Creating a Windows Installer Package from a RemoteApp Program

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

You can use the RemoteApp Wizard to create a Windows Installer (.msi) package from any program in the RemoteApp Programs list.

To create a Windows Installer package

  1. Start TS RemoteApp Manager. To do this, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, point to Terminal Services, and then click TS RemoteApp Manager.

  2. In the RemoteApp Programs list, click the program that you want to create a Windows Installer package for. To select multiple programs, press and hold the CTRL key when you click each program name.

  3. In the Actions pane for the program or selected programs, click Create Windows Installer package.

Note

If you selected multiple programs, the settings described in the rest of this procedure apply to all of the selected programs. A separate Windows Installer package is created for each program.

  1. On the Welcome to the RemoteApp Wizard page, click Next.

  2. On the Specify Package Settings page, do the following:

    1. In the Enter the location to save the packages box, accept the default location or click Browse to specify a new location to save the Windows Installer package.

    2. In the Terminal server settings area, click Change to modify the terminal server or farm name, the RDP port number, and the Require server authentication setting. (For more information about these settings, see Configure Terminal Server Settings.) When you finish, click OK.

    3. In the TS Gateway settings area, click Change to modify or to configure whether clients will use a TS Gateway server to connect to the target terminal server across a firewall. (For more information about these settings, see Configure TS Gateway Settings.) When you finish, click OK.

    4. To digitally sign the file, in the Certificate Settings section, click Change to select or to change the certificate to use. Select the certificate that you want to use, and then click OK. (For more information about these settings, see Configure Digital Signature Settings (Optional).)

  3. When you finish, click Next.

  4. On the Configure Distribution Package page, do the following:

    1. In the Shortcut icons area, specify where the shortcut icon for the program will appear on client computers.

    2. In the Take over client extensions area, configure whether to take over client file name extensions for the program.

      If you associate the file name extensions on the client computer with the RemoteApp program, all file name extensions that are handled by the program on the terminal server will also be associated on the client computer with the RemoteApp program. For example, if you add Microsoft Word as a RemoteApp program, and you configure the option to take over client file name extensions, any file name extensions on the client computer that Word takes over will be associated with Remote Word. This means that any existing program on the client computer will no longer handle file name extensions such as .doc and .dot. Note that users are not prompted whether the terminal server should take over file extensions for the program.

      To view what file name extensions are associated with a program on the terminal server, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Default Programs. Click Associate a file type or protocol with a program to view the file name extensions and their default associated program.

Warning

Do not install Windows Installer packages that were created with this setting enabled on the terminal server itself. If you do, clients that use the Windows Installer package may not be able to start the associated RemoteApp program.

  1. After you have configured the properties of the distribution package, click Next.

  2. On the Review Settings page, click Finish.

    When the wizard is finished, the folder where the Windows Installer package was saved opens in a new window. You can confirm that the Windows Installer package was created.