VMWare Horizon View Client 3.X - command line issue

[serinfbco]

We are having issue with the View Client 3.2 (also 3.4).

To reduce the fat-client computer complexity, we launch vmware-view.exe with a vbs and there's no explorer.exe on the local user profile.

When launching the view client with a parameter(-serverurl and -desktopname), the process might remains in the task manager if the user disconnects or cancel before logging in.

The issue doesn't occur if the client is launched without any parameter.

The problem, the vbs script runs the vmware-view.exe and waits it up before launching it again if it's closed. With the issue, since there's no explorer.exe, the user might have a black screen. The user shutdowns the computer or can do a CTRL+AL+DELETE to log off the local profile.

I can patch it up to check the applications task with a powershell script at 10 seconds interval, but that's not the long-term fix.

Do you have the same issue when you launch the view client with -serverurl and -desktopname ? Try several times, and you might have bunch of vmware-view.exe processes even if there are no windows in the task bar...

[KenClark2907]

I can't replicate your issue with the processes remaining open.  I've tested this using a standard user and an admin user with the view client 3.4.0 build-2769709 on windows 8.1

Have you checked the view client logs for anything useful ?

[auhank]

We appear to have the same issue in the same context (windows shell replacement with View).  We've used the approach for years, but this is unreliable with 3.2 and 3.5 on 64-bit Windows 7.  On "cancel" from the opening dialog, the client will often become invisible to the user (but the script and view client are in fact running).  I think we want --hideClientAfterLaunchSession=true for these direct-to-view machines, but I'd be thrilled to use whatever works. The goal is to protect login credentials from subsequent users in lab scenarios. 

[serinfbco]

I opened a SR with VMware, but it didn't help for now.

Here what I found so far:

We tested with Windows 7 from scratch (DVD)
The bug is there. You must not open Internet Explorer so the bug can occur. If you did, recreate another user or delete the profile.

If you did a sysprep /audit to pre-configure the applications as opening Internet Explorer inside your image, the bug won't be there.

If the user doesn’t open Internet Explorer:

- The registry keys “Connections” and “Wpad” are blank. (HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings)

The process vmware-view.exe might hangs in the task manager when:

1. connecting to the broker server, at the login prompt, if you click cancel

2. the user disconnects from his view session

It occurs even when you launch the vmware view client by the command –serverurl or the normal way with the interface.

For now, the solution is to “populate” the key Connections .. or open once Internet Explorer with the user before and disable Auto-Detect IE Proxy Settings...

Registry file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections]
"DefaultConnectionSettings"=hex:46,00,00,00,0d,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,d0,56,fa,83,09,01,d1,01,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,17,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,fe,\
  80,00,00,00,00,00,00,01,9f,fe,61,57,4c,48,38,0b,00,00,00,70,ac,e3,82,07,e6,\
  9d,81,88,48,2b,4d,ca,2a,b2,92,0c,13,5b,f7,73,50,57,02,c1,30,8e,9e,8a,03,4e,\
  40,43,29,2b,b3,f1,0f,75,ad,69,02,db,88,66,6b,7f,e0,41,35,6f,1d,41,ca,5a,68,\
  d0,e7,83,28,7d,a3,35,26,49,c1,23,7a,d0,71,5f,a0,98,ca,d2,8e,5c,cf,d5,37,58,\
  4f,db,6a,74,3c,89,cc,7f,22,8b,34,e4,f7,b1,66,25,63,15,c3,02,00,00,00,ac,10,\
  04,5f,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,dc,2a,f6,66,e5,6b,a3,35,bd,37,12,5b,a8,e6,0b,\
  1d,b0,4f,13,90,ac,99,ab,57,9b,dd,d3,74,9a,e4,bd,f9,f8,1a,0e,21,c3,c2,71,aa,\
  58,5d,eb,20,82,29,f6,bd,54,42,7a,73,37,1c,9b,3a,69,59,94,1f,73,9c,79,07,ac,\
  03,2d,66,6c,74,f1,ac,89,e7,3c,01,4f,fe,ac,f0,fe,75,fd,a8,90,76,95,f4,d0,a7,\
  2f,58,e7,fd,52,bb,79,36,fb,da,fd,82,93,94,48,44,56,5d,55,ba,0e,1d
"SavedLegacySettings"=hex:46,00,00,00,2f,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,d0,56,fa,83,09,01,d1,01,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,17,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,fe,80,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,01,9f,fe,61,57,4c,48,38,0b,00,00,00,70,ac,e3,82,07,e6,9d,81,\
  88,48,2b,4d,ca,2a,b2,92,0c,13,5b,f7,73,50,57,02,c1,30,8e,9e,8a,03,4e,40,43,\
  29,2b,b3,f1,0f,75,ad,69,02,db,88,66,6b,7f,e0,41,35,6f,1d,41,ca,5a,68,d0,e7,\
  83,28,7d,a3,35,26,49,c1,23,7a,d0,71,5f,a0,98,ca,d2,8e,5c,cf,d5,37,58,4f,db,\
  6a,74,3c,89,cc,7f,22,8b,34,e4,f7,b1,66,25,63,15,c3,02,00,00,00,ac,10,04,5f,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,dc,2a,f6,66,e5,6b,a3,35,bd,37,12,5b,a8,e6,0b,1d,b0,\
  4f,13,90,ac,99,ab,57,9b,dd,d3,74,9a,e4,bd,f9,f8,1a,0e,21,c3,c2,71,aa,58,5d,\
  eb,20,82,29,f6,bd,54,42,7a,73,37,1c,9b,3a,69,59,94,1f,73,9c,79,07,ac,03,2d,\
  66,6c,74,f1,ac,89,e7,3c,01,4f,fe,ac,f0,fe,75,fd,a8,90,76,95,f4,d0,a7,2f,58,\
  e7,fd,52,bb,79,36,fb,da,fd,82,93,94,48,44,56,5d,55,ba,0e,1d

[Gaurav_Baghla]

Are you using 3.5 Client I am aware of certain similar problem with 3.4 and fixed with 3.5. May be worth a try

[auhank]

Ver 3.5.2 on 32-bit Windows 7 does not correct the problem (where --serverURL is used and "cancel" as the first op makes the client disappear but is running, a nuisance in direct-to-view for us).  The disable-IE-proxy workaround of serinfbco succeeds (in limited testing).  Thanks for the posts.