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2 "helpful" answers available (6 pts)
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VMware ThinApp:
ThinApp: Discussion
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4 Replies Last post: Jul 6, 2009 11:00 AM by pajenn

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How to make a program portable (that needs specials)?

posted: May 3, 2009 3:54 AM Actions

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1. How to make a program portable?

Example "Sweet 3D"?
VMware
Developer
Devilsfish Other programs that not need any special drivers works........ Download SDKs, APIs, videos,
7 posts since training, and more in the Developer
May 3, 2009 community.

Learn More

2. How the LogMonitor work?

Re: How to make a program portable (that needs specials)?

1. May 19, 2009 11:18 PM in response to: Devilsfish

Hi Devilsfish,
Please refer ThinApp 4.0.2 User Manual

Tejashri You can make an application Portable. To make a captured application portable for a USB
36 posts since device, iPod, or other similar device, the sandbox must reside in a subdirectory
Jan 8, 2009
relative to the executable file.

Steps -
1. Create a Thinstall directory in the same directory as your captured application.
2. Move the Thinstall directory from %AppData% to the application directory. The next time the
application starts, the application operates on this local sandbox.
3. Copy the application and sandbox to a portable device and start the application there

Working of Log Monitor -

"log_monitor.exe" is copied in the ThinApp install directory after installation of ThinApp.
log_monitor.exe displays the execution history and errors of an application. It will help to
troubleshoot the issue/problems. Log Monitor captures Win32 API calls from applications running
in the ThinApp virtual operating system, Potential errors, exceptions, and security events within
the application, all DLLs loaded by the application and address ranges.

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1303527[4/26/2010 3:59:46 PM]

VMware Communities: How to make a program portable (that ...

The only reason to run Log Monitor for an application is to capture trace files.

Steps to use Log Monitor for basic troubleshooting -

1. Launch Log Monitor utility from "Start -> Programs -> VMware - > ThinApp Log Monitor" where
you captured the application
2. To start Log Monitor on a deployment machine, copy the log_monitor.exe, logging.dll, and
Setup Capture.exe files from ThinApp install directory i.e. C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware
ThinApp to the deployment machine
3. Launch the virtualized application
4. As soon as the application starts, a new entry appears in the Log Monitor list. Log Monitor
shows one entry for each new trace file.
5. Exit the captured application to investigate.
6. Generate logs for each trace file you want to investigate by clicking on the proceess listed in
log monitor screen
7. Select the .trace file in the list
8. Click Generate text trace report
9. ThinApp generates a .trace file. Log Monitor converts the binary .trace file into a .txt file.
(default location of trace file is same directory from where application is
launched)
10. (Optional) Open the .txt file with a text editor and scan the information. In some
circumstances, the .txt file is too large to open with the text editor.
11. Zip the .txt files and send the files to VMware support

A trace file includes the following sections:

System configuration, Header, Body, Summary

I hope you understand the working of the log monitor.

Thanks & Regards,

Tejashri Khopkar

Re: How to make a program portable (that needs specials)?

2. Jul 5, 2009 4:39 PM in response to: Tejashri

"Tejashri wrote:

Hi Devilsfish,

Please refer ThinApp 4.0.2 User Manual

pajenn You can make an application Portable. To make a captured application portable for a USB
2 posts since device, iPod, or other similar device, the sandbox must reside in a subdirectory
Jul 5, 2009 relative to the executable file.

Steps -
1. Create a Thinstall directory in the same directory as your captured application.
2. Move the Thinstall directory from %AppData% to the application directory. The next time the
application starts, the application operates on this local sandbox.
3. Copy the application and sandbox to a portable device and start the application there"

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1303527[4/26/2010 3:59:46 PM]

VMware Communities: How to make a program portable (that ...

I'm brand new to thinstalls, and so far none of my attempts have worked. Could someone clarify
the above directory references to me. First, here's my setup:

ThinApp resides at C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware ThinApp

Captured application (TheWorld Browser) is in C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware

ThinApp\Captures\TheWorld3 Portable

It was captured off a clean virtual WinXP machine (on same host computer as ThinApp but
different partition). ThinApp folder was shared to give development machine access to it. I used
default installation folders and pretty much all default ThinApp 4.0.2 options.

