Symantec WISE VIRTUAL PACKAGE EDITOR 8.0 - REFERENCE FOR WISE PACKAGE STUDIO V1.0, WISE VIRTUAL PACKAGE EDITOR 8.0 Reference

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference

Wise Virtual Package Editor

The software described in this book is furnished under a license agreement and may be used only in accordance with the terms of the
agreement.

Documentation version 8.0

Legal Notice

Copyright © 2009 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved.
Symantec, the Symantec Logo, and Altiris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and

other countries. Other names may be trademarks of t heir respective owners.
The product described in this document is distributed under licenses restricting its use, copying, distribution, and decompilation/reverse

engineering. No part of this document may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written authorization of Symantec
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THE DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES,
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DISCLAIMED, EXCEPT TO THE E XTENT THAT SUCH DISCLAIMERS ARE HELD T O BE LEGALLY INV ALID . SYMANTE C CORPORATION SHALL NOT
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The Licensed Software and Documentation are deemed to be commercial computer software as defined in FAR 12.212 and subject to
restricted rights as defined in FAR Section 52.227-19 “Commercial Computer Software - Restricted Rights” and DFARS 227.7202, “Rights in
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shall be solely in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

Symantec Corporation
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Mountain View, CA 94043

http://www.symantec.com

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 2

Technical Support

Symantec Technical Support maintains support centers globally. Technical Support’s
primary role is to respond to specific queries about product features and functionality.
The Technical Support group also creates content for our online Knowledge Base. The
Technical Support group works collaboratively with the other functional areas within
Symantec to answer your questions in a timely fashion. For example, the Technical
Support group works with Product Engineering and Symantec Security Response to
provide alerting services and virus definition updates.

Symantec’s maintenance offerings include the following:

z A range of support options that give you the flexibility to select the right amount of

service for any size organization

z Telephone and Web-based support that provides rapid response and up-to-the-

minute information

z Upgrade assurance that delivers automatic software upgrade protection
z Advanced features, including Account Management Services

For information about Symantec’s Maintenance Programs, you can visit our Web site at
the following URL:

www.symantec.com/techsupp/

Contacting Technical Support

Customers with a current maintenance agreement may access Technical Support
information at the following URL:

www.symantec.com/techsupp/

Before contacting Technical Support, make sure you have satisfied the system
requirements that are listed in your product documentation. Also, you should be at the
computer on which the problem occurred, in case it is necessary to replicate the
problem.

When you contact Technical Support, please have the following information available:

z Product release level
z Hardware information
z Available memory, disk space, and NIC information
z Operating system
z Version and patch level
z Network topology
z Router, gateway, and IP address informa tion
z Problem description:

 Error messages and log files
 Troubleshooting that was performed before contacting Symantec
 Recent software configuration changes and network changes

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 3

Licensing and registration

If your Symantec product requires registration or a license key, access our technical
support Web page at the following URL:

www.symantec.com/techsupp/

Customer service

Customer service information is available at the following URL:

www.symantec.com/techsupp/

Customer Service is available to assist with the following types of issues:

z Questions regarding product licensing or serialization
z Product registration updates, such as address or name changes
z General product information (features, language availability, local dealers)
z Latest information about product updates and upgrades
z Information about upgrade assurance and maintenance contracts
z Information about the Symantec Buying Programs
z Advice about Symantec’s technical support options
z Nontechnical presales questions
z Issues that are related to CD-ROMs or manuals

Maintenance agreement resources

If you want to contact Symantec regarding an existing maintenance agreement, please
contact the maintenance agreement administration team for your region as follows:

Asia-Pacific and Japan [e-mail]
Europe, Middle-East, and Africa [e-mail]
North America and Latin America [e-mail]

Additional enterprise services

Symantec offers a comprehensive set of services that allow you to maximize your
investment in Symantec products and to develop your knowledge, expertise, and global
insight, which enable you to manage your business risks proactively.

Enterprise services that are available include the following:

Symantec Early
Warning Solutions

Managed Security
Services

These solutions provide early warning of cyber attacks,
comprehensive threat analysis, and countermeasures to prevent
attacks before they occur.

These services remove the burden of managing and monitoring
security devices and events, ensuring rapid response to real
threats.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 4

Consulting
Services

Educational
Services

To access more information about Enterprise services, please visit our Web site at the
following URL:

www.symantec.com

Select your country or language from the site index.

Symantec Consulting Services provide on-site technical
expertise from Symantec and its trusted partners. Symantec
Consulting Services offer a variety of prepackaged and
customizable options that include assessment, design,
implementation, monitoring, and management capabilities. Each
is focused on establishing and maintaining the integrity and
availability of your IT resources.

Educational Services provide a full array of technical training,
security education, security certification, and awareness
communication programs.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 5

Contents

Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Chapter 1: Introducing Wise Virtual Package Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

About Virtual Package Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

About Virtual Software Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

About Virtual Software Package Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

About Virtual Software Package Archive Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

About Application Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

About Data Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

About Sublayers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

About User Maintenance of Virtual Software Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

About the Altiris SVS Applet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Updating the SVS Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Product Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Chapter 2: Creating Virtual Software Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

About Installation Expert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Starting Virtual Package Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Creating a Virtual Package Editor Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Creating an Application Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Creating a Data Layer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Opening a Virtual Software Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Compiling a Virtual Software Package. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Product Details Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Files Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

About Installation Directories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Adding Files to a Virtual Software Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Adding Contents of Directories to a Virtual Software Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Editing File Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Registry Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Adding Registry Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Importing Registry Entries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Delete Entries Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Exclusions Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Inclusions Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Events Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Data Layers Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Releases Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Creating a Virtual Software Package Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Editing an Archive File’s WiseScript Wrapper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Editing the WiseScript Wrapper Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Chapter 3: Capturing Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

