Modern Apps Do Not Launch with Certain FlexApps Played Back

Product: ProfileUnity-FlexApp

Product Version:  6.8.6 R1 and earlier

Expiration: 365 days from publishing

Updated: November 7, 2024

Problem:

When certain FlexApp packages are played back, users are unable to launch Windows Modern Apps.

*Note: The exclusion of the 'AppModel', 'AppReadiness', and 'AppX' registrys key will automatically occur starting with ProfileUnity 6.8.7

Resolution:

If possible, unpublish or disable any FlexApps currently in use, reboot the affected system, logon and confirm if the behavior is still exhibited. If the behavior is no longer exhibited, check for the existence of the registry keys listed below in said FlexApp packages, removing any entries found.

Key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppReadiness
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppX

Alternatively, in the event that there is a large volume of possibly affected apps, the keys can be excluded upon playback instead of being manually removed directly from the packages. To prevent the keys from playing back on client desktops:

1. Extract 'flexapp.zip' in the client tools deployment location
2. Open 'ContainerService\x64\VirtFsService.dll.config'
3. Scroll to '<setting name="IgnoredPlaybackRegKeys" serializeAs="Xml">'
4. Add the strings below:
   • <string>HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel</string>
   • <string>HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppX</string>
   • <string>HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppReadiness</string>
     
5. Save and close the file
6. Zip up the contents of 'flexapp.zip'
7. Uninstall/reinstall the client tools if present in the base image
8. Recompose desktop pools

To prevent capturing of the above registry keys in future packages:

1. Open the file below as administrator on the FlexApp Packaging Console VM
   
   C:\Program Files (x86)\Liquidware Labs\FlexApp Packaging Console\VirtFsService\x64\VirtFsService.dll.config
   
   
2. Scroll to '<setting name="IgnoredRegPaths" serializeAs="Xml">'
3. Add the strings below:
   • <string>CurrentVersion.AppModel</string>
     
   • <string>CurrentVersion.AppReadiness</string>
   • <string>CurrentVersion.AppX</string>
4. Save and close the file
5. Power down and create a new snapshot of the FPC