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How-To: Sequencing Office 2007 with SoftGrid

I wish Microsoft would standardize on either SoftGrid or Microsoft Application Virtualization. Here is a KB on sequencing Office 2007. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;939796 INTRODUCTION This article describes one method that you can use to successfully sequence a 2007 Microsoft Office program for use with Microsoft SoftGrid. The method that is described in this article is not the only method that is available. Additionally, you may have to modify the information in this article...  ... Read the full post or  the 4 comments. Filed under: KB Articles, Microsoft, Office 2007, Documentation, SoftGrid, ConfigMgr, SCCM

SoftGrid 4.1 and 4.2 Updates Available for Download Now

Posted today over the SoftGrid Team Blog, you can now get the latest updates for SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 and 4.2 HFRU2 on TechNet. There are some pretty significant additions and changes in these updates. I am pleased to announce public availability of SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 and 4.2 HFRU2. This cumulative update for SoftGrid v4.1 SP1 and v4.2 provides the latest updates to SoftGrid. In addition to stability improvements, this update contains the following changes: The log level of the "Error reading from...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: OSD, SoftGrid, Application Virtualization, ConfigMgr, SCCM, Downloads

Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization Labs

J.C. over on the SoftGrid Team blog posed a list of SoftGrid virtual labs. If you are new to the technology, need a refresher or just want to pick up on some stuff you might not already know this list covers quite a few different areas of the entire SoftGrid process from sequencing to troubleshooting. I would also recommend subscribing to their RSS feed if you don't currently. Are you new to Microsoft Application Virtualization (aka SoftGrid) and looking for a quick and easy way to ramp up your...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: Virtual Labs, SoftGrid, Application Virtualization, ConfigMgr

SoftGrid Sequencing Guidelines

Microsoft has released a Best Practices guide for Application Virtualization or SoftGrid v.4.2 app sequencing that was compiled from the MCS group. Here are some of the highlights in the first two sections followed be the TOC's. There is far too much information to be effectively summarized here. Great work! Get your pdf copy here and your xps copy here . Highlights of the Sequencer setup recommendations Sequence on a machine that is the oldest OS that the sequenced app will run on. If Office...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Documentation, SoftGrid, Application Virtualization, ConfigMgr

Download The Microsoft Application Virtualization Guide

More info Here , or download directly here . Related Downloads: Microsoft Application Virtualization Platform v. 4.5 sign in with your LiveID and sign up for the Beta. MSI Utility for Microsoft Application Virtualization Overview This trial guide walks you through a step by step creation of a Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 system including the Sequencing of two applications. Once you have completed these setup steps, you will be able to test the benefits of Microsoft Application Virtualization...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Beta, Documentation, SoftGrid, Application Virtualization

Sequenced App Displays Popup at Launch - Every Time

I think we all have seen this happen when you install a fresh copy of Office and launch Word for the first time. Well if you sequence and app and this happens it can be rather annoying if the user gets it every single time when they start an app. Check out John's resolution to this issue below. Source . Windows Installer Pop-up When Running Virtualized FrontPage 2003 Symptom : After sequencing Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003, when the application is streamed to a client and a user tries to launch...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Packaging, SoftGrid

SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 Hotfix Rollup & 4.2 Hotfix Rollup Details and Download Links

First up, SoftGrid 4.1 SP1's hotfix rollup details. KB 938497 SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 Hotfix Rollup Package 1 This cumulative update for SoftGrid v4.1 SP1 provides the latest updates to SoftGrid v4.1 SP1. In addition to stability improvements, this update contains the following changes: • Improvements to package upgrade when importing upgraded sequencings into the SoftGrid Server Management Console Snap-in. • Improvements to package downgrade operation. • Improvements to nonpaged pool usage when sequencing...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: KB Articles, SoftGrid, Application Virtualization, ConfigMgr