About SetupCapture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Guidelines for Capturing an Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Setting Up a Clean Machine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Starting SetupCapture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Capturing an Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

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Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

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Chapter 1

Introducing Wise Virtual Package Editor

This chapter includes the following topics:

z About Virtual Package Editor on page 8
z About Virtual Software Packages on page 9
z About Virtual Software Package Formats on page 9
z About Virtual Software Package Archive Types on page 10
z About Application Layers on page 11
z About Data Layers on page 11
z About Sublayers on page 12
z About User Maintenance of Virtual Software Packages on page 13
z About the Altiris SVS Applet on page 13
z Updating the SVS Driver on page 13
z Product Documentation on page 14

About Virtual Package Editor

Virtual Package Editor is a complete and user-friendly tool for creating and editing a
Virtual Software Package (VSP) that you can distribute to end users. Software
virtualization is a revolutionary approach to software management that lets y ou package
applications and data into managed units that can be installed as virtual layers. To
import a VSP on a client computer, the SVS Driver (Software Virtualization Agent) must
be installed.

Normally, you would use the SetupCapture that is available in Virtual Package Editor to
capture an existing package as a VSP. However, you can also use the various Installation
Expert pages in Virtual Package Editor to create a VSP.

Virtual Package Editor is included with the following products:

z Wise Installation Studio
z Wise Package Studio Professional

To use Virtual Package Editor, you must have the SVS Driver (Software Virtualization
Agent) installed. This driver is installed when you install Wise Package Studio.

We recommend that before you use Virtual Package Editor, you become familiar with
Software Virtualization Solution.

For more information about Software Virtualization Solution (SVS), search for
Workspace Virtualization on the symantec.com Web site.

See also:

About Installation Expert on page 15

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 8

About SetupCa pture on page 38
Updating the SVS Driver on page 13

About Virtual Software Packages

A Virtual Software Package (VSP) contains files and registry keys l ike any other software
package. However, these files and registry keys are installed to a special area on the
hard drive. After the VSP is activated by the SVS Driver (Software Virtualization Agent),
the application becomes visible along with its files, directories, and settings. To the end
user, the virtualized application looks and behaves like any other application.

You can create VSPs with Virtual Package Editor. In Windows Installer Editor, you can
also create a WiseScript wrapper that installs an .MSI into an SVS layer. You can also use
the SVS Enabled Package option in Software Manager to create VSPs. To install a VSP on
a computer, the SVS Driver must be installed.

See About the Installation of an .MSI into an SVS Layer on page 249.
See About SVS Enabled Packages in Software Manager Help.
The following are some of the benefits of creating VSPs:

z End users can easily and instantly repair your application if it is broken.

See About User Maintenance of Virtual Software Packages on page 13.

Introducing Wise Virtual Package Editor

z You can instantly activate, deactivate, or reset applications that you deploy to your

users.

z You can deploy applications and know that they will not conflict with other

applications or change the base Windows installation.

z You can deploy more than one version of an application to your users’ computers.

See also:

About Virtual Software Package Formats on page 9
About Virtual Software Package Archive Types on page 10
About Application Layers on page 11
About Data Layers on page 11
About Sublayers on page 12

About Virtual Software Package Formats

A Virtual Software Package (VSP) can be in one of the following formats:

virtual software layer A virtual software layer is the native SVS layer component.

When the output is a virtual software layer, the layer
appears in the Altiris SVS applet as soon as it is created.
Specify this format as your output type when you create a
VSP to use locally on your computer.

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Introducing Wise Virtual Package Editor

virtual software project
file (.WVP)

virtual software archive
file (.VSA)

A .WVP file provides much more functionality than a virtual
software layer and lets you do the following that you
cannot do with a virtual software layer:

z Compile it into a .VSA file that can be distributed and

imported on a client computer that has the SVS Driver.

z Create a release for the archive file on the Releases

page.
See Releases Page on page 34.

z Add WiseScripts on the Events page to enhance its

functionality.
See Events Page on page 31.

z Add data layers on the Data Layers page.
z Maintain source path locations.
z Avoid capturing information that is specific to the

computer where the layer is created (example: user­specific SID data).

Specify this format as your output type when you create a
VSP to deploy to multiple client computers.

A .VSA file is generated when you compile a .WVP file or
when you export a virtual software layer from the Altiris
SVS applet. A .VSA file is portable and can be copied or
deployed to other computers. In order for the contents of
the .VSA to be usable on a computer, the .VSA must be
imported using the SVS Driver (Software Virtualization
Agent).

See also:

About Virtual Software Package Archive Types on page 10
About Virtual Package Editor on page 8
About the Altiris SVS Applet on page 13
About Data Layers on page 11
Data Layers Page on page 33

About Virtual Software Package Archive Types

A Virtual Software Package (VSP) archive file is a portable package that lets you
distribute your VSP to others. In Virtual Package Editor, a VSP’s archive t ype is displayed
on the Product Details page.

The following are the VSP archive types:

virtual software archive
file (.VSA)

A .VSA file requires a licensed version of the SVS Driver
(Software Virtualization Agent) on the computer where it is
imported.

You can only create .VSAs in Wise Package Studio 7.0 and
later and Wise Installation Studio 7.0.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 10

Introducing Wise Virtual Package Editor

virtual runtime archive
file (.VRA)

In Virtual Package Editor, when you open an archive file that is not supported by that
edition of the editor, you are asked to convert it to a supported archive type. To save
changes to an archive file, you must first convert it to a supported format.

See Opening a Virtual Software Package on page 20.

About Application Layers

Virtual Package Editor lets you create a Virtual Software Package (VSP) that is an
application layer. An application layer contains all the files and registry settings that
make up a virtualized application.

Warning

When you create a VSP, be sure to set exclusions on the Exclusions page in Virtual
Package Editor. Exclusions prevent the loss of user data when a layer is reset.

