USMT and App-V User-Pinned Shortcuts

Applies to:   Windows 7 and App-V 4.6

Scenario:   If you are planning to leverage USMT to migrate App-V shortcuts that users may pin to a location outside the programmatic location set in the App-V package (such as the taskbar or start menu), the restored shortcuts on the restored system will reference app-v icon files that are no longer valid and the icon for the shortcut will display as blank. The reason for this is the App-V client will create icon files for the same App-V package with a different icon file name after the system is re-provisioned.

 Resolution:   The App-V icons from the original system can be restored via USMT and added to the new icon files to ensure migrated App-V shortcuts display the icon correctly.

 The following USMT .xml file can be added to the list of .xml files used for backup and restoration to copy the original icon files:

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<migration urlid="https://www.microsoft.com/migration/1.0/migxmlext/appviconrestore">

<component type="Documents" context="System">
  <displayName>MigrateSystemAppvIcons</displayName>
  <role role="Data">
    <rules>
      <include>
        <objectSet>
          <pattern type="File">C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Application Virtualization Client\SoftGrid Client\Icon Cache\* [*.ico]</pattern>
        </objectSet>
      </include>
    </rules>
  </role>
</component>

<component type="Documents" context="User">
<displayName>MigrateUserAppvIcons</displayName>
<paths>
<path type="File">%CSIDL_APPDATA%\SoftGrid Client\Icon Cache</path>
</paths>
<role role="Data">
<rules>
<include>
<objectSet>
<pattern type="File">%CSIDL_APPDATA%\SoftGrid Client\Icon Cache\* [*.ico]</pattern>
</objectSet>
</include>
</rules>
</role>
</component>
 

</migration>

 

Additionally, the following basic reliable script can be used to ensure the restored App-V system icons have the proper inherited permissions:

xcopy "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Application Virtualization Client\SoftGrid Client\Icon Cache\*.ico" "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Application Virtualization Client\SoftGrid Client" /C /I /R /Y
del "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Application Virtualization Client\SoftGrid Client\Icon Cache\*.ico" /F /Q

xcopy "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Application Virtualization Client\SoftGrid Client\*.ico" "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Application Virtualization Client\SoftGrid Client\Icon Cache" /C /I /R /Y

del "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Application Virtualization Client\SoftGrid Client\*.ico" /F /Q

 

Note when using a redirected desktop:  If using redirected folders to redirect the desktop the same principals will apply. App-V shortcuts placed on the desktop will display the icon correctly only on the systems that have the associated icon file. If this scenario applies, consider adding App-V shortcuts to locations other than the desktop.