About App-V 5.0 SP2

App-V 5.0 SP2 provides an improved integrated platform, more flexible virtualization, and powerful management for virtualized applications. For more information see, App-V 5.0 Overview (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=325265).

Changes in Standard App-V 5.0 SP2 Functionality

The following sections contain information about the changes in standard functionality for App-V 5.0 SP2.

Support for Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1

App-V 5.0 includes support for Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1

App-V 5.0 SP2 now supports folder redirection for the user’s roaming AppData directory

App-V 5.0 SP2 supports roaming AppData (%AppData%) folder redirection. For more information, see the Planning to Use Folder Redirection with App-V.

Package upgrade improvements and pending tasks

In App-V 5.0 SP2, you are no longer prompted to close a running virtual application when a newer version of the package or connection group is published. If a package or connection group is in use when you try to perform a related task, a message displays to indicate that the object is in use, and that the operation will be attempted at a later time.

Tasks that have been placed in a pending state will be performed according to the following rules:

Task type Applicable rule

User-based task, e.g., publishing a package to a user

The pending task will be performed after the user logs off and then logs back on.

Globally based task, e.g., enabling a connection group globally

The pending task will be performed when the computer is shut down and then restarted.

When a task is placed in a pending state, the App-V client also generates a registry key for the pending task, as follows:

User-based or globally based task Where the registry key is generated

User-based tasks

KEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\AppV\Client\PendingTasks

Globally based tasks

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\AppV\Client\PendingTasks

Virtualizing Microsoft Office 2013 and Microsoft Office 2010 using App-V 5.0

Use the following link for more information about App-V 5.0 supported Microsoft Office scenarios.

Virtualizing Microsoft Office 2013 for Application Virtualization (App-V) 5.0

Note   This document focuses on creating a Microsoft Office 2013 App-V 5.0 Package. However, it also provides information about scenarios for Microsoft Office 2010 with App-V 5.0.

App-V 5.0 Client Management User Interface Application

In previous versions of App-V 5.0 the Client Management User Interface (UI) was provided with the App-V 5.0 Client installation. With App-V 5.0 SP2 this is no longer the case. Administrators now have the option to deploy the App-V 5.0 Client UI as a Virtual Application (using all supported App-V deployment configurations) or as an installed application.

For more information see Microsoft Application Virtualization 5.0 Client UI Application (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=386345).

Side-by-Side (SxS) Assembly Automatic Packaging and Deployment

App-V 5.0 SP2 now automatically detects side-by-side (SxS) assemblies, and deployment on the computer running the App-V 5.0 SP2 client. A SxS assembly primarily consists of VC++ run-time dependencies or MSXML. In previous versions of App-V, virtual applications that had dependencies on VC run-times required these dependencies to be locally on the computer running the App-V 5.0 SP2 client.

The following functionality is now supported:

  • The App-V 5.0 sequencer automatically captures the SxS assembly in the package regardless of whether the VC run-time has already been installed on the computer running the sequencer.

  • The App-V 5.0 client automatically installs the required SxS assembly to the computer running the client as required at publishing time.

  • The App-V 5.0 sequencer reports the VC run-time dependency using the sequencer reporting mechanism.

  • The App-V 5.0 sequencer now allows you to exclude the VC run-time dependency in the event that the dependency is already available on the computer running the sequencer.

Publishing Refresh Improvements

App-V 5.0 supports several features were added to improve the overall experience of refreshing a set of applications for a specific user.

The following list displays the publishing refresh enhancements:

The following list contains more information about how to enable the new publishing refresh improvements.

  • EnablePublishingRefreshUI - Enables the publishing refresh progress bar for the computer running the App-V 5.0 Client.

  • HideUI - Hides the publishing refresh progress bar during a manual sync.

New Client Configuration Setting

The following new client configuration setting is available with App-V 5.0 SP2:

EnableDynamicVirtualization - Enables supported Shell Extensions, Browser Helper Objects, and Active X controls to be virtualized and run with virtual applications.

For more information, see About Client Configuration Settings.

App-V 5.0 Shell extensions

App-V 5.0 SP2 now supports shell extensions.

For more information see the App-V 5.0 SP2 shell extension support section of Creating and Managing App-V 5.0 Virtualized Applications.

App-V 5.0 documentation updates

App-V 5.0 SP2 provides updated documentation for the following scenarios:

How to Get MDOP Technologies

App-V 5.0 is a part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP). MDOP is part of Microsoft Software Assurance. For more information about Microsoft Software Assurance and acquiring MDOP, see How Do I Get MDOP (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=322049).

Release Notes for App-V 5.0 SP2