See Exclusions Page on page 29.

Typically, one layer is created for each application. However, one layer can contain
multiple applications. Each layer is managed as a single entity.

A .VRA file can be imported with either a licensed or
unlicensed version of the SVS Driver.

You can only create .VRAs in Wise Installation Studio 7.0
SP1 or later.

You can create an application layer in the following ways:

z Use the SetupCapture tool to capture an existing application and use Installation

Expert to edit the package.

z Use the Installation Expert pages to create the package by adding files, registry

keys, and application settings.

See also:

About Virtual Package Editor on page 8
Creating an Application Layer on page 18
About Data Layers on page 11

About Data Layers

Virtual Package Editor lets you create a Virtual Software Package (VSP) that is a data
layer. A data layer captures data files into a dedicated data layer rather than having
them written to an application layer or the base file system.

You create a data layer primarily by using the Inclusions page. After you create a data
layer, you can add it to an application layer on the Data Layers page.

You can use data layers to do the following:

z Store application layer data

Data layers can help manage data that is generated from application layers. Any
data that is generated by an application layer is, by default, saved within the
writeable sublayer of that application layer. This data is lost if the layer is reset.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 11

When you use a data layer, the data is stored separately and is not deleted because
a data layer cannot be reset.

z Provide a single, portable data store

Data layers can provide a single source of user data files that can easily be exported
to a virtual software archive file (.VSA) and moved or copied to a different computer.

Example: You could create a data layer to store a company’s product catalog and
price list that is updated monthly. Each month, that layer could be exported to a
.VSA and distributed to the sales force to ensure they have the current files. The
layer could then be deleted at the end of each month to ensure that obsolete data is
not circulated or available.

See also:
See Data Layers Page on page 33.

About Sublayers

On the Files, Registry, and Delete Entries pages of Virtual Package Editor, a sublayer
drop-down list appears. Before you select entries on these pages, select the sublay er to
which you want to add the entries. On the Files and Registry pages, you can mo ve items
from one sublayer to the other by right-clicking the file or registry value and selecting
Move to layer.

Introducing Wise Virtual Package Editor

An SVS layer has the following sublayers:

Read-only The read-only sublayer contains all the files and settings

that are not reset when the layer is reset. When you use
SetupCapture to capture an application, everything that is
captured is put in the read-only layer. When you create a
Virtual Software Package (VSP) using the Installation
Expert pages, you normally add files, registry keys, and
delete entries to the read-only sublayer. When a damaged
application is reset, any files or settings from the read-only
layer are restored.

Writable The writable sublayer contains any files or settings that are

added or changed by a user of a layer. When a layer is
reset, any data in the writable layer is deleted. In Virtual
Package Editor, you use this sublayer mainly for modifying
user specific settings, troubleshooting, or testing.
(Example: When testing a layer, you could add a .DLL to
the writable layer and then simply reset the layer to
remove it.)

Warning

When you create a VSP, be sure to set exclusions on the Exclusions page in Virtual
Package Editor. Exclusions prevent the loss of user data when a layer is reset.

See Exclusions Page on page 29.

Example: Suppose you create a layer for Firefox. As a user uses Firefox, they may make
some changes to the program. They may select a unique home page, add bookmarks, or
change the original security settings. By default, these user changes are stored in the

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 12

Introducing Wise Virtual Package Editor

writeable sublayer. If Firefox becomes damaged and is reset, the application is returned
to its original state (read-only sublayer) and the data in the writeable sublayer is lost.

About User Maintenance of Virtual Software
Packages

If you use the Releases page to create a WiseScript-based installation for a Virtual
Software Package (VSP), an end user can use Add/Remove Programs to remove or
repair the VSP. The end user has the following options when th ey click the Change/
Remove button on Add/Remove Programs:

Remove Deletes the SVS layer along with the VSP.
Repair Resets the SV S layer and returns the application to its

original state. Any customization that the end user made to
the application is lost when the layer is reset.

Note

If you use SetupCapture to capture an application, use the Registry page to delete any
uninstall registry keys. Uninstall registry keys can cause the Change/Remove button to
not appear with the application in the Add/Remove Programs list.

About the Altiris SVS Applet

The Altiris SVS applet is installed when you install Wise Package Studio. It is available
from the Windows Control Panel and lets you import, export, and manage Virtual
Software Packages (VSPs).

When you create a layer and the output is a virtual software layer, the layer appears in
the Altiris SVS applet as soon as it is created. From the Altiris SVS applet, you can
export a layer to an archive file, which is a portable layer.

To access help for the Altiris SVS applet, open the applet and press F1.

See also:

About Virtual Software Package Formats on page 9
About Virtual Software Package Archive Types on page 10

Updating the SVS Driver

If an updated version of the SVS Driver (Software Virtualization Agent) exists, you can
download it from the Help menu of Virtual Package Editor. This downloads and installs
the full version of the SVS Driver and some othe r SVS related files. Wise P ackage Studio
uses this full version for its features that use SVS functionality.

To update the SVS Driver

z In Virtual Package Editor, select Help > Download and install latest SVS...

If an updated version of the SVS Driver exists, it and related files are downloaded
and installed on your computer.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 13

Product Documentation

This documentation assumes that you are proficient in the use of the Windows operating
system. If you need help using the operating system, consult its user documentation.

Use the following sources of information to learn about this product.

Online Help

The online help contains detailed technical information and step-by-step instructions for
performing common tasks.

Access help in the following ways:

z To display context-sensitive help for the active window or dialog box, press F1.
z To select a help topic from a table of contents, index, or search, select Help menu >

Help Topics.

Reference Manual

All the material in the online help is also available in a .PDF-format reference manual,
which you can access by selecting Help menu > Re ference Manual.