Top Ten Events in Systems Management During 2007

First of all, Happy New Year, and may everyone find that in 2008 that your glass is more than half full, you and your loved ones are all very healthy and overly happy, that your careers are very prosperous, and that you gain all that you desire and more. As we welcome another year and reflect on the year ending it is always nice to note what was the highlights of the year. So below is my personal top ten of 2007 when it comes to Systems Management. 10. Thursday, October 23rd, System Center Partner...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: SMS 2003, et. all, System Center, Vista, News, TechNet, Microsoft, myITforum, SCOM, MMS 2007, Blog, OSD, SoftGrid, ConfigMgr

Desktop Management with System Center Configuration Manager and Microsoft SoftGrid

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032358169&EventCategory=4&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US TechNet Webcast: Optimizing Desktop Management with System Center Configuration Manager and Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization (Level 300) Event ID: 1032358169 Register Online Language(s): English. Product(s): System Center. Audience(s): IT Professionals. Duration: 60 Minutes Start Date: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 1:00 PM Pacific Time (US & Canada) One...  ... Read the full post or  the 2 comments. Filed under: Webcast, SoftGrid, ConfigMgr

MSI Utility for Microsoft Application Virtualization SoftGrid

Seasons Greetings Everyone! Overview The MSI Utility for Microsoft Application Virtualization is a new tool designed to extend virtual application deployment in certain key scenarios. In cases where a computer running Microsoft System Center Virtual Application Server is not available, the MSI Utility allows delivery of sequenced applications directly to Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization for Desktops and Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization for Terminal Services. The MSI Utility...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Packaging, SoftGrid, ConfigMgr

Systems Management Support WebCasts...And ConfigMgr Too

Merry Christmas... This is a whole list of Systems Management WebCasts that go back as far as 2000 with some SMS 2.0 stuff, here is some newer SMS 2003 WebCasts, and here is a search string for ConfigMgr WebCasts, I couldn't find a page that just listed all of them. Past Support WebCasts Support WebCast: Microsoft Security Intelligence Report: Latest trends in vulnerabilities, malware, and potentially unwanted software - Level 300 - Wednesday, 07 November 2007 The Microsoft Exchange Server 2003...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: SMS 2003, System Center, TechNet, Webcast, SoftGrid, SUP, ConfigMgr

SoftGrid SMS Connector Discontinued

The SoftGrid connector will be deprecated in the near future and replaced with Windows Installer Application Virtualization Extension or WIAV. The reasons they are moving away from the SMS Connector is due to future plans and interoperability with old and new products. What is it? Yes, you in the back, you have a question? Ah, yes what is it he asked. It is essentially a tool to take your sequenced applications and turn them into Windows Installer packages (MSI's). Another question? Go ahead...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: SMS 2003, SMS Tools, Packaging, News, SCCM 2007, SaaS, SoftGrid, Application Virtualization, ConfigMgr

How To Sequence Office 2007 With SoftGrid

There is some very interesting things buzzing about with SoftGrid, most of which I cannot talk about, don't you hate it when people say things like that? I visited Sean McHugh in Denver last week and he is very deep into SoftGrid and has some great plans around it. On July 12th Microsoft released a KB on how to sequence Office 2007, below are some of the highlights of the article along with a few links for additional information. Create an .msp file for your particular environment, you can get...  ... Read the full post or  the 2 comments. Filed under: SoftGrid, Application Virtualization

Podcast On SoftGrid Competitor Endeavors Technology

In this podcast the CEO of Endeavors Technologies is interviewed and covers their application virtualization technology and their patent agreements with other vendors. The highlights of the podcast are listed below. The most important information I found out of this interview is that their technology will allow virtualized or streamed applications to talk to each other. This means with their product you will not need to sequence all the dependencies with each application, for example, you would not...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: News, Microsoft, SaaS, SoftGrid, Application Virtualization

