Appvolumes 2111 Chrome Side by Side configuration error

[hunterok]

I can see that there was a bug in App Volumes which stated as fixed in 2103

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-App-Volumes/2103/rn/VMware-App-Volumes-4-version-2103.html

• When an end user with a UIA+Profile or UIA-only Writable Volume logs into an agent computer and an older version of Chrome which is already installed on the base image gets updated to a later version, then on subsequent user logins the following error is seen and Chrome fails to run:
  C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
  The application has failed to start because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect. Please see that application event log or use the command-line sxstrace.exe tool for more detail.

  [2703435]

We use App Volumes 2111 but the bug is still present. Is there any workaround solution?

[MR_EV]

We have the same issue. We're on 2111 and the issue still persists even though it said it was fixed in the Release Notes for 2103.  I'm surprised there aren't more people posting about this.

[hwzxf]

I encountered the same problem on my side and found that it was caused by chrome auto update, but I couldn't disable auto update.

[RachelW]

@hunterok 

Do we see this same issue if we are using PROFILE ONLY for the Writable Volume?  We have this issue but are using PROFILE ONLY on our writable volumes.

[rwulffenstein]

@hunterok 

Do we see this same issue if we are using PROFILE ONLY for the Writable Volume?  We have this issue but are using PROFILE ONLY on our writable volumes.

[smartin05]

We are seeing the same error message within our environment and thought it was something I was doing wrong.  I have uninstalled Chrome multiple times as well as all C++ Redistributables installed.  I have tried to place Chrome within my Gold image as well as an vAPP within App Volumes.  Has anyone found what works?  I am to the point I am just going to take Chrome out of my environment and just move to Edge since it's basically the same browser.  I have an older SnapShot my instant clones are working off of strictly because I can not get Google Chrome to work on an updated version.  

[KelvinLowe]

I hade the exact same issue but since upgrading App Vols Manager and App Vols agent to VMware App Volumes 2203 | 05 APR 2022 | Build 4.6.0.102 it disappeared - thankfully!

[hunterok]

Profile+User Apps.

Currently we disabled Chrome Autoupdate for users as a workaround solution.

[MR_EV]

What method did you use for disabling Chrome auto-update?

[praviview]

1. Disable Google Chrome update 
   1. Rename GoogleUpdate.exe_disabled to GoogleUpdate.exe in C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Update folder
   2. stop t “Google Update Services (gupdate and gupdatem) in services 
   3.  

[sho_aib]

We did upgrade to VMware App Volumes 4, version 2206 and chrome is on the latest version & still we are facing issue in chrome. Even though its mentioned in the resolved issues in 2103 version.

[smartin05]

What finally worked for me was to delete the user's profile and writeable volume.  During all of my troubleshooting and different methods of trying to deliver Chrome, there were settings cached somewhere causing a conflict.  I am not sure how your environment is structured or how you are trying to present Chrome, but this is what worked for me.  I deleted my "Test User" writable disk and had the system create a new one.  Once I did this, I no longer received the side-by-side error. 

[rwulffenstein]

Hi @smartin05,

When you say "delete the user's profile and writable volume" are you referring to their writable volume or something else like DEM? 

After deleting the writable disk, did you also turn off Chrome auto-update?

Thanks!

[smartin05]

@rwulffenstein - The item that "fixed" our issue was ultimately deleting the writeable volume assigned to the user for those having the issue.  Not everyone in my environment were experiencing the side-by-side error, which is why it was more difficult to identify the problem.   As for the user's profile, this was not a big disruption since we have our user's folders (Desktop, Documents) directed to a different file share using GPO Folder Redirect outside of the Writeable Volume. I did not make any modifications within DEM to resolve this issue.  Just in case, this is what my Google Chrome config looks like.  I pulled this from somewhere in the VMware Community, but I don't recall the original post. 

Do you have Google Chrome part of your Gold Image or are you setting this up as part of an AppStack?

[IncludeRegistryTrees]
HKCU\Software\Google

[IncludeFiles]
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\First Run
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Local State
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Preferences

[IncludeFolderTrees]
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Profile 1

[ExcludeFolderTrees]
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Code Cache
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\GPUCache
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\IndexedDB
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Service Worker\CacheStorage
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Service Worker\ScriptCache

<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Profile 1\Cache
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Profile 1\Code Cache
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Profile 1\GPUCache
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Profile 1\IndexedDB
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Profile 1\Service Worker\CacheStorage
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Profile 1\Service Worker\ScriptCache

# Exclude crash/log folders from Google Drive
<LocalAppData>\Google\DriveFS\Crashpad
<LocalAppData>\Google\DriveFS\Logs

[ExcludeFiles]
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Network Action Predictor
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Network Action Predictor-journal

<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Profile 1\Network Action Predictor
<LocalAppData>\Google\Chrome\User Data\Profile 1\Network Action Predictor-journal

*.tmp

[rwulffenstein]

@smartin05 

Thank you for the information.  This is great!

Chrome is on the image