Getting Started Guide

Introducing Wise Virtual Package Editor

The Getting Started Guide contains system requirements and installation instructions.
You can access a .PDF version of the Getting Started Guide from the Windows Start
menu.

Release Notes

The product release notes cover new features, enhancements, bug fixes, and known
issues for the current version of this product. T o access the release not es, select Release

Notes from the Symantec program group on the Windows Start menu.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 14

Chapter 2

Creating Virtual Software Packages

This chapter includes the following topics:

z About Installation Expert on page 15
z Starting Virtual Package Editor on page 17
z Creating a Virtual Package Editor Template on page 17
z Creating an Application Layer on page 18
z Creating a Data Layer on page 19
z Opening a Virtual Software Package on page 20
z Compiling a Virtual Software Package on page 20
z Product Details Page on page 21
z Files Page on page 22
z Registry Page on page 26
z Delete Entries Page on page 28
z Exclusions Page on page 29
z Inclusions Page on page 31
z Events Page on page 31
z Data Layers Page on page 33
z Releases Page on page 34

About Installation Expert

Installation Expert is the Virtual Package Editor user interface. It lets you create and edit
Virtual Software Packages (VSP) and provides an easy-to-use, task oriented interface for
this process. Each page of Installation Expert lets you configure a specific aspect of the
package. The pages are organized into logical groups and listed in the order in which
you usually use them. When you start Virtual Package Editor, it opens to Installation
Expert.

See Starting Virtual Package Editor on page 17.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 15

Installation Expert

Creating Virtual Software Packages

Page Groups

Page Area

Compile

Page Groups

Pages are organized into page groups. Click the group name to expand or collapse its
pages. Click a page name to display that page.

Page Area

When you click a page name in a page group, the page area displays the page’s options.
Each page lets you define a specific aspect of the VSP. (Example: On the Files page, you
define what files are included in the package.) Complete only the pages that are
pertinent to your particular package, in any order.

z Use on the toolbar to navigate from page to page, or click the page name in

the list of pages.

z To display help for the current page, press F1.

Compile

Click the Compile button to compile a virtual software project file (.WVP) into a virtual
software archive file (.VSA) or to save a virtual software layer.

See Compiling a Virtual Software Package on page 20.

See also:

Product Details Page on page 21
Files Page on page 22

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 16

Registry Page on page 26
Delete Entries Page on page 28
Exclusions Page on page 29
Inclusions Page on page 31
Events Page on page 31
Data Layers Page on page 33

Starting Virtual Package Editor

To use Virtual Package Editor, you must have the SVS Driver (Software Virtualization
Agent) installed. If this driver was not installed when you installed Wise Package Studio,
you can install it when you start Virtual Package Editor.

To start Virtual Package Editor when the SVS Driver is installed

z In Wise Package Studio, do one of the following:

 On the Tools tab, double-click Virtual Package Editor.
 On the Projects tab, click the Run link to the right of the task or tool associated

with Virtual Package Editor. The package associated with the current project
opens by default.

Creating Virtual Software Packages

To start Virtual Package Editor when the SVS Driver is not installed

1. In Wise Package Studio, do one of the following:

 On the Tools tab, double-click Virtual Package Editor.
 On the Projects tab, click the Run link to the right of the task or tool associated

with Virtual Package Editor. The package associated with the current project
opens by default.

2. When prompted to download and install the SVS Driver, click Yes.
The SVS Driver downloads and installs.

3. When prompted to reboot your computer, click Yes.
A restart of your computer is required to complete the installation of the SVS Driv er.

4. After your computer restarts, restart Virtual Package Editor.

See also:

Creating an Application Layer on page 18
Creating a Data Layer on page 19

Creating a Virtual Package Editor Template

You can create a template that lets you define settings for installations that you create
with Virtual Package Editor. The template is then used by Virtual Package Editor if the
output is a virtual software project file (.WVP). This applies to VSPs that you create
using the pages in Virtual Package Editor and VSPs that you create by capturing an
existing application using SetupCapture.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 17

To create a Virtual Package Editor template

1. In Virtual Package Editor, use the Installation Expert pages to add items to the
template.

Any items that you add to the template will be added to any new VSPs that you
create.

2. Select File > Save As and save the .WVP with the name template.wvp in th e Wise
Share Point\Templates\SVS folder.

Creating an Application Layer

Virtual Package Editor lets you create a Virtual Software Package (VSP) that is an
application layer. An application layer contains all the files and registry settings that
make up a virtualized application.

See About Application Layers on page 11.
You can create a new application la yer usin g th e Installation Expert pages or capture an

existing application as an application layer. If you capture an existing application as an
application layer, you can then use Installation Expert pages to edit it. Whether you
create or capture an application layer, the output type can be either a virtual software
project file (.WVP) or a virtual software layer.

Creating Virtual Software Packages

See About Virtual Software Package Formats on page 9.

To create an application layer with .WVP output

1. In Virtual Package Editor, use the Installation Expert pages to add files, registry
keys, and other functionality to the layer.

2. Compile the installation.

To create an application layer with a virtual software layer output

1. In Virtual Package Editor, select File menu > New.
The New Virtual Package dialog box appears.

2. Complete the New Virtual Package dialog box.

 In the Templates/Tools list, select Application.
 In the Output type section, select Create virtual layer
 Click OK.

3. Use the Installation Expert pages to add files, registry keys, and other functionality
to the layer.

4. Compile the installation.

To capture an application layer with SetupCapture

1. In Virtual Package Editor, select File menu > New.
The New Virtual Package dialog box appears.

2. Complete the New Virtual Package dialog box.

 In the Templates/Tools list, select SetupCapture.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 18

Creating Virtual Software Packages

SetupCapture is a tool that lets you capture an existing application to create an
application layer.

