The 10th edition of Virtual TechDays – was held on 22-24 November last month. It must have given a real opportunity to get trained in some of the key technology domains that we work on as part of our day-to-day work. As you folks are aware, I did a session on Finding, Testing, and Fixing Applications on Windows 7 using ACT 5.6. Check out the video below –
You can download rest of the VTD videos here, To learn more on the Application Compatibility Toolkit, read these How To Articles.
Today App-DNA releases a new version of the AppTitude application compatibility software platform to accelerate application testing and remediation for Windows 7, application virtualization and application management projects.
AppTitude continues to be the choice software platform for major enterprises and systems integrators. This release brings these key new benefits:
Self-provisioning of applications: AppTitude now enables a self-service model for application owners to import all types of applications into AppTitude from any machine. Self-provisioning facilitates even more automation of the application delivery process. AppTitude now streamlines the application request process from business application owner to low-touch packaging, deployment and testing.
Reporting via web client: To better accommodate worldwide teams managing application deployments, the intelligent and accurate AppTitude reports are now available to view via the web. Management, clients and global team members now have easier and faster access to AppTitude reports.
Broader support for multiple users: Accommodating application management teams that work from various locations and high-volume teams, AppTitude now includes server-side queuing of tasks such as importing and analyzing. Improving productivity, AppTitude is now a more robust platform for large multi-tier organizations.
Application collections: To better manage application suites and multiple versions of the same application, AppTitude now supports designating applications into suites and families. For application suites (software comprised of multiple products such as Adobe® Illustrator®), AppTitude can collect these applications into a group called a “suite”. AppTitude will provide one resultant (red/amber/green) compatibility report for the application suite. For enterprises using multiple versions of the same application, such as Adobe® Reader®, AppTitude now supports designating “families” of applications, collecting all versions into a family, designating one of them as the definitive version, and providing a single red/amber/green compatibility status for the entire “family.”
Improved reporting experience: AppTitude reports are enhanced with “pivot by action” capabilities to more easily sort which applications require particular actions. Additionally, consistency in report results has been strengthened.
To learn more about AppTitude, existing customers should visit the App-DNA portal. Enterprises and partners interesting in bringing AppTitude to their organization should visit www.app-dna.com or contact info@app-dna.com
Courtesy – App-DNA Team
With the launch of Windows 7 and IE8 as the embedded browser, compatibility for web-based applications and websites is crucial to ensure a smooth and cost-efficient migration. In 2010 web applications now outnumber native installed applications by a ratio of 1.2 to 1. This trend towards adoption of web-based applications makes it critical for organisations to be able to ensure compatibility.
ChangeBASE’s latest Plug-in for browsers, AOK Browse-It, enables organisations to speed-up their migrations to IE8 by overcoming this last compatibility hurdle.
Join the AOK Team on Monday 23rd August, 2010 (4pm BST/ 11am EST / 8am PST / 5pm CET) for an one hour webinar with Chief Technology Architect, Greg Lambert to find out the below.
The categories of compatibility challenges facing organisations migrating to IE8 including:
- Compatibility of web-based applications that need to integrate with the browser to enable functionality
- Rendering issues where a website, rather than an application, may not render or display correctly or certain buttons or links may not work
How AOK Browse-It can address these concerns and enable a smooth and easy migration
In-depth demonstration of AOK Browse-it including enhanced granular reporting
Courtesy: Changebase Communication emails
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Windows XP Mode was introduced in Windows 7 as one of mitigation which would allow users to run legacy applications on Windows 7 as of one Compatibility solutions. This method looks cool and easy. Its suited for individuals or small scale companies. However, when the size of the organization is high, this solution is not advised. It is not easily manageable and thats exactly where MED-V comes to help!
Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V), enables deployment and management of Microsoft virtual PC Windows desktops to address key enterprise scenarios. Primarily, MED-V helps enterprises upgrade to the latest version of Windows even when some applications are not yet functional or supported. MED-V builds on top of Virtual PC to run two operating systems on one device, adding virtual image delivery, policy-based provisioning, and centralized management.
MED-V helps to minimize application-to-operating system compatibility issues while accelerating operating system migration. In fact, MED-V helps remove the barriers of upgrading the operating system. By delivering Windows XP or Windows 2000 productivity applications in a Virtual PC, you can complete testing more quickly and manage incompatible applications after the upgrade. MED-V also gives users a seamless experience because virtualized applications can be accessed from the standard desktop Start menu and appear alongside native applications.
To Install, Setup and Work with Virtual Windows XP Mode in Windows 7 – Read this article
When you add MED-V to a Microsoft Virtual PC, you’ll get the following administration capabilities:
In coming days, you will read more on this topic!
