> PostScan -> Build. And this does not work? What error does it throw.

[llarava]

Hi,

Well I am having issues with 2 application and that are currently running on WXP. I have been able to thinapp them and they are running for the most part with some minur issues that we are trying to figure out.

The problem is that when we run the application in a Windows 7 workstation then application launches and then gives me the following error message:

"Unable to connect to the sharedDbLibrary"

The application has Ghost Script, Oracle client (SQL Oracle ODBC) and the binaries for the application itself.

I have done some researcg and "Unable to connect to the sharedDbLibrary" type of error seems to indicate a problem connecting to the database.

Do you have any suggestions?

Regarding the application that utilizes word 97 I don't have the error message with me right now but I will follow up with you tomorrow.

[shrivastavaa]

>>Do you have any suggestions?

So the database is at some external network location and your package can not connect to it, right?

I can not guess what might be wrong here as with this; many things could go wrong. You may upload the log file (generated by log monitor here);  and I'll try to take a look. You can also try to read the log file, look for potential error section and start from bottom. See if it make any sense to you.

[llarava]

The application access an Oracle Database.

The applications uses an Oracle client. The thinapp application and oracle client are fine on WXP.

When I lauch the thinapp on a W7 then I get the error message.

I will grab the logs hopefully I can see something there. I wonder if the problem is that Oracle client is not compatible with W7.

Would it be possible to thinapp some of the applications components and then install others on the local OS finally call the link the thinapp ones to the local ones.

By doing this I will be able to isolate which one of the components is not quite working with Thinapp.

[shrivastavaa]

>>Would it be possible to thinapp some of the applications components and then install others on the local OS finally call the link the thinapp ones to the local ones.

Absolutely, you can try installing the oracle client natively (i.e. normal install) and see if it works. Though I suggest you to try the complete application on win7 and see if it works.

Also try playing with

ChildProcessEnvironmentDefault=Virtual

ChildProcessEnvironmentExceptions=MyProcess.exe (MyProcess.exe is a place holder for the process name, you want to run out of bubble)

you need to rebuild after this change.

[Lakshman]

3.) Can you thinapp IE9 and run it on a WXP workstation?

To my knowledge, this is not possible as IE 9 does not support Windows XP.

4) Can you thinapp IE9 and run it on a W7 workstation?

Yes. Please check here to know more about IE 9: http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-17190

[llarava]

Thanks for the doc. I will give it a try.

Here are some other questions:

1.) I have an application that uses Crystal Reports, the app has been thinapped and is working fine. Once the Crystal report is called by a user there is a calendar that it being opened on Internet Explorer.

2.) What is going to happen with any other application that is thinapped or locally installed and requires IE at some point? how do we have all the thinapps and local apps use the Thinapp IE?

3.) Our goal is to thinapp IE9 on Win7 and have our user working with that one instead of the local one. Once IE9 is thinapped how do we manage to have the thinapped application/s opening the thinapp IE9 instead of the local IE that comes by default installed on Win7?

4.) How do you thinapp IE components like flasplayer, etc? 

5.) Finally can you please share with me how do we make the thinapp IE9 take precedece over the IE that is installed by default? Is there any way to get rid off the local copy of IE (disable it)?

Thank you.

[Lakshman · Accepted solution]

Please have a look at ThinDirect feature that answers most of your question: http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1026566

For IE components, you can either capture them together with IE 9 setup or ThinApp separately and Applink them to the actual IE ThinApp package.