ThinApp Package.ini changes

Sandbox location

The sandbox location is the location that the user stores any tempoary files or settings that are required for executing the application, the files get created automatically when the application is launched.

By default the Sandbox location is set to %AppData%\Thinapp\SANDBOXNAME on an XP machine this will equate to C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\SANDBOXNAME

It is possible to redirect this sandbox location to any remote share (as long as the users have access to read and write) which will when used in combination with ThinApp exe's enable the applications and thier settings to be completely machine independant and roaming.

Testing application roaming

Using the previously setup VM environment make the following changes

Create the folowing directory structure on VM-XP1

C:\Share\Sandboxes C:\Share\Sandboxes\Admin C:\Share\Sandboxes\TestUser1 C:\Share\Business Apps C:\Share\Business Apps\WinRAR

Secure the Sandboxes "User" directories by removing access for everyone and adding the user with "Modify" access. Setting this security will prevent users from accessing other users sandboxes.
This effectively mimics the user profile folder and you could use Profile redirection for this in a domain environment and then leave the Sandbox as default. I am however using this for test purposes only using 2 machines that are not on a domain.
Rebuild the ThinApp exe's (rather than the MSI) with a few minor changes to the package.ini file

The changes for sandbox re-direction are the addition of these lines

;-------- General Purpose Parameters ----------
SandboxName=WinRAR archiver
SandboxPath=\\vm-xp1\share\Sandboxes\%username%

The build options should look like this, this will prevent the MSI being built.

[BuildOptions]
;-------- MSI Parameters ----------
;Enable MSIFilename if you want to generate a Windows Installer package.
;MSIFilename=WinRAR archiver.msi
;MSIManufacturer=RAR Labs
;MSIARPCOMMENTS=ThinApp WinRAR (Test version)
;MSIProductVersion=1.0
;MSIDefaultInstallAllUsers=1
;MSIRequireElevatedPrivileges=1
;MSIInstallDirectory=WinRAR archiver (VMware ThinApp)
;MSIProductCode={794532DB-20B8-A3E6-3028-28315E390AAA}
;MSIUpgradeCode={F8952491-5CF4-282B-BC80-366521771395}
;MSIUseCabs=1
;MSIArpProductIcon=%ProgramFilesDir%\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe

Once you have made the changes Build the package using the build.bat file located in C:\Share\ThinDev\WinRAR\39b3 on VM-XP1.

You will now find the exe's in the C:\Share\ThinDev\WinRAR\39b3\Bin folder.
Copy the exe files across to C:\Share\ThinApp\WinRAR these are ready for testing, but before you test anything there are a few more changes to make.

navigate to \\VM-XP1\Share\ThinApp\WinRAR and create shortcuts to the exe's and move these shortcuts to the \\VM-XP1\Share\Business Apps\WinRAR folder.

Log onto VM-XP2 and navigate to \\VM-XP1\Share\ create a shortcut to the "Business Apps" folder in the start menu of the machine, these are now the ONLY things that will need to be created on the client machine (or vm image).

To test the solution log into VM-XP2 as TestUser1 and launch WinRAR from the start menu.
Navigate to \\vm-xp1\share\sandboxes\testuser1 and you should see that the folder WinRar archiver has been created and it contains 3 files.
Registry.rw.tvr
Registry.rw.tvr.lck
Registry.rw.backup

Congratulations you have just tested a ThinApp with sandbox re-direction :)

Remember that this solution is only for test purposes and to show what can be achieved, this is not an ideal solution and there is a significant overhead with setting secutity on the directories to prevent users from running applications that dont or should not have access to, but this is ok for demonstration purposes.