Courtesy: Microsoft Virtualization Team Blog
Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit is a lifecycle management tool that assists in assessing compatibility issues in your overall application/device/computer portfolio. This tool helps in,
- Gathering Inventory for software, hardware, and device assets
- Compatibility evaluation and Get Vendor Support Statements
- Recommendations for fixing applications
- Tools to apply compatibility fixes or “shims” to applications
The Application Compatiblity process can be easily defined in 3 Steps – Collect-Analyze and Mitigate.
To facilitate Readers/ People who plan their first steps towards Application Compatibility, I have written these 6 Part Series on various tools which are a part of the ACT. These articles will provide information on how to start the appcompat process in an organization (or even as an individual) and fix applications!
This article will give you detailed instructions on how you can setup up the ACT 5.5 Environment, configure the Application Compatibility Manager and start the AppCompat Process. This is the first step towards solving Application Compatibility Issues with Windows 7.
In this article, we will look at how to Create and Deploy a Data Collection Package (DCP) to gather inventory for software, hardware, and device assets. This package will start the ACT Data Collector Service to monitor the machine State. You will also learn options to schedule the Data Collection.
In this article, we will look at how to categorize and prioritize applications in the ACT report which we get from the Data Collection Packages. We will also look at how to send/receive reports to get hints and support from the Community on solving AppCompat Issues.
During Develop / Deploy phase of an application, its very important to test the functionality of an app as a Standard User. Especially when the organization has a locked-down environment. Standard User Analyzer tool exactly helps you in this purpose!
This Tool collects your Web-based issues from Internet Explorer 7 / Internet Explorer 8, uploads the data to the ACT Log Processing Service, and gives the details about discovered compatibility issues. It also provides you links for more information about each of this compatibility issues.
This article explains the Compatibility Administrator tool which enables you to resolve many of your potential application compatibility issues. It also explains you on how to create customized compatibility fixes, modes, AppHelp messages, and compatibility databases.
Shims for Specific scenarios:
Do lemme’ know your comments and Thoughts.!
In the earlier article on Analyzing the ACT Reports, we learnt on how we can identify the application Compatibility issues in your machine/organization. Even If you are not keen in generating an app-report, this method described in this article will help you learn how to mitigate an application using shims.
The Compatibility Administrator tool enables you to resolve many of your potential application-compatibility issues before deploying a new version of Windows in your organization. This tool enables you to create customized compatibility fixes, compatibility modes, AppHelp messages, and compatibility databases.
Process to Fix an Application – The steps involved in fixing an application using this tool is quite easy. First launch the application, test its functionality. If your enviroment is a locked-down one, then test the application as a Standard User. Identify the issues which arise. Use the Compatibility Administrator tool to create a new Shim database (.sdb), select the compatibility modes and fixes for this application. Apply this shim and test the application again. If the app works and responds fine, deploy the same on the machine.
Step 1: Install the Application Compatibility Toolkit and Start the Compatibility Administrator. You will need to run this as administrator
As mentioned earlier, This tool provides individual compatibility fixes, compatibility modes, and AppHelp messages which can help you resolve specific compatibility issues. Right click on the New Database, you will find these below options.
Step 2: In this example, we will look at how you can fix an application. So lets choose Application Fix here. In this below dialog, give the application details and the executable you would wanna fix.
Step 3: When you press the next button, you will get to see the list of the compatibility modes listed by default. If you have an issue with just the version in-compatiblity then choose the version in which the application was working earlier! You can also do a “Test Run” of the app.
Step 4: As of now, lets not choose any OS mode here. You can do it in the next window (when you have combination of shims to be choosed). As shown below, you have lots of shims to choose from. Select all the shims which would fix your application (based on the analysis you did during the Application Tests or from the Analyzed Report).
As you can see above, few of the shims do have parameters to work with. You can check the ACT Documentation to understand more on these individual shims. Check out these 2 articles, where I have written on how you can use Parameters for File and Registry Re-Direction shims (VirtualRegistry and CorrectFilePaths).
Step 5: Let me select the shims, which will resolve the issues with the application I am currently fixing. You can click on the Show Selected Button, which will list out all the shims you have selected.
Click on Finish. This will give you the complete summary of the application and the fixes applied.
The Windows installs a System Application Fix database for use with the Compatibility Administrator. This database can be updated through Windows Update, and is stored in the %WINDIR% \AppPatch directory. The custom databases which we create are automatically stored in the %WINDIR% \AppPatch\Custom directory and are installed by using the Sdbinst.exe tool provided with the Compatibility Administrator.
Step 6: Now you need to save this shim database file, and install it. You can either install it by, right click on the shim and press install button, or by using a command-line option.
Or using Command Line arguments – sdbinst.exe C:\msigeek.sdb
You also have an option to use a query tool that enables you to search for installed fixes on your local computers.
You can read these articles to understand more on how to create shims for specific scenarios.
