Process for Authoring a ThinApp Application Using the ThinApp Assistant

AdminStudio 2025 | 29.0 | ThinApp Assistant

You can use the ThinApp Assistant to convert a Windows Installer package into a ThinApp application. During this process, you:

General Settings—Specify sandbox and Active Directory settings.
Files, Folders, Shortcuts, Registry Settings—Specify the files, folders, shortcuts, and registry settings that will be included in the ThinApp application.
Isolation Options—Override the default isolation options for selected folders and registry keys.
Build—Specify build options and build a ThinApp application.

The following diagram illustrates the ThinApp application creation process:

Creating a ThinApp Application

The process for authoring a ThinApp application using the ThinApp Assistant is as follows:

Step	Go To:	Actions
Getting Started	InstallShield Start Page	Create or open one of the following project types: Basic MSI MSI Database (Direct Edit Mode) Transform (Direct MST Mode)
InstallShield Start Page	Click on the `VMware ThinApp` tab to open the `ThinApp Assistant Home` page.
ThinApp Assistant Home Page	Click `General Settings` in the navigation bar to open the `General Settings` page.
Specifying Package Information and Deployment Options	General Settings Page	Specify the sandbox name and sandbox options for the ThinApp application, control access to the ThinApp application via Active Directory, and specify whether to include diagnostic tools with the ThinApp application.
Managing Files in an App-V Package	Files & Folders Page	View existing files and folders, add and delete files.
Setting Isolation Options	Files & Folders Page	Override the default isolation options for selected folders. Isolation options specify how the virtual environment will provide access to folders requested by the ThinApp application.
Modifying Shortcuts to the App-V Package’s Executable Files	Applications Page	Create, delete, include, exclude, or rename ThinApp application executables, which are derived from the shortcuts in its Windows Installer package.
Modifying App-V Package Registry Settings	Registry Page	Add, delete, or modify the registry settings in your ThinApp application, and override the default isolation options for selected registry keys. Isolation options specify how the virtual environment will provide access to registry keys requested by the ThinApp application.
Modifying Build Options	Build Options Page	[Basic MSI Project mode] Select the releases that you want to build. [Direct Edit or Direct MST mode] To enable the Build function for a ThinApp application, select the `Build ThinApp application` option.
Building an App-V Package	Build on the Toolbar OR Build Virtual Package Button	Click `Build` to build the active Release and create a ThinApp application. When you are in Direct Edit mode, click the `Build Virtual Package` button to save the Windows Installer package and create a ThinApp application.