Edit snapvol.cfg to only include a specific folder

[Aaron206]

According to this article -

Using the VMware App Volumes snapvol.cfg File to Customize Writable Volumes - VMware End-User Comput...

By default App Volumes (2.12 in my case) Writable UIA template includes the whole c:\ and then selectively excludes files, folders, process'

I need to do the opposite... and only include the Outlook OST folder c:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

I've been trying to edit the snapvol.cfg file, but haven't had any luck with variables suck as %username% or %LOCALAPPDATA% etc...

Does anyone know the sytax or env. variables that can be used to exclude all files/folders/process and only include one directory?

Below is what the file looks like with everythign stripped out, but what do i put after "virtualize=\"

I tried <LOCALAPPDATA>, %localappdata%\path\to=folder etc

scope=global

type=writable

################################################################

# File system

################################################################

virtualize=\

# This should always be the last line in the policy

os=any

[Lakshman]

Are you using VMware UEM along with App Volumes? If then, please read this blog:

Managing OST Files with App Volumes & User Environment Manager - VMware Blogs

If not, please try this in the snapvol.cfg

virtualize=%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook

[Aaron206]

Hello,

Yes, I have seen that blog regarding redirecting the OST and it will not work if you also have the outlook admx set to "automatically configure profile based on the users Active Directory Primary SMTP address".

If the Automatically configure profile is set, and the OST gpo is set, the profile is created before the OST redirection is set, so it never redirects and stays in the default location.

I'f I want to use that gpo to redirect, I can make it work, but then the user has to click "next a few times" as the auto configure profile cant be used.

But I still need to disable all other visualization of apps in the UIA template.

As the UIA template does all User Installed Apps and not just OST files, it is not the desired outcome.

A writable volume was goign to strictly be used for a OST file

I have tried virtualize=%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook.

After zipping the file, uploading, etc

It literally creates a folder in the root of C: called "%LOCALAPPSETTINGS%\Microsoft\Office"

Completely ignores teh Vataible

Tried %username% as well

It just ignores the variables.

I tried setting it to the exact path of a test user -

\Users\testuser\appdata\local\microsoft\outlook

It ignored it, and created a new "user\testuser.DOMAIN\appdata" folder

[arryvang]

Was a solution ever found for this?  I am in the same situation where we'd like to only use the writable volume to store the OST and cache.  I do not want it to virtualize apps the user may have installed.

[namo442]

Did you ever find a resolution for this?

[fdrietatns]

It's possible to low-tek it and execute in a round about way:

-configure svservice to assign a drive letter (or configure powershell script to assign a variable to the CVWritable volume)

-update logoff.bat script to execute robocopy (or a powershell script with the env:username)

I've done similar things in the past with great success.