You must keep it in mind that, shims would just pass the condition (in simple words.. just a return true). This does not ensure or simulate the platform. So only when you are sure that, the application functionality can be achieved and this condition is just a road-block.. you can use shims to mitigate these issues!
In this article, we will look at how to create a Registry redirection and make the application point to a new hive instead of the old one!
The Compatibility Administrator tool enables you to resolve many of your potential application-compatibility issues before deploying a new version of Windows in your organization. This tool enables you to create customized compatibility fixes, compatibility modes, AppHelp messages, and compatibility databases. To know more on how to create one and implement it, Read – Creating a Shim/Fix Using Compatibility Administrator.
Scenario: When I launch this application, and press on the browser button, i get a error dialog which says “The browse functionality requires IE6”. Windows 7 comes with IE8 as the default browser and we do not have any options to downgrade it to IE6.
If the browse functionality will not work in IE8 or by Emulating IE7, and only works in IE6; the method to make it work is using Windows XP Mode.
On analyzing with Process Monitor (a Sysinternals tool) and clicking the Browse Button again, we will see a detailed report on all the resources this application action accessed. In this below dialog, you can find that this action has actually checked the IE Version number in the registry hive.
I reckon that the developer of this application had some functionalities which was working only with IE6 (at that time – legacy app), and hence, he would’ve added this as a launch condition. As IE8 is a higher version, and it would have a backward compatibility.. we will just need to comment this condition of checking the browser. Now if we want to send this application to the developer again to fix this simple stuff, it would involve lots of efforts of re-compiling, testing, communication etc. This is where, the shims come into picture.
In this post,we will create a new registry hive and path; make this application to point to the new hive, when the quering is done. VirtualRegistry Shim exactly helps us in doing so.
Step 1: Create a new registry key which would mimick the original registry key. Instead of HLM->Software->Microsoft->Internet Explorer->Version, I will create a new hive in HKLM->Software->msigeek -> Fix Apps ->Internet Explorer->Version
Step 2: Launch the Application Compatibility Administrator, and create a new Application Shim. Select VirtualRegistry Shim and press the parameters button. This will give you options to configure the paths. You will need to use the ADDREDIRECT command.
Step 3: Give the parameter for this shim.
ADDREDIRECT(oldpath^newpath) is the general syntax. In our scenario, we will give it as ADDREDIRECT(HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet%20Explorer^HKLM\Software\msigeek\Fix%20Apps\Internet%20Explorer). You will need to give %20 to signify empty spaces.
Step 4: Apply the shim and test the application.
Now, when I launch the browse button, the Internet Explorer window opens. What happens in background is that, a condition is checked for the old path and this shim redirects it to the new one. This passes the condition and launches the browser!
This mitigation technique can be used for any registry path redirection. If you have any application which is hard-coded and checks a particular registry key, this technique can make it refer a new path and hence pass the condition. You must keep it in mind that, this would just pass the condition (in simple words.. just a return true). This does not ensure or simulate the platform. So only when you are sure that, the application functionality can be achieved and this condition is just a road-block.. you can use shims to mitigate these kind of issues.
If you have issues with Hard-coded file paths, then do read this article!
In this article, we will look at how to create a File redirection and make the application point to a new File Path instead of the old one!
The Compatibility Administrator tool enables you to resolve many of your potential application-compatibility issues before deploying a new version of Windows in your organization. This tool enables you to create customized compatibility fixes, compatibility modes, AppHelp messages, and compatibility databases. To know more on how to create one and implement it, Read – Creating a Shim/Fix Using Compatibility Administrator.
Scenario: When I launch this application, and press on the update button, i get this below error dialog which says “Access to a certain path is denied”. This can occur in a locked down environment or as a part of the User Account Control, where the user works as a Standard User unless he elevates explicitly.
This application stores the configuration preferences in an ini file which gets saved in the folder C:\Windows\Downloaded Program Files\. This is a protected folder and a Standard User will not have permissions to write on it. We will need to change the path to a folder where a normal user will have the access, the %APPDATA% (User Profile’s Application Data) folder.
In this post,we will change this file path; make this application to point to the new folder, so that when this file tries to get saved…we do not get an access denied error. CorrectFilePaths Shim exactly helps us in doing so!
Step 1: Launch the Application Compatibility Administrator, and create a new Application Shim. Select CorrectFilePaths Shim and press the parameters button. This will give you options to configure the paths. You will need to use the ADDREDIRECT command.
Step 2: Give the parameters for this shim.
General Syntax: “oldpath”;”newpath” . In this case, we will give it as “C:\Windows\Downloaded Program Files\StockViewer.ini”;”%USERAPPDATA%\StockViewer.ini”
Step 3: Apply the shim and test the application.
Now, when I click on the Save Preferences button, the configuration File gets saved. What happens in background is that, the hard-coded path is redirected to the new one. The User Application Data folder has the write access and hence the file gets created!