 In the Output type section, specify the type of output to create
 Click OK.

The SetupCapture Welcome page appears.

3. Step through the SetupCapture wizard to capture the application.
See Capturing an Installation on page 40.
After you capture the application, the captured application’s package opens in

Virtual Package Editor.

4. Use the Installation Expert pages to edit the application layer.

5. Compile the installation.

See also:

About Installation Expert on page 15
Compiling a Virtual Software Package on page 20

Creating a Data Layer

Virtual Package Editor lets you create a Virtual Software Package (VSP) that is a data
layer. A data layer captures data files into a dedicated data layer rather than having
them written to an application layer or the base file system.

After you create a data layer, you can add it to an application layer on the Data Layers
page.

To create a data layer

1. Select File menu > New.
The New Virtual Package dialog box appears.

2. In the Templates/Tools list, select Data.
Data is a templates that lets you create a new application data layer.

3. In the Output type section, select Create virtual software project file.

4. Click OK.

5. On the Inclusions page, click Add and specify a file extension or directory exclusion.
See Inclusions Page on page 31.

6. To save the data layer, select File menu > Save and specify a name for the project
file.

7. To generate a .VSA file, click Compile in the lower-right corner.

See also:

About Data Layers on page 11
Data Layers Page on page 33

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 19

Opening a Virtual Software Package

In Virtual Package Editor, you can open any of the following:

virtual software layer A layer that has been imported into the Altiris SVS applet.
virtual runtime archive

file (.VRA)
virtual software

archive file (.VSA)
virtual software project

file (.WVP)

After you open a Virtual Software P ack age (VSP), y ou can use Install ation Expert to edit
it.

See About Installation Expert on page 15.

To open a .VSA, .VRA, or .WVP file

1. In Virtual Package Editor, click File > Open.

When you open a .VRA file, you are prompted to convert it
to a .VSA file.

When you open a .VSA file, it becomes a .WVP file.

When you open and compile a .WVP file, a .VSA file is
generated.

Creating Virtual Software Packages

2. Specify a .VSA, .VRA, or .WVP file.
If you specify a .VSA or a .VRA file, the Import Virtual Archive dialog box appears.

3. If the Import Virtual Archive dialog box appears, specify a directory for the source
files and click OK.

4. If you specified a .VRA, click Yes when prompted to convert it to a .VSA.

To open a virtual software layer

1. In Virtual Package Editor, click File > Open Layer.
The Select Layer dialog box appears.

2. Select the layer and click OK.

See also:

Creating an Application Layer on page 18
Creating a Data Layer

Compiling a Virtual Software Package

When you compile a Virtual Software Package (VSP), what happens depends on the type
of output you selected for the VSP as follows:

virtual software layer The layer is saved. If the layer is activated, you are asked

to deactivate it to save the changes.

virtual software project
file (.WVP)

A virtual software archive file (.VSA) is generated. The
.VSA file has the same file name as the .WVP file.

See About Virtual Software Package Formats on page 9.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 20

If the compile fails, a Compile Failed dialog box appears that lists the errors that were
found during compile. This includes any syntax errors in WiseScripts that you ma y ha v e
added on the Events page.

If the output is a virtual software layer, any changes you make to the layer are saved
directly to the layer when you save or compile. If the output is .WVP file, any changes
you make to the project file are compiled into the .VSA when you compile.

See About Virtual Software Package Formats on page 9.

To compile a virtual software package, do one of the following

z Click Compile at the lower right of the main window.
z On the Releases page, select one or more releases and click the Compile button at

the right of the Releases page. This compiles the selected releases.

z On the Releases page, in the Build column, check one or more releases and click the

Compile button at the bottom of the main window. This compiles the marked
releases.

Product Details Page

Use the Product Details page to enter general information about the application and to
specify when to activate the layer.

Creating Virtual Software Packages

Select Product Details and complete the page:

z Name

Enter the name to use for this application. This is a required field and it appears in
the Add/Remove Programs list. The maximum length is 50 characters.

z Version

Enter the version number of the application.

z Manufacturer

Enter the manufacturer or publisher of the application.

z Activate layer on startup of computer

Mark this to activate the installed layer when the computer is started. If you clear
this option, the user will have to activate the layer manually or an administr ator will
have to activate the layer remotely.

z Archive Type

This displays the format of the Virtual Software Package (VSP). If you open a
package whose format is not supported and do not convert it, that unsupported
format displays until it is converted.

See About Virtual Software Package Archive Types on page 10.

z Layer GUID

This displays the layer’s GUID. Each layer should have a unique GUID. If you
attempt to import a layer on a computer and another layer with the same GUID
already exists, the import will fail.

To change the GUID, click Generate.
If the output is a virtual software layer, this field is disabled.

See also:

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 21

Files Page

Directories
available to your
computer.

Creating Virtual Software Packages

About Installation Expert on page 15
About Virtual Software Package Archive Types on page 10

On the Files page, you specify the directories and files to be installed on the destination
computer. You can add files to the read-only or the writeable sublayer.

See About Sublayers on page 12.

Files page

Files in the
directory selected
on the left.

Directories to
be installed on
the destination
computer.

The Windows directory represents the system
directory of the destination computer.

Working with the Files Page

z In the lower-left list box, use the right-click menu to expand or collapse the

directory structure, to hide or show empty directories, and to create, delete, or
rename directories.

z Drag directories or files to the page from Windows Explorer.
z Drag directories or files from the upper list boxes to the lower list boxes.
z Move a file to the other sublayer by right-clicking a file in the lower-right pane and

selecting Move to layer.

z Use the following buttons:

Files to be
installed on the
destination
computer.

 Add Contents

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Add an entire directory and its contents to the package and filter the directory
using wildcards.