SoftGrid Version 4.2 Available

For those who have been struggling to get sequencing or application virtualization working with Vista version 4.2 should relive your frustrations. The SoftGrid Virtual Application Server (VAS) version 4.1.1.302 The SoftGrid Client version 4.2.0.302 The SoftGrid Sequencer version 4.2.0.303 Note that there is no 4.2 version of the SoftGrid Virtual Application Server. Version 4.2 of the Client and Sequencer are all that is required for Vista compatibility - the VAS version is the same as in 4.1 SP1...  ... Read the full post or  the 2 comments. Filed under: News, SoftGrid

SoftGrid 4.5

Update: Thanks to Brian Leary who sent me an email and pointed out in my haste to post this before leaving for the airport that the nominations are closed, they were accepting them from June 1 - 15th. Details of version 4.5 are listed below however. Microsoft was accepting nominations for the SoftGrid 4.5 TAP program. More details can be found here . Version 4.5 looks to go RTM about the same time as MMS 2008. SoftGrid 4.5 The Microsoft SoftGrid team is currently wrapping up our SoftGrid 4.2 release...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Beta, SoftGrid, MMS 2008

Script To Preload SoftGrid Apps

SoftGrid Preload App's I saw this great piece of information on http://www.virtualapp.net/scripts.html and thought that this was a nice v1 script for loading application into cache. This script will check for and Preload only those SoftGrid applications currently not 100% in cache for the user. Summary Application pre-loading script that can be run on client machine in order to have all application packages for the user 100% cached. This script will run through the list of application available...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: VB Script, SoftGrid

SoftGrid for Vista Available July 1st

SoftGrid for Windows Vista Submitted by John.Obeto on Wed, 06/13/2007 - 3:02am. Microsoft will release a Windows Vista™ version of SoftGrid on July 1, 2007. SoftGrid is Microsoft’s application virtualization software solution that allows IT managers to deliver secure, never-installed applications that also have the capability for remote delivery. Important to managers is SoftGrid’s ability to let them test mission-critical desktop apps for compatibility in this nascent Windows Vista™ era. Bringing...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: Vista, SoftGrid

SoftGrid 4.1 Service Pack 1 Released

How did I miss this? This has happened twice to me in the last couple weeks. Must be that slave driver of a manager I have! SoftGrid Sequencer (v 4.1.1.303) SoftGrid Server (v 4.1.1.302) SoftGrid for Terminal Services (v 4.1.1.302) SoftGrid for Windows Desktops (v 4.1.1.302) Microsoft SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 improves support for sequencing SxS applications that have public assemblies, such as the 2007 Microsoft Office release. You can upgrade a client to SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 from a client version 3.2, version...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: News, Microsoft, SoftGrid

System Center Desktop Reporting (Added)

Microsoft has added a fifth piece to the Desktop Optimization Pack, System Center Desktop Error Reporting. From the looks of the brief description this doesn't add a whole lot of detail but since they modified the MOM licensing to make you pay $20 per hook into the db we can't complain too much. The Vista compliant SoftGrid client is also going to be out this summer, don't recall if I mentioned that before or not but a co-worker had asked several weeks ago and I got a reply but forgot...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: System Center, News, Microsoft, SoftGrid

SoftGrid - Importing An Application How To

So now that you have successfully sequenced an application, now what the heck do you do with it? The very short answer is you import it. But what would be the point of this post if I didn't explain it? So to start I will cover the console and then walk through the process of getting the application to actually work for your clients. The Console - A Brief Explanation I am going to assume you can already connect to the console on your SoftGrid server and not cover that. On the left is the tree...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Documentation, SoftGrid

SoftGrid Sequencing How To

Sequencing The sequencing process consists of three different wizards , you can not use the wizards but why? If you ego tells you "we work in IT - we are computer experts, we don't use wizards! Besides what if someone saw us!?" Ignore those thoughts, if you were an expert at sequencing you wouldn't bother reading this! Trust me use the wizards until you are an expert and even then it is probably easier than doing it manually, and eventually it will be built into SCCM so it will...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: Documentation, SoftGrid

SoftGrid Sequencing - Setup (Continued)

