App-v Quicktime 7.68.75.0

Every few months Apple releases a new Quicktime due to patches or feature changes. Back in 7.5 or 7.6.0 Apple required the "Apple Application Support" program to be installed. This wasn't a major problem but it did make create a App-v version a bit longer to create.

Well with this latest version came new pains. Virtualizing with Client 4.6 was a breeze. Testing the program and plugin worked fine. You still need to remember to use the "Add Application" and put in a shortcut for IE so you can have the Quicktime plugin active in that version of IE.

With this version the IE plugin didn't seem to worked on XP but did work on Win7. Virtualizing it different ways didn't remove the problem, "It would work fine on the Sequencer but not on the deployment test machine".

Each time you tried to view a Quicktime movie in IE the following problem would appear.
Quicktime failed to initialize. Error # 0.
Please make sure Quicktime is properly installed on this computer



After discussing it in the forums for a bit someone else figured out the problem.
It appears how XP and Quicktime handle the need for a file folder. Granted "Apple Application Support" was installed and the folder was in the package but the application was looking for "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support" and it wasn't going to look at the virtual one.

To solve this problem with XP you can do one of two things. Either create the physical folder for the use or allow App-V do it for you. The folder doesn't do anything but serve as a place holder and the rest of the application will use the virtual version.

If the users don't have adminstraive privs on XP then you will pass down a command to create the folder.

If the users do have administrative privs on XP then allow App-v to do it for you.
Open the OSD file for Internet Explorer and add this text:

<dependency>
<clientversion version="4.6.0.0">
<script event="LAUNCH" protect="FALSE" timing="PRE" wait="TRUE">
<scriptbody>MD "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support"</scriptbody>
</script>
</dependency>

You could also use the cmd.exe to start the command if you like.

Adobe reader virtual and Pro

We have an environment where some machines are running Adobe Pro 7 and Adobe Pro 6. More often than not some run into a PDF they can’t open so the must use the Reader 9. Well in a test to see how a virtual Reader would act, this is what I found.

Reader virtual was installed First
Pro 7 is then installed.

As expected when Reader was installed any PDF you click on opens Adobe Reader virtual. A link in the web browser will launch the external PDF viewer since IE wasn’t sequenced with it.

When Pro 7 is installed the Default PDF behavior is shift to the Pro, as expected. Any PDF opened will open in pro.
Interestingly enough if you want to force Adobe Reader as the default behavior you can right click a PDF select “open with” then select “Application virtualization client” Always open with this.

Then when you click a PDF app-v will check and use the appropriate application but if you click on a PDF link in a browser window it will open with PDF pro since it can see the app-v settings. I am sure I can trick the browser by why bother. In the rare case you can’t open the PDF, or if it is very slow, you can simply download and open it by double clicking which will open it with the Virtual Reader.

There is no real reason to run these virtually or physically together other than the face that 6 and 7 are old. Machines that have Adobe 8 pro and Adobe 9 pro are just fine.

Quicktime 7.6.4

If you have deployed Quicktime either virtually or physically you have noticed that Apple slipped in a new application Apple Application Support. I am not quite sure what this application does but it won't work without it now.

When you virtualize Quicktime it will not pull in this new application by default.
While this is run during the sequecing it isn't capture into the virtual file structure. C:\program files\common files\Apple\Apple Application Support

App-V First Application

Well I finally had a chance to work on some Virtual Applications. I have virtualized Real Player and now QuickTime. I am hoping to remove them from computers so I can easily update them or just quickly remove them from the machines when the software needs to be patched.

Real player doesn't have a nice uninstaller. Only part of it is silent and it leaves behind folders that make app-v applications crash. This is due to App-v seeing a c:\program files\real folder.

When I did Quicktime I wanted to make sure that the IE plugin worked as well. This was easier that I though it would be. Just after Quicktime installs I open IE and launch a page that has an embedded quicktime movie. I install the activeX control and then stop the app-v install. Next at the window where you can remove application I simply add a shortcut to c:\program files\internet explorer\iexplore.exe. I make the shortcut name "Internet Explorer with Quicktime" This link is placed in the Quicktime shortcut folder.

One thing I will mention is that although IE 7 had all my shortcuts, favorite, history etc the home page opened to my default homepage that I set with the IE deployment tool. So it only carries over some of my settings. But the end result is IE that plays quicktime. Now I can elminate part of the security problems as well as installations/uninstalls from SCCM.