See Adding Contents of Directories to a Virtual Software Package on page 24.

 Add File

Add files to the directory that is selected in the lower-left list box.
See Adding Files to a Virtual Software Package on page 24.

 New Folder

Create directories to be installed on the destination computer.

 Delete Folder

Remove a directory from the Virtual Software Package (VSP). This does not
delete the directory from the destination computer. If you try to delete a
directory that is specified on one of the Layer Settings pages, you will be
prompted to verify that you want to delete the directory.

 Delete File

Remove a file from the VSP. This does not delete the file from the destination
computer.

 Details

View details on the VSP’s files.
See Editing File Details on page 25

See also:

Creating Virtual Software Packages

About Installation Directories on page 23
About Installation Expert on page 15

About Installation Directories

On the Files page, the following predefined directories appear in the lower-left list box:

z Program Files

Represents the Program Files directory on the destination computer.

z Windows

Represents the system directory (regardless of its actual name) on the destination
computer. Some standard directories are already created under Windows (example:
Fonts and Profiles).

You can add new directories on the Files page.
To install files into the user profile on the end user’s computer, add the files to a

directory in Windows\Profiles.
If the directory structure on your computer changes while you are assembling a Virtual

Software Package (VSP), change the source directories in the package.
If you delete a directory that has delete entries, exclusions, or inclusions associated with

it, they will also be removed.

See also:

Files Page on page 22
Delete Entries Page on page 28
Exclusions Page on page 29
Inclusions Page on page 31

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 23

Adding Files to a Virtual Software Package

You use the Files page in Installation Expert to add files to a Virtual Software Package
(VSP).

To add files to a VSP

1. In Installation Expert, select the Files page.

2. From Sublayer, select a sublayer.
See About Sublayers on page 12.

3. If the directory where the file is to be added is not listed in the lower-left list box:
a. Select the directory under which the new directory should be created.
b. Click New Folder, enter a directory name, and click OK.
The directory you specify will be created on the destination computer if it does not

exist.

4. In the lower-left list box, select the directory to which the file will be added.

5. In the upper list boxes, navigate to a file and double-click it or drag it to the lower­right list box. You can select multiple files.

Creating Virtual Software Packages

If you try to add files to the Destination Computer icon or the Program Files
directory, you are prompted to first create a folder to hold the files.

The file is added to the selected folder and appears in the lower-right list box. If you
double-click the file, a File Details dialog box appears.

See also:

Editing File Details on page 25
Files Page on page 22

Adding Contents of Directories to a Virtual Software Package

You can add the entire contents of a directory to a Virtual Softw are Package (VSP) or use
wildcard filters to add only specified files in the directory.

1. In Installation Expert, select the Files page.

2. From Sublayer, select a sublayer.
See About Sublayers on page 12.

3. In the upper-left list box, select a directory whose contents you want to add.

4. In the lower-left list box, select a directory where you want to add the contents.

5. Click Add Contents.
The Add Contents dialog box appears.

6. Complete the dialog box:

 Destination Directory

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 24

Enter the name of the directory that will hold the contents of the directory
you’re adding. If you don’t enter a directory name, the contents are added to
the directory that’s selected in the lower list box.

7. Click OK.

See also:

Files Page on page 22

Editing File Details

When you add a file to a Virtual Software Package (VSP), it inherits the attributes of the
original file. If you edit the attributes of a file in a package, the file reflects your edits
when it is installed on the destination computer.

Creating Virtual Software Packages

 Include Wildcards, Exclude Wildcards

T o include or ex clude files based on specific criteria, enter a semicolon-delimited
list of wildcards. (Example: Enter *.EXE for all EXE files. A ? represents any one
character.) If you leave the wildcard fields blank, all files in the directory are
added.

 Include Subdirectories

Mark this to add all the subdirectories within the directory you’re adding. The
wildcard settings apply to the subdirectories also.

The contents of the directory in the upper-left list box are added to the directory you
selected in the lower-left list box or to the directory you specified in the

Destination Directory field.

To edit attributes for a single file

1. On the Files page, double-click a file in the lower-right list box.
The File Details dial o g box appears.

2. Complete the dialog box:

 Long Filename

The name of the file as displayed on computers running Windows 95 and later.

 Short Filename

The 8.3 file name as displayed in DOS or under older versions of Windows.
Specify the short name your application will look for if it is installed on a shared
network directory that doesn’t support long file names.

 Source Pathname

The full path of the file on your computer. If you opened a virtual software layer ,
this field contains SVS variables.

See SVS Variables on page 285.

 Read Only

Make the file read-only on the destination computer.

 Hidden

Make the file hidden on the destination computer.

 System

Designate this file as a system file on the destination computer.

3. Click OK.

See also:

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 25

Files Page on page 22

Registry Page

Use the Registry page to specify the registry entries to be installed on the destination
computer. You can either add registry entries manually or import a registry file (.REG).
You can add registry entries to the read-only or the writeable sublayer.

Registry page

Creating Virtual Software Packages

Registry keys
on your
computer.

Registry keys to
be created on
the destination
computer.

Registry values
in the key
selected on the
left.

Registry values
to be installed
on the
destination
computer.

Working with the Registry Page

z In the lower-left list box, use the right-click menu to expand or collapse the

directory structure, to hide or show empty directories, and to create, delete, or
rename directories.

z Move a registry key to the other sublayer by right-clicking a registry k ey value in the

lower-right pane and selecting Move to layer.

z Drag and drop keys and values on the Registry page, or use the following buttons:

 Add Keys

 Add Values

 Add

 Delete Key, Delete Value

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 26

Copy a registry key, including all its subkeys and values, from your computer to
the Virtual Software Package (VSP).

Copy values from your computer to the VSP.

Create a new key or import a registry file into the VSP.

