Thinapp multiple version of Internet Explorers running with native IE 9

[cicici1234]

Hello, it’s me again with questions about ThinApp.

So, I have thinapp-ed IE 6, 7, 8.  We currently have IE 9 running in our Windows 7, 64bit box.  I understand about ThinDirect, how I can have certain links opening in certain version of IE. 

We have developers and webmaster who constantly need to test applications and sites in all those versions of IE.  So, the idea of multiple IE running on their desktop is very exciting for them.

All IE 6, 7, and 8 are thinapp fine.  But, we noticed a little issue.  If a user just finished using and closed out IE 6, 7, or 8, then they open a link from Outlook or anywhere else(during  that time, no IE are open).  The link will open in whatever the last thinapp-ed IE they used, not with their native IE 9. 

I made sure that all the thin-app IE are UNCHECK with “Tell me if Internet Explorer is not the default web browser.”  Only the native IE9 has that option checked. 

If the user opens up IE 9 and press Make default and have that default web browser check, everything will open in IE 9 again until they run the other thinapp IE again.

So, I want users to run their IE 9 as their default browser regardless of what thinapp IE they have running.  And, I don't want any other IE to check and see if they are the default browswer whenever they first start running.

Is there anything I can do to fix that?

[kmgp · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I understand about ThinDirect, how I can have certain links opening in certain version of IE?

You should do a thinapp of each of the version IE and while you thinapp each version you must specify the links which need to be opened in that specific browser.

As an example lets take IE 7 and lets make an assumption that the link www.sevencycles.com must be opened in IE 7 only on the deploymet machine.

Capture procedure:

1. On a clean XP machine perform a prescan.
2. Perform an Upgrade from IE 6 to IE 7 only. No windows updates.
3. Perform postscan and proceed with the capture normally till you hit the "Quality Statistic collection page"
4. The page following this is the browser redirection page. Edit in here the the to be redirected URL www.sevencycles.com.
5. Proceed with the default options till you generate the thinapp of the IE or complete the thinapp process.

Deployment procedure.

1. Copy the bin folder or the thinapped Internet Explorer.exe of IE7 onto deployment machine/Win 7 64 vbit machine. Lets presume the bin of Internet explorer 7 is in c:\bin.
2. Mount / Copy the contents of the VMware ThinApp onto the deployment machine.
3. Perform a thinreg of the thinapped Internet explorer as > thinreg.exe /a c:\bin\Internet explorer.exe.

Verification:

1. Post thinreg verify contents of c:\Program Files(x 86)\VMware\VMware ThinApp\Thindirect it shall contain .txt files by names of the package of each of the thinapped browser. You will have Windows Internet Explorer 7.txt. Open and verify if the redirection is for www.Sevencycles.com and the location of the internet explorer 7 is correct.
2. Verify if the thindirect plugin exists in Tools -> Manage Addons on Internet Explorer 9.

Are we on the same page till here?

Now coming to the scenario in hand, I have verified with two browsers. IE 6 and IE 7 on Win 7 64.

• Thindirection of IE6 was to www.nbs.com/sixers and IE7 to www.sevencycles.com
• Copied over the thinapped exes to the deployment machine and did a thinreg of the VirtIE6.exe and Internet explorer.exe (Version 7).
• Hence the contents of the c:\Program Files (x 86)\VMware\VMware ThinApp\ThinDirect would have 2 text files VirtIE6.txt and Windows Internet Explorer 7.txt.
• Launched the native IE 9 and entered URL as www.nba.com/sixers; it launched the URL in IE 6 and it closed IE 9.
• Closed IE 6.
• Again launched IE 9 and set the browser URL to www.sevencycles.com and pressed Enter.
• IE 7 was launched with the URL set to www.sevencycles.com and IE 9 got closed.
• Closed IE 7.
• Launched thinapped Excel 2003.
• In a cell typed www.yahoo.com and then Clicked it. It opened a www.yahoo.com in IE 9 as per your expectation.

I did not encounter the erroneous scenario that you mentioned. Is there any change that you suggest me to do in the test?

GURU

[cicici1234]

I did not do anything with ThinDirect yet.  We are still in the beginning stage of deploying VDI to the rest of the IT.  Therefore, I don't know what sites which need to be in view in older versions of IE.

- So, I thinapp-ed IE 6, 7, and 8 in Windows XP, SP3, 32bit.

- I streamed IE 8 to a Windows 7, 64bit, VDI box, which already have IE 9 installed.

- I opened IE 8, browsed around, make sure it is working.

- Close out all IE, click on a link in Outlook email, or excel

- Instead of IE 9 opens, I get IE 8 opening.

- There is no ThinDirect involved.

To me, it sounds like when I open IE 8, it somehow sets itself as a default browser.  To fix that, I will have to open IE 9, and set it back as default.  And all site will opened with IE 9 until I open IE 8 again.

[kmgp]

Hi,

I tested the scenario with a streamed and thinreged IE 8 on the runtime machine (Win 7 64 VM). Post browing with IE8, Closing it and then clicking a URL from Excel, opened the link in  IE 9 only.

GURU

[cicici1234]

Hum, I did test again in my enviorment.  It is no longer doing that strange thing.  Maybe I am good from now.  Thanks!