[How-To] ThinApp Internet Explorer 9 for Windows 7 x64

Here is a comprehensive guide on how to ThinApp or virtualizate Internet Explorer 9 so you can run it in tandom with other Internet Explorer versions.

  1. Start your VM
    1. For this tutorial, I am using a blank Windows 7 64-bit instance (not with SP1) using ThinApp Setup Capture 5.0.
  2. Make sure you have the Internet Explorer 9 pre-requisites package installed.  The prerequisites can be found in this KB article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2399238
    Use Windows6.1-KB2454826-v2-x64.msi or  Windows6.1-KB2454826-v2-x32.msi depending on your machine (one is 32-bit the other is 64-bit)
    Internet Explorer 9 Prereqs
  3. Run the MSI
  4. Click Yes when it asks to install
    Update for Windows KB2454826
  5. Restart your machine when prompted
    Windows Updates - Installation complete - Restart Now
  6. Copy the IE9 offline installer to your machine
    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/ie-9-worldwide-languages
    Internet Explorer 9 Installer
  7. Run the VMware->ThinApp Setup Capture program
    ThinApp Setup Capture - Start Menu
  8. Click Yes on the UAC Setup Capture dialog
    UAC - Setup Capture
  9. Click Next on the Setup Capture - Welcome screen
    Setup Capture - Welcome
  10. Click the Prescan > button
    Setup Capture - Prescan
  11. Run the installer IE9-Windows7-x64-enu.exe when you get to the Install the Application Now! screen
    Setup Capture - Install Application IE9
  12. Click Yes on the UAC screen
    UAC - Internet Explorer 9
  13. Click Install
    Install Internet Explorer 9
  14. Click Restart now when prompted
    Internet Explorer 9 Install - Restart Now
  15. Click Yes on the UAC popup to launch the Setup Capture process again
    UAC - Setup Capture
  16. Click Next on the Continue installation process window
    Setup Capture - Welcome - Continue installation process
  17. Launch the Internet Explorer 9 program
    Internet Explorer 9 - Clean Install
  18. Customize Internet Explorer how you want it on your main machine.  You can set security settings, default homepage, etc. (I like to set my homepage to about:blank since the ThinApps I have usually get deployed in virtual environments).  Close Internet Explorer when you have things the way you want.
    Internet Explorer 9 - Thinapp - Customize
  19. Click Postscan > when you have finished customing Internet Explorer 9
    Setup Capture - Install Application - Postscan
  20. Click OK on the Setup Capture screen
    Setup Capture - OK Button
  21. Uncheck the desktop.exe and inetcpl.exe Entry Points and click Next >
    (I suppose you could leave the inetcpl.exe, but I feel leaving it unchecked is a cleaner solution).
    Setup Capture - Entry Points - Internet Explorer 9
  22. Click Next >
    Setup Capture - Manage with Horizon Workspace
  23. Click Next >
    Setup Capture - Groups
  24. Click Next >
    Setup Capture - Isolation - Full write access to non-system directories
  25. Click Next >
    (you can select No if you want to)
    Setup Capture - Quality Assurance Statistics
  26. Click Next >
    Setup Capture - Native Browser Redirection
  27. Change the Inventory name to Internet Explorer 9 and click Next >
    Setup Capture - Project Settings - Internet Explorer 9
  28. Ensure Use seperate .DAT file is checked, check Generate MSI package if you want to deploy this as an installer, click Save >
    Setup Capture - Package Settings - Internet Explorer 9
  29. Click Next if you receive some capture warnings provided they look like they aren't Internet Explorer related.
    Note: Your warnings could look a little different than mine, that is ok.
    Setup Capture - Save Warnings
  30. Optional Step: Deploying a desktop icon
    1. Click Edit Package.ini
      Setup Capture - Ready to Build - Edit Package.ini
    2. Scroll down to Internet Explorer.exe and change the Shortcuts line to contain %Desktop%;%Programs% and change [Internet Explorer.exe] to [Internet Explorer 9.exe].  Save and exit notepad.
    3. Click on Open Project Folder
      Setup Capture - Ready to Build - Open Project Folder
    4. Click New Folder
      Create a new folder
    5. Click Continue on the UAC popup
    6. Enter %Common Desktop% on the new folder name
      Create a new folder - Common Desktop
    7. Drag the Internet Explorer icon from your start menu into your new %Common Desktop% folder
      Thinapp Drag Shortcut
    8. Click Continue on the UAC popup
      Destination Folder Access Denied - Common Desktop - Thinapp
    9. Rename the icon to Internet Explorer 9
      Rename Internet Explorer 9 Shortcut
    10. Click Continue on the UAC popup
      File Access Denied - Internet Explorer
    11. Right click on the icon and select Properties
      Internet Explorer 9 Shortcut - Properties
    12. Change the Start in path from %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH% to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\" and click OK
      Internet Explorer 9 Shortcut Properties
  31. Click Build >
    Setup Capture - Ready to Build - Build
  32. Click Finish
    Setup Capture - Build Project - Finish
  33. Test your Internet Explorer 9 Thinapp on another machine! 🙂
    IE11 and IE9

7 thoughts on “[How-To] ThinApp Internet Explorer 9 for Windows 7 x64

  1. Skuwalker

    How do you create a ThinApp package of IE 9 that utilizes Java 6_45 when IE requests Java? I don't want it to access the local machines installed version of Java.

    Reply
    1. Jack Post author

      Hi Skuwalker,

      Good question! There are two ways.
      1) Package IE9 and Java 6u45 together in the same ThinApp package. When using this method, the only entry point you would need is for IE.
      2) Create two ThinApp packages; one for IE and one for Java 6u45, and choose to AppLink them. The only reason I'd use the AppLink method is if I needed Java 6u45 for another ThinApp package.

      Hope this helps!
      Jack

      Reply
  2. Edward Ansbro

    Hi Jack,

    Great blog on ThinApping IE9. Do you have a Twitter or e-mail address I could contact you at in regards to it? I'm working on ThinApping this exactly, and while I followed your steps and all seems well, I had a couple questions I'd love to bounce off you. Thanks in advance.

    Reply

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