How to Create an App-V Package

The Architect edition of the program allows generating packages in multiple formats, including App-V. The App-V format is used by Microsoft Application Virtualization technology, so you can use the program to convert installations into virtual applications for Microsoft App-V.

There are multiple ways to create virtual applications in the program. If you have an installation to be converted into an App-V package, you can use installation monitoring in the same way as you use it to create an MSI package. In this case, you need to open the Repackage Installation Wizard and follow its steps. After selecting the Monitoring option in the wizard, you will be prompted to choose the output package type. To create an App-V package, you need to select the App-V option there Pic 1. The next steps are the same as those for repackaging of installations into MSI packages explained in the Demo: Repackage EXE to MSI Using Monitoring and Demo: Create Customized Installations Using Monitoring chapters. The program starts monitoring to track changes applied by the repackaged installation, and you get an App-V package instead of MSI in the end.

If you have previously repackaged an installation into an MSI and have a saved project, you can open it in the program and click on Create App-V Package on the Ribbon to generate App-V from the project contents. You don't need to repeat repackaging in this case, because the project already includes the captured changes. It also works in the reverse direction: if you have created an App-V package before, you can just open the project and generate MSI or MSIX/AppX packages. An installation project stores all changes regardless of the output format, so you can generate MSI, App-V and MSIX/AppX packages using the same project.

You can also create an App-V package manually. In this case, you should create a new empty project and use File System, Registry and other editors in the program to add the required resources into the project. Having the project ready, you can press the corresponding button on the Ribbon to generate an App-V package.

When generating an App-V package, you get a set of files. Those files allow you to deliver an App-V application from App-V Server to App-V Clients and to deploy an App-V package locally in the standalone mode. The MSI file generated together with App-V allows you to install and uninstall the virtualized application locally in the standalone mode.