Link to TheWorld Browser (~1mb freeware web browser): http://www.ioage.com/en/

Questions:

1. In step 1, does the "same directory as your captured application" refer to C:\Program
Files\VMware\VMware ThinApp\Captures\TheWorld3 Portable, or C:\Program
Files\VMware\VMware ThinApp\Captures\TheWorld3 Portable\bin which has the main exe from
build.bat, or C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware ThinApp\Captures\TheWorld3
Portable\%ProgramFilesDir%\TheWorld 3 which has the program files? (I assume the program
directory on the development machine is not it)

2. Concerning step 2, my %AppData% directory in C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware

ThinApp\Captures\TheWorld3 Portable doesn't have a Thinstall folder, so I assume %AppData%
refers to either the C:\Documents and Settings[my user name]\Application Data\Thinstall on the
host or development PC -- which one? If I move it to the application directory, then it will replace
the empty Thinstall directory I created in there in step 1 rendering step 1 pointless, so I guess I'm
missing something???

Also fwiw, the Thinstall folders on my host and development machines contain nothing but a
ThinstallBuilder folder that has Registry.rw.tvr file, plus a --.lck and --.backup version of it. On my
host computer I also have a "Crimson Editor (remove only)" folder in there I didn't make (came
with some software). I also have Thinstall folders under .\All Users\Application Data and in .\Local
Settings\Application Data, so I just want to be clear on which %AppData% folder to use for
portables.

3. In step 3, does "application" refer to just the main exe-file in the .\bin folder, or the program in
.\%ProgramFilesDir%\TheWorld 3, or something else? Is the sandbox the Thinstall folder, or the
whole .\Captures\TheWorld3 Portable folder, or something else? And finally, is it enough to just
run the TheWorld off a USB flash drive, or should I build it there too?

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1303527[4/26/2010 3:59:46 PM]

VMware Communities: How to make a program portable (that ...

Sorry for bumping up an old thread and asking what I assume are dumb questions. Also, sorry for
the lame quotes; I'm new to the site and didn't find a quote-wrap button (except for the whole
original post).

Re: How to make a program portable (that needs specials)?

3. Jul 5, 2009 10:48 PM in response to: pajenn

Hi pajenn,
Now latest version of ThinApp i.e. 4.0.3 - 3313 build was released. I think you should refer the
new build and user manual.

Tejashri
36 posts since Ok. I do understand that how you captured the application. Please refer my answers below.
Jan 8, 2009

1. Create "Thinstall" directory in the same folder from where you have launched the virtualized
application. E.g. "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware ThinApp\Captures\TheWorld3 Portable\bin"

2. Yes, you are right. "%AppData%" belongs to "C:\Documents and Settings[my user
name]\Application Data\Thinstall" on the host machine from where your application is launched.
By default Thinstall folder is not created. As soon as you launched the virtualized application, this
folder gets created. The steps mentioned in the manual states that move the Thinstall directory to
the directory from where application is launched.

"Thinstall" directory is nothing but the default "Sandbox Name" where your applications runtime
changes will save (only after application launches). Sandbox contains virtual registry files like
Registry.rw.tvr and backup version of it.

Default location of the sandbox i.e. Thinstall directory is in "\Local Settings\Application Data" in
the current users profile.

3. Yes, application is the virtualized exes along with primary data container present in Bin
directory.

No. Sandbox is not the complete Thinstall folder. Sandbox for individual applications will get
stored inside the sandbox. ".\Captures\TheWorld3 Portable" folder that you are talking about is
nothing but the complete application package.

No need to build it again in USB drive. Just copy-paste the bin directory to USB drive.

No. No that's Ok. It's my pleasure to share info about things that I know. Feel free to ask
questions.

IF you feel your questions has been answered/possibly answered then please mark it accordingly.

Thanks & Regards,

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1303527[4/26/2010 3:59:46 PM]

VMware Communities: How to make a program portable (that ...

Tejashri Khopkar

Re: How to make a program portable (that needs specials)?

4. Jul 6, 2009 11:00 AM in response to: Tejashri

thank you for the quick reply. i'll get back to you once i've had a chance to familiarize myself with
the marking system, and figure out whether the app is portable now, and if not why not. after a
quick rebuild, it was super slow to launch out of the USB drive on the initial run at least. CPU use
jumped to 50% i.e. one core maxed out and the app froze, so I killed it. regshot didn't detect any
writing by the app outside of its bin folder, so it may be portable in that sense - but i'm not sure yet
pajenn since it was such a short run... i'll write more later.
2 posts since
Jul 5, 2009

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