Project Pro and Visio Pro 2103 app stacks cause problems with Word 2013

[stringb76]

Having an issue getting my Project Pro 2013 and Visio Pro 2013 app stacks working correctly.  These are two separate app stacks.  Office 2013 Pro (full install) is installed in the base image and the provisioning VM is a clone of the base image.  When either of these app stacks is assigned to a user the app stacks mount properly and I can open and use Project/Visio normally.  However, when I open Word the error in the attached pic "There is insufficient memory or disk space. Word cannot display the requested font." is presented.  In addition, the fonts list in Word is empty with the exception of the Times New Roman and Calibri fonts but the fonts list in the Project 2013 app stack is fully populated.  Word works normally and displays all fonts when these app stacks are not assigned.  Before anyone posts anything about normal.dot please be aware that I have searched all over the web and tried everything related to fixing normal.dot with no luck.  Also, we use token based activation for Windows and all Office products in this environment (I don't think this has any relevance here but thought I would add just in case).  Does anyone have step-by-step instructions for creating Project/Visio 2013 app stacks?

Thanks!

Bryan

[dazzy90]

Hello there,

Well, I FEEL your pain man!!

I have many many issues with Visio and or Project as an AppVolume!!! It is sooooooooooooooooooooooooo annoying.

So, we currently use Office 2010 in the master image. We have AppVolumes 2.9 (soon to be upgraded to 2.11).

Office itself is fine in the provisioned (linked clone) VDIs. However I run in to issues with Office when Project and or Visio is attached! Office wants to run a setup upon launching any Office application. It subsequently fails. Therfore leaving Office unusable.

Now, this does not happen EVERY time to the assigned users! Could it be AppVolumes agent version? Could it be FlexProfiles?? Who knows?!!

BUT - one thing I did discover on the following article was to use the mster image as the 'provisioning machine' to capture the AppVolume for either product. This did help with the issues mentioned above, but like I say it does not happen EVERY time to all users that the product / activation / integration fails.

Article (See reply #2 from gv74) - https://communities.vmware.com/message/2501738#2501738

I have just tested Office 2016 installed in to my master image and Project 2016 as an AppVolume - this also fails to launch correctly with the installed Office 2016 suite.! Aaaaarrrgggghhh!!!

Not sure this will be of any help to you but thought I would offer some of my experiences so far!

btw what version of Appvolumes do you use??

Hope this is of some use to you?!

good luck and if you manage to find the solution please let me know!

Regards

Darren

[stringb76]

Hi Darren,

Thank you for the reply.  We are using 2.11 currently.  I have seen Office setup run on a few of the users I have migrated to VDI recently but I did not directly correlate this to an app stack.  However, the setup always completes successfully in this environment.

I actually did see the article you reference below and did attempt to use our base image as the provisioning pc but could not ever get this to work properly.  I created a new app stack, selected the base image as the provisioning computer but the App Volumes popup never open up inside the VM and there are some errors in the log where the volume times out trying to mount to the VM.  Tried reinstalling the agent but could not get it working.

The fun continues!

Thanks!

Bryan

[Lakshman]

What is the version of App Volumes deployed?

Worth having a look at this thread: Fonts in AppVolumes

[martinmxt]

Hi,

we're experiencing the same issue!

Appstack with Office 2013 and Project + Visio      => Upon start of Word, the Warning about insufficient memory appears.

                                                                          => Upon start of Visio, a installer is executed, afterwards Visio is working.

[blong57]

Had a lot of issues putting Visio in an appstack. Had to put in Visio and Project in separate Appstacks then another Appstack with both Visio and Project for those users who need both.

We also had to recapture Visio  using a AppVol 2.11 template as 2.10 had issues which caused Office license issues.

Here are the caveats to capture Visio;

• The capture machine needs to have Office 2013 installed
• The capture machine needs to have Horizon View Agent removed
• Visio and Project need to be in separate AppStacks for separate usage.
• If a user needs both Visio and Project then an AppStack with both is created. A single Visio and single Project AppStacks cannot be assigned to the same user.

However it appears we are also now getting the random Word memory issues as well. May need to open a new case with VMware support or dump Project and Visio from AppVols completely and look at delivering them from a RDS host instead.

[Smoke14]

Are you using UEM?

If so, you can AppStack both Visio and Project together. Then leverage UEM Application Blocking.

Here's an example:

You could use the Application Blocking from Microsoft, if you don't use UEM. But it's easier to manage the users persona from UEM.

[martinmxt]

Hi,

we aren't using UEM, and I think it wouldn't solve the main problem with the ms word 2013 "insufficient memory" error.

I've set up a new clean Win 7 and installed only Office 2013 inkl. SP1 (without visio or project) and the error still occurs.

best regards

[sjesse]

I think they fixed this if your using appvolumes 2.11, but in appvolumes 2.10 I got the memory error and fixed it by modifying the snapvol.cfg in the appstack. Try following these steps

1. Update the AppStack from the App Volumes Manager.
2. Attach AppStack to provisioning machine.
3. During provisioning mode navigate to c:\snapvolumestemp\mountpoints\{driveguid}\
4. Open snapvol.cfg
5. Add the following:
   • exclude_path=\ProgramData\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\MachineKeys
6. Save snapvol.cfg
7. Finish Provisioning AppStack.

Its the notes I took when I tried fixing the insufficent memory problem. Another thing that might be related, word needs a printer installed. If you deleted all printers, even software printers, the insufficent memory error can occur as well

[sjesse]

You need to do this to any appstack that will be attached, so even if office is installed on the base image and you of non office software on other appstacks, those other appstacks need to be modified. The problem was this folder gets virtualized and replaces the folder when users are using the machines. Something in here is needed, but since its not accessible causes issues.

[martinmxt]

Thanks for your reply.

We are already using AppVolumes 2.11. In the snapvol.cfg there is already the exclusion: "exclude_path=\ProgramData\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\MachineKeys  #PR1627160 Keep machine keys on system volume"

I've also tried to connect a printer while updating the appstack, but this also didn't solve the problem.

best regards

[alsmk2]

We're also seeing this exact same issue with Word 2013 & 2016.

Has anyone found a cast iron fix / workaround?

This is on 2.11.

[alsmk2]

It looks to be caused by a recent windows update.

We've just reverted our gold image back to one prior to the last batch of updates and the issue is no longer present. We're just trying to figure out which update is responsible... will post back once it is clearer.

[stringb76]

Currently using version 2.11.

Thanks!

Bryan

[stringb76]

Hi biong,

Have not tried capturing on a system without the View Agent installed.  Seems like this may end up being related to a recent Windows Update but will give it a shot if we hit another roadblock.

Thanks!

Bryan

[stringb76]

We do not have UEM.  We are using ProfileUnity to manage the persona.

Thanks!

Bryan

[stringb76]

Correct.  I just checked the snapvol.cfg file in one of my app stacks and the exclude_path you referenced is already there.

Thanks!

Bryan

[stringb76]

Hi alsmk2,

Any luck in determining which windows update is causing this issue?

Thanks!

Bryan

[JKhana]

Hello Stringb76,

I had the same issue and found a workaround. Its not really pretty but it works !

You have to install the faulty fonts (CalibriL.ttf and CalibriLI.ttf) on your golden image. No more font error message when using word.

Regards

[stringb76]

Hi JKhana,

Thank you for the reply.  Both of these fonts are already installed on my parent image.  Did you have to reinstall them on your image?

Thanks!

Bryan