Windows 10 AppX apps may not inter-operate with AppV 5 apps as expected

Scenario

App-V package of software that used image file formats, copied the files to %TEMP% before using the prevailing FTA to launch the assigned app.  For operational reasons the %TEMP% folder in the App-V package needed to be virtualised.  In this case, on Windows 10, the application for displaying images was the built in AppX app "Photos". 

Fault

In the above scenario "Photos" was unable to display the image in the virtualised %TEMP% folder. It is theorized that the AppX app Photos was unable to "see" inside the App-V bubble as conventional apps can.

Workaround

If the user changed the FTA for the file extension to MSPaint (a conventional windows app) then paint would correctly launch, see the image file in the virtual %TEMP% folder and display it.

What is it Han Solo says.......?

Windows 10 1703 changes the virtual registry staging......

http://blog.fslogix.com/app-v-1703-virtual-registry-and-containers

App-V Office Add-in fails to load. Sorry, we couldn't find.........

In some situations App-V Microsoft Office Add-ins can fail to load and also cause a particular type of error message to be generated.  This effect has been seen with COM add-ins crashing Excel at launch and failing to load in Powerpoint.  If attempts are made to activate the add-in via the COM Add-in manager, then an error can appear similar to:

Microsoft Powerpoint
Sorry, we couldn't find C:\Users\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Powerpoint\.  Is it possible it was moved, renamed or deleted?


If this occurs, evaluate the sequencing method being used and how the normal installation behaves when the Add-in is first launched with Excel or Powerpoint.  With the Mekko Graphics add-in, a license dialog is initialized at first launch.  It is this which appears to result in this type of error.

For the Mekko Graphics sequence the correct approach was to launch Excel and Powerpoint during sequencing.  Then edit the sequence to apply the following modifications:

The following keys MUST be set to Merge
MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins
MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Office\Excel
MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Office\PowerPoint\Addins
MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Office\PowerPoint
MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins
MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Excel
MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\PowerPoint\Addins
MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\PowerPoint

The following files must be removed from the sequence
Package\Root\VFS\Common AppData\Knowledge Management\Mekko Graphics\mekko.lic
Package\Root\VFS\Common AppData\Knowledge Management\MekkoGraphics\MGConfig

The merge settings allow the add-in to co-exist with other add-in type packages that may exist in the connection group.  Deleting the license files allows "normal" operation of the add-in.  Repair / Reset works ;-)

App-V 5 App not launching / eventlog error

An App-V application fails to launch.  The following error appears in the App-V event log

Process 22004 failed to start due to Registry Staging subsystem failure. Package ID {187e5d55-af22-459e-bf2f-4ce9d9f7cbf5}. Version ID {cce01d5d-2ff0-4ae7-81bd-ce4ffa3d4936}. Error: 0x7D800D2A-0x3F1

Repair operations will not resolve this.

To fix this problem remove all the packages and connection groups associated with the application which is failing to launch.  Allow the deployment system to re-apply the App-V packages.