5.1

ThinApp User’s Guide
38 VMware, Inc.
 Creating a login script that queries applications entitled to the user and runs the thinreg.exe utility with
the option that registers the applications on the local machine. Login scripts are useful for nonpersistent
desktops. See “Establishing File Type Associations with the thinreg.exe Utility” on page 38.
 Controlling user access to fileshares. IT administrators might control access by organizing network shares
based on function and associating permissions with network shares based on those functional
boundaries.
Deploying ThinApp on Network Shares
Small and medium enterprises tend to use a network share. You can create executable files for the captured
application and store them on a network share. Each time you deploy a new application or an update to an
existing package, you can notify client users to run the thinreg.exe utility with an appropriate option.
IT administrators can control user access to fileshares by organizing network shares based on function and
associating permissions with network shares based on those functional boundaries.
The differences between the network share option and the VMware View option are that the network share
option assumes a mix of physical and virtual (persistent) desktops and involves users running the
thinreg.exe utility directly instead of relying on login scripts.
Deploying ThinApp Using Executable Files
You can use a basic deployment option with executable files when disk use is limited.
You can create executable files for the captured applications, copy them from a central repository, and run the
thinreg.exe utility manually to register file type associations, desktop shortcuts, and the application
package on the system.
Establishing File Type Associations with the thinreg.exe Utility
If you create executable files instead of MSI files during the capture process, you must run the thinreg.exe
utility to open files, such as a .doc document or an .html page. For example, if you click a URL in an email
message, ThinApp must be set to start Firefox. You do not have to run the thinreg.exe utility for MSI files
because MSI files start the utility during the application installation.
The thinreg.exe utility creates the Start menu and desktop shortcuts, sets up file type associations, adds
deinstallation information to the system control panel, and unregisters previously registered packages. The
utility enables you to see the control panel extensions for applications, such as Quicktime or the mail control
panel applet for Microsoft Outlook 2007. When you right-click a file, such as a .doc file, the thinreg.exe
utility enables you to see the same menu options for a .doc file in a native environment.
If an application runs SMTP or HTTP protocols, such as an email link on a Web page that needs to open
Microsoft Outlook 2007, the thinreg.exe utility starts available virtual applications that can handle those
protocols. If virtual applications are not available, the thinreg.exe utility starts native applications that can
handle those protocols.
The default location of the utility is C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware ThinApp.
Application Sync Effect on the thinreg.exe Utility
The Application Sync utility affects the thinreg.exe utility during the update process.
If you add, modify, or remove executable files, the thinreg.exe utility reregisters the file type associations,
shortcuts, and icons.
If you install protocols, MIME types, control panel applets, and templates other than executable files, the
thinreg.exe utility reregisters these elements.