Tag Archives: thinapp

[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