4.0.4

Table Of Contents
ThinApp User’s Guide
36 VMware, Inc.
Sample Isolation Mode Configuration Depending on Deployment
Context
Isolationmodescontrolthereadandwriteaccessforspecificsystemdirectoriesandsystemregistrysubkeys.
See“ModifyingIsolationModesonpage 23.
YoucanadjustisolationmodestoresolvetheproblemsinTable 32.
View of Isolation Mode Effect on the Windows Registry
Figure 33showsasectionoftheWindowsregistryforacomputerthathasolderMicrosoftOfficeapplications
installed.MicrosoftOffice2003createstheHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0
registrysubtree.
Figure 3-3. Windows Registry as seen by Windows Regedit
WhenThinApprunsacapturedversionofMicrosoftVisio2007,ThinAppsetsthe
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Officeregistrysubtreetofullisolation.Thissettingprevents
Microsoft Visio 2007
fromfailingbecauseofregistrysettingsthatmightpreexistonthehostcomputeratthe
samelocation.
Table 3-2. Sample Problems and Solutions That Use Isolation Modes
Problem Solution
Anapplicationfailstorunbecause
previousorfutureversionsexist
simultaneouslyorfailtouninstall
properly.
UsetheFullisolationmode.
ThinApphideshostcomputerfilesandregistrykeysfromtheapplication
whenthehostcomputerfilesarelocatedinthesamedirectoriesand
subkeysthattheapplicationinstallercreates.
For
directoriesandsubkeysthathaveFullisolation,theapplicationsonly
detectvirtualfilesandsubkeys.Anysystemvaluesthatexistinthesame
locationareinvisibletotheapplication.
Anapplicationfailsbecauseusersdidnot
designortestitforamultiuser
environment.Theapplicationfailsto
modifyfilesand
keyswithoutaffecting
otherusers.
UsetheWriteCopyisolationmode.
ThinAppmakescopiesofregistrykeysandfilesthattheapplicationwrites
andperformsallthemodificationsinauserspecificsandbox.
FordirectoriesandsubkeysthathaveWriteCopyisolation,theapplication
recognizesthehostcomputerfilesandvirtualfiles.Allwrite
operations
converthostcomputerfilesintovirtualfilesinthesandbox.
Anapplicationfailsbecauseithaswrite
permissiontogloballocationsandisnot
designedforalockeddowndesktop
environmentfoundinacorporatesetting
oronWindowsVista.
UsetheWriteCopyisolationmode.
ThinAppmakescopiesofregistrykeys
andfilesthattheapplicationwrites
andperformsallthemodificationsinauserspecificsandbox.
FordirectoriesandsubkeysthathaveWriteCopyisolation,theapplication
recognizesthehostcomputerfilesandvirtualfiles.Allwriteoperations
converthostcomputerfilesintovirtualfilesinthesandbox.