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Cosmin2
Contributor
Contributor

file with the same name in the same folder: real and virtual

If a real file exists in a real folder but a virtual file with the same name exists in the same folder (virtual) - which one will be accessed by the virtualized application? The virtual one?

If DirectoryIsolationMode is set to Full then of course the virtual one will be accessed.

But what about when is set to Merged or WriteCopy...?

I think that is the virtual one also in these situations but I wanna be sure.

Thank you.

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hos250872
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

If you feel sure, when you get an answer from someone:

If a virtual file exists, it always masks a file with the same name in the real filesystem.

To feel really really sure, you could easily test it yourself.

Create an emtpy thinapp, only consisting of the cmd.exe entry point an three directories, set to Full, Writecopy and merged, put a textfile into it with the content "virtual", create the same directories in the real system with a file with the same name and the content "real".

Then open the cmd.exe entrypoint, open notepad with the 3 files and change something. And then you can look into the sandbox and into the real system and see for yourself.

Then you can be 100% sure, because you have seen it with your own eyes.

Andreas

Cosmin2
Contributor
Contributor

Thank you for the idea.

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Cosmin2
Contributor
Contributor

I'm curious, why does ThinApp decide sometimes to use Full and sometimes to use WriteCopy (in ##Attributes.ini)?

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hos250872
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Full is normaly used for the newly created program folders.

So, if you install application xyz to c:\program files\xyz, that folder is isolaton level full.

Why?

Because you don't want your thinapp program and your locally installed program to be mixed.

Example:

The first time a program is started, it creates a xyz.ini file with configuration information. You maybe don't have it in your thinapp, because it should be created by the first start on this pc.

You have a locally installed (older) version, which has started, so the xyz.ini file exists.

If you had WriteCopy isolation level, your thinapp program would see that xyz.ini file and would think, it has already be configured.

Other folders, like c:\windows, you don't want the thinapp to write into it, but it has to be able to see the files in that folder (so you can load dlls etc.), so they are becoming writecopy. And something like the spool folder will be merged, because the native printer driver has to see the spool file generated by the thinapp.

Andreas

Cosmin2
Contributor
Contributor

Ok, I understand, thank you again.

But if I use Merged on all is a big problem? Like I did here in the last reply: http://communities.vmware.com/thread/307032?tstart=0

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hos250872
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

It depends on what you want to do and why you are using thinapps.

To provoke:

If you copy all files on the real filesystem and put the isolation level on all folders to merged, so that each change is written to the real filesystem, why are you using thinapp? Why not install natively on windows?

There are surely scenarios, where it make sense to make such an approach but that depends on your goals.

For example if you say you want only protect the windows folder and the registry against trash being written in, but the other folders are ok, if there are some residue of older programs in it.

Thinapps itself does not have a problem with all set to merged.

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Cosmin2
Contributor
Contributor

Yes, my primary goal is to protect Windows folder and registry.

To have application's files compacted in a single dat file is a goal too, but secondary.

Sometimes I will use virtual files/folders, sometimes I will use real ones, that depend on aplication also. For example on large applications I prefer the real ones.

Now I have to figure it out why is not working in Office 2007 with real files... Smiley Sad

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Squidly_Man
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

I would suggest reviewing the ThinApp Blog article discussing the differences between the Isolation Modes, posted by Peter Bjork -  http://blogs.vmware.com/thinapp/2009/11/thinapp-101-differences-between-the-isolation-modes.html

-Dean F.

http://pubs.vmware.com/thinapp4/help

-Dean F. https://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/identitymanager-pubs.html
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