Microsoft App-V applications

With Microsoft Application Virtualization integration, you can integrate Microsoft App-V applications into the user workspace. Workspace Control supports Microsoft App-V versions 4.x and 5.x.

Application Virtualization will be end of life in April 2026.

Version 4.x

When you create a managed Microsoft App-V 4.x application in Workspace Control based on an OSD file, User Settings are automatically enabled for the application. It will run in the Zero Profile mode Track specified settings on application start/end and it will have a hidden Targeted Item for the folder %APPDATA%\SoftGrid Client\<SGAPPGUID>. This is where the application will store all its user-specific changes, in a PKG file containing deltas as compared to the original App-V package.

If you use an App-V package that contains a set of applications, then all the user-specific data for these applications is stored in the same PKG file. In the default setup, this results in a duplication of stored user settings data, because the same file is stored for each application that uses it. To prevent this, disable User Settings for all the applications in the set. Instead, create a single global User Setting to cover the set of applications.

There is a method to achieve this:

• create a global User Setting in Zero Profile mode Track specified settings on session start/end with a Targeted Item for the specific sub-folder of %appdata%\SoftGrid Client where the PKG file of the relevant App-V package is stored; or, if your Workspace Control site includes several App-V packages containing sets of applications, using this option requires a global User Setting for each package.

Ensure that User Settings are disabled for the applications that are covered by the global User Setting.

Version 5.x

The configuration of User Settings for Microsoft App-V 5.x applications is similar to installed applications. All Zero Profile modes and User Settings options are supported.

For Microsoft App-V 5.x applications, when selecting Track any setting changed by application immediately for Zero Profile mode, the Registry to track (on the User Settings > Tracking tab of the application) must be HKEY_CURRENT_USER. If this registry is changed, no User Settings can be tracked for this Microsoft App-V 5 application.

Please refer to User Settings for more information on how to configure User Settings.