Remove a registry key or value from the VSP.

 Details

Note

SVS does not store data in the virtual HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT key. Instead, it stores it in
its real location under either HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes or
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes. At run time, Windows reads the SVS data for
active layers from these locations and properly renders HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.

See also:

About Installation Expert on page 15

Adding Registry Keys

Use the Registry Page to add and edit registry keys and values and rename or delete
keys and values. However, you canno t rename or delete a root folder.

To add a registry key

1. In Installation Expert, select the Registry page.

Creating Virtual Software Packages

Edit registry key settings.

2. From Sublayer, select a sublayer.
See About Sublayers on page 12.

3. Do one of the following:

 In the lower-left list box, select the location for the key. Click Add and select

Key.

 Double-click the registry key value in the lower-right list box.

The Registry Detai l s dialog box appears.

4. Complete the dialog box:

 Root

The top-level key in which the new key will be added. (Example:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER.) This is enabled only when you access the Registry
Details dialog box from the Add button.

 Key

To add a new key, click at the end of the existing text, and add a backslash and
the name of the new key. To create the entire key path, separate key names
with backslashes (\). Any keys in the path that do not already exist on the
destination computer are created. This is enabled only when you access the
Registry Details dialog box from the Add button.

 Value Name

Enter the name of a new named value. You can use environment variables.

 Data Value

Enter the data for the value. You can use environment variables.

 Data Type

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 27

Select the type of data contained in the named value.
The associated Windows API data types are in parentheses below.

Creating Virtual Software Packages

 String

(REG_SZ) Identifies the value as an expandable string. To include a
property, enclose the property name in square brackets.

 Unexpanded string

(REG_EXPAND_SZ) Identifies the value as a string that contains unexpanded
references to environment variables that are expanded when the value is
retrieved. Enclose the environment variables in single percent signs. For
example, %PATH%.

If you do not want the variable to be expanded, enclose it in double percent
signs. For example, %%WIN%%. This allows Windows system variables to
be embedded.

 Double word

(REG_DWORD) Identifies the value as a 32-bit number in decimal notation.

 Binary / Hex

(REG_BINARY) Identifies the value as a binary in hexadecimal notation. Do
not use spaces, commas, or other characters to separate the bytes.
Example: AD30C0A94020A8FC4C0008.

 Quad Word

(REG_QWORD) Identifies the value as a 64-bit number.

5. Click OK.

Importing Registry Entries

You can import registry files (.REG) into a Virtual Software Package (VSP). RegEdit 4.0
and 5.0 formats are supported for importing.

To import a registry file

1. In Installation Expert, select the Registry page.

2. From Sublayer, select a sublayer.
See About Sublayers on page 12.

3. Click Add at the lower left of the Registry page and select Import.

4. In the dialog box that appears, specify a .REG file and click Open.

The contents of the selected registry file, along with all corresponding folders, are placed
in the appropriate root folder.

Delete Entries Page

Use the Delete Entries page to create deletion entries for an application. A deletion entry
hides a file that is on the computer when a layer is activa ted. The hidden file functions
as if it were deleted. When the layer is deactivated or deleted, the file reappears.

You can add multiple deletion entries to a package. You normally add a deletion entry to
the read-only sublayer.

You can also use the Delete Entries page to troubleshoot a layer by viewing files in the
writeable sublayer. If a user deletes files in the read-only sublayer, they will be added to
the writeable sublayer. When you reset the layer, these files are restored.

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Creating Virtual Software Packages

When you add a delete entry, you must specify its type. You can specify the following
types of delete entries:

system You can only specify a system delete entry for system-

specific folders (example: Windows and Program Files). If
you specify a system delete entry for a user-specifi c folder,
an error message appears when you click OK.

user You can specify a user delete entry for any folder. A user

delete entry applies to every user (examp le : If you specify
a user delete entry for a file in My Documents, the file
appears deleted from My Documents for every user).

Example: You create a Virtual Software Package (VSP) for Firefox that includes a
shortcut, and on the Delete Entries page you create an entry to hide the shortcut for
Internet Explorer. When the Firefox layer is activated, the Firefox shortcut is visible and
the Internet Explorer shortcut is hidden. When the Firefox layer is deactivated, the
Internet Explorer shortcut is again visible, and the Firefox shortcut is not.

Warning

Be very careful when adding files to the Delete Entries page. Do not add files unless you
are sure that they are not used by another application.

To add a delete entry to a VSP

1. In Installation Expert, select the Delete Entries page.

2. From Sublayer, select a sublayer.
See About Sublayers on page 12.

3. Click Add.
The Delete Entry Details dialog box appears.

4. Select the directory that contains the file.
To add a new directory, select New Folder from the right-click menu and specify

the directory.

5. From Type, select the delete entry type.

6. In Filename, enter the name of the file.
You must specify a file name because a deletion entry cannot be a directory.

7. Click OK.
The entry appears on the Delete Entries page. You can add multiple delete entries.

See also:

About Installation Expert on page 15

Exclusions Page

Use the Exclusions page to specify directories or file types to exclude from a layer. Files
that meet the criteria specified on the Exclusions page are not saved in the layer, but are
saved in the base file system. Files that are excluded from a layer are not lost when the

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Creating Virtual Software Packages

layer is reset. Files that are not excluded from a layer are written to the lay er’s writeable
sublayer and are lost when the layer is reset.

An end user can reset a layer from Add/Remove Programs by selecting Repair on the
Maintenance Mode dialog box.

Use the Exclusions page to specify directories or file types to exclude from a layer. Files
that meet the criteria specified on the Exclusions page are not saved in the layer, but are
saved in the base file system. Files that are excluded from a layer are not lost when the
layer is reset. Files that are not excluded from a layer are written to the lay er’s writeable
sublayer and are lost when the layer is reset.