This mitigation technique can be used for any file path redirection. If you have any application which is hard-coded and writes to a particular restricted file paths, this technique can make it refer a new path and hence give you access.
If you have issues with Hard-coded registry key paths, then do read this article!
Many of us work with Applications; either we develop or deploy them! While doing so, its important to test the developed application as a Standard User. Especially when the organization has a locked-down environment or the New Generation Operating Systems with UAC.
This helps in understanding the application behavior better. Standard User Analyzer tool exactly helps you in this purpose! This tool is a part of the Application Compatibility Toolkit.
Step 1: Install the Application Compatibility Toolkit and Start the Standard User Analyser. You dont need to run this as administrator; you can just launch it.
The application launches as below,
If you are aware of the SysInternals Tools Filemon/Regmon, this tool pretty much does the similar job. When you launch an application, it will monitor all the files, registries, INI files modified, the name-spaces which the app calls, the credential Privilages Process calls etc. This will give a detailed analysis on how this application behaves as a standard user.
You also have an option to run the same application as an administrator user and compare these 2 reports. This can be done, by marking the checkbox “Elevate” in the Launch Options.
Step 2: In the Target application tab, browse to the executable which the application will be launching. In this example, it is StockViewer.exe. Click on the button Launch. (You can also specify any command line arguments / parameters for this executable)
This tool needs a pre-requisite “Application Verifier”. If you have not installed this application, you will get this below dialog. Download and install this app.
Application Verifier is designed specifically to detect and help debug memory corruptions and critical security vulnerabilities. This is achieved by monitoring a native application’s interaction with the Windows operating system, profiling its use of objects, the registry, the file system, and Win32 APIs (including heaps, handles, locks, etc), and indicating issues when and where they are discovered. Application Verifier also includes checks to predict how well an application may perform under various account privileges. You can download it here
Once Application Verifier is installed, This will actually start monitoring your application usage. You may also get this below warning message,
Step 3: Start your application which you want to monitor; you can perform all the operations which an end-user would do!
While this demo, i launched my application and found that this application asked for administrator rights while launching, and also gives some ‘access denied’ error. When I close this app, the Standard User Analyzer has fetched all the requirement information which the application has accessed.
These logs and reports will explain you on the application behavior. It will also help your developers to fix this application easily. Looking from the application Compatibility front, this tool also gives you an option which identifies the mitigations and provides you options to fix them.
When you click on the Apply Mitigation, you will get the below dialog with the list of shims which would mitigate the issues identified.
You can also export this mitigation as an msi, so that you can deploy the same using any deployment tools in your organization!
Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool (IECTT) is a part of the Application Compatibility Toolkit. Its a freeware tool from Microsoft to solve and address AppCompat Issues.
You can also emulate your website to solve the Website Compatibility Issues – Read here
This Tool collects your Web-based issues from Internet Explorer 7 / Internet Explorer 8, uploads the data to the ACT Log Processing Service, and gives the details about discovered compatibility issues. It also provides you links for more information about each of this compatibility issues.
To know more on how to Install and setup the Application Compatibility Toolkit Environment, i would recommend you read this article!
Step 1: Invoke the tool from the Start Menu -> All Programs -> Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.5 -> Developer and Test Tools -> Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool
Once the application is launched, you will see the below dialog;
Step 2: Close all of your active Internet Explorer browser windows; and then click on the Enable button in the Toolbar.
This will start monitoring your Internet Explorer session. In the Internet Explorer Compatibility Tool, you can view the potential compatibility issues, filter your results, save an issue report, and open an existing issue report, and upload all data to your ACT database.
Step 3: Now Open the website on the Internet Explorer (This would be the website, which you would need to check the Compatibility for)
Step 4: Press the Disable Button. This will stop the monitoring of the Website.
You will now see the complete information which was collected. You can also opt to save this report (.cet) file, so that you can review your issues at a later time, or for archival purposes.
You can also filter the reports based on the issue occurances.
Step 5: You have an option to Upload these data to your ACT Database and rationalize and review it using the ACM (Application Compatibility Manager). Click on the Upload Button. This will create an XML file and bucket the data.
Step 6: Save the Cab file in the parent level of your ACT log file directory; This will be automatically processed by the ACT Log Processing Service the next time it runs. If you have not created the LogShare – Check this out
Step 7: Start the Application Compatibility Manager (ACM) –(right click and run as administrator). Now you will see the Internet Explorer reports also. If you do not see the collected data., open services.msc, stop the ACT Log Processing Service and Restart it.
Now you can Send-Recieve the data on ACM, so that you can get the suggestions from the community / Microsoft on this issues. If you are an IT Pro, you can also forward this report to the website developer, to fix these issues.
To understand on how to analyze these reports on the Application Compatibility Manager – Read this article
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