Here are some of my notes from my testing and data gathering, touched up a little for readability. This discusses some (more)of the options of setting up your sequencing workstation and some of the pitfalls to try and avoid. If you don't use OneNote you are missing out! Exclusions - Why would you want to exclude something? Well by default cookies, Internet cache directories, history, etc are not monitored for changes, you can remove these exclusions if you are going to need changes to these folders...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: SaaS, Documentation, SoftGrid

Tips for New SoftGrid Admins

More and more attention is being directed to SoftGrid and it is nice to see that there is a TechNet blog on it. Below is some introductory information for those new to SoftGrid. We know there are a lot of you out there who are new to SoftGrid or who will be implementing SoftGrid very soon so we decided to put together a couple tips to help new SoftGrid admins avoid some common pitfalls we tend to see. During the Virtual Application Server installation, you will be prompted to provide a group for...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: SoftGrid

SoftGrid and SMS 2003 Together

Chad Jones session Friday 11:30 - 1. 3 components of SG the sequencer, server, and client sequencer - wizard based, creates sft file, sprj (project file), osd (tells client how to run the app - XML file), and ico files policy based management through AD groups or OU's. SG server streams virtualized apps, can do pre-caching or load entire app on first use, actual video file is what is streamed to the client SG client version 4.2 will work on Vista If the namespace is not virtualized you can still...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: SMS 2003, Packaging, MMS 2007, SoftGrid

Microsoft SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 and 4.2

With SoftGrid 4.1 Service Pack 1 and SoftGrid version 4.2 coming up we wanted to share a little information about these releases and what they'll bring to the table. Nothing will be released until we are satisfied with the quality of the code so as always, dates are subject to change: SoftGrid 4.1 Service Pack 1 SoftGrid 4.1 SP1 is mostly a hotfix and critical updates release, improving overall system stability and compatibility. A noteworthy improvement is the ability to sequence applications using...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: MMS 2007, SoftGrid

What's new for SCCM 2007 SP 1 and R2?

Omar at it again...I keep running into him and never take his picture! What's new for SCCM 2007 SP 1 and R2? SCCM 2007 is to be released, but the SP1 and R2 versions are already planned Configuration Manager 2007 SP1: Changes to support Vista SP 1 and LHS Key CCS reported bugs and CDCR's Configuration Manager 2007 R2: OS Deployment update Multicast with LH server, unknown machine Enterprise Scale application virtualisation (Softgrid) Source: Omar's Blog on Systems Management: What's new for SCCM...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: News, SCCM 2007, MMS 2007, SoftGrid

MMS 2007 - Day 2 - Keynote Speech

Rodney Sherwood starts off the keynote again this year with this comedy and a video of interviewing the stars at MMS. Senior VP Server and Tools, Bob Muglia was the keynote speaker. He started out with the Dynamic Systems Initiative (DSI). One part of the DSI is Virtualized infrastructure which consists of Virtual Server 2005 R2 and SoftGrid. Virtualization, OS virtualization "Viridian" Longhorn or Windows Server 2007, VPC, VS 2005 RS. Application virtualization is SoftGrid, focus now is on the client...  ... Read the full post or  the first comment. Filed under: SMS 2003, System Center, Vista, News, SCCM 2007, SCOM, MMS 2007, Virtual Server, SoftGrid, SUP

Off Campus : Link: SoftGrid Virtual Labs

Michael Greene posts a link to SoftGrid Virtual labs. Finally back to my office for some lab time to rework demos and presentation content. In fact, before the week is over I hope to reach out to a few of you MVPs for input! I'm excited to see this virtual lab for testing SoftGrid come online, especially with SMS integration! If you are managing desktops in an EDU environment, take a look at SoftGrid or try out this virtual Hands On Lab, or come see us at MMS ( www.mms2007.com ). SoftGrid knocks...  ... Read the full post or  be the first to comment. Filed under: Virtual Labs, SoftGrid