Example: If you have an application layer for Microsoft W ord, y ou can excl ude file t ypes
.DOC, .RTF, .TXT, .HTML, and .XML, so that any data file that is sa v ed by the Word layer
is not redirected to the layer. Instead, those files are saved in the base file system.

The disadvantage of using exclusion entries is that you have to configure the exclusions
for each layer. For a more global solution, create a data layer on the Inclusions page.

See Inclusions Page on page 31.
To exclude user profile directories from a layer on the end user’s computer, select a

directory in Windows\Profiles.
When you use SetupCapture to capture an application’s installation, any file extensions

that have a file association with that application’s fi les will appear on the Exclusions page
automatically.

To add exclusions to a Virtual Software Package (VSP)

1. In Installation Expert, select the Exclusions page.

2. Click Add.
The Exclude Details dialog box appears.

3. To specify file extension s :
a. Mark File extension.
b. Enter the file extension.

You can specify only one extension per exclusion. Do not include the period or
wildcard asterisk, as it will be interpreted as part of the file extension (example:
do not use .doc or *.doc).

4. To specify a directory:
a. Mark Directory.
b. Select the directory.
c. To exclude su bdirectories, mark Exclude subdirectories. By default,

subdirectories are not excluded.

5. Click OK.
The exclusion is added to the list of exclusions. You can add multiple exclusions. To

delete or edit an entry, select Delete or Details from its right-click menu.

See also:

About Installation Expert on page 15

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 30

Inclusions Page

Use the Inclusions page to specify directories or file types to include in a data lay er. This
page appears only when you have a data layer open. It does not appear for application
layers. Files that meet the criteria specified on the Inclusions page are redir ected to this
layer.

Example: If you have an application layer for Microsoft Office, you can create a data
layer with inclusions for the file types .XLS, .DOC, .RTF , .TXT, .HTML, and .XML. Any files
with these extensions that are saved by the Office layer are not redirected to the Office
layer, but to the data layer instead. You also can include a directory, so that any files
that are saved to that directory are saved to the data layer.

After you create a data layer, you can add the data layer to an application on the Data
Layers page to group the two layers into a single package.

See Data Layers Page on page 33.

To add inclusions to a Virtual Software Package (VSP)

1. In Installation Expert, select the Inclusions page.

2. Click Add.
The Include Details dialog box appears.

Creating Virtual Software Packages

3. To specify file extension s :
a. Mark File extension.
b. Enter the file extension.

You can specify only one extension per inclusion. Do not include the period or
wildcard asterisk, as it will be interpreted as part of the file extension (example:
do not use .doc or *.doc).

4. To specify a directory:
a. Mark Directory.
b. Select the directory.
c. To include subdirectories, mark Include Subdirectories. By default,

subdirectories are not included.

5. Click OK.
The inclusion is added to the list of inclusions. You can add multiple inclusions. To

delete or edit an entry, select Delete or Details from its right-click menu.

See also:

About Data Layers on page 11
About Installation Expert on page 15

Events Page

Use the Events page to configure command lines or WiseScripts to be executed when
layer events are triggered. This lets you add functionality to your Virtual Software
Package (VSP). You cannot add WiseScripts to a virtual software layer.

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Creating Virtual Software Packages

Examples: Set configuration options that are user-specific, display an end-user license
agreement, or evaluate the destination computer’s operating system and install .DLL
files specific to that operating system.

The events that appear in the Event drop-down list are related to actions you can
perform on layers. The events run either before or after these actions are performed on
the layer. Example: To run an event before the layer is activated, create a Pre Activate
event.

We recommend that you use WiseScripts instead of command lines because they have
much greater functionality. WiseScript is a high-level scripting languag e that
consolidates dozens or hundreds of lines of code into predefined script actions.

Note

If you add a WiseScript to a virtual software project file (.WVP) and then open its virtual
runtime archive file (.VSA), you will not be able to edit the WiseScript. In the .VSA file,
the event appears as a command line that runs the compiled WiseScript .EXE.

WiseScript includes a set of SVS-specific script actions. However, you normally would
not use the SVS script actions when you add a WiseScript on the Events page. Instead,
you would use the non-SVS script actions because you are working directly in a layer or
in a package that becomes a layer.

See About SVS Script Actions in the WiseScript Package Editor Help.
You can add mul tiple command lines or WiseScripts to a VSP. You can then use the Move

Up and Move Down buttons to change the order in which the command lines or
WiseScripts are executed.

To configure a command line

1. In Installation Expert, select the Events page.

2. From Event, select when the command line should run.

3. Click Add and select Command Line.
The Event Details dialog box appears.

4. Complete the dialog box:
a. In Command Line, enter the command line.
b. To have the action specified in the command line complete before proceeding,

mark Wait.

c. Click OK.

The command line appears on the Events page.

To configure a WiseScript

1. In Installation Expert, select the Events page.

2. From Event, select when the WiseScript should run.

3. Click Add and select WiseScript.
WiseScript Editor appears. A tab for the script appears below the Installation Script

pane. The tab is named after the event you selected on the Events page.

4. In the WiseScript Editor:

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 32

Creating Virtual Software Packages

 In the Description field, enter a unique description of the script. This

description appears on the Events page.

 T o have the action spec ified in the WiseScript complete before proceeding, mark

Wait for this script to complete.

 To open an existing WiseScript, click Browse in the lower-left corner and specify

the script.

 To create a new WiseScript, add actions from the Actions pane to the

Installation Script pane.
See About Script Editor in the WiseScript Package Editor Help.

5. When you finish editing the WiseScript, click OK.
The WiseScript appears on the Events page.

Note

When you compile a .WVP file, the syntax of the WiseScript is validated. If the
WiseScript contains syntax errors, a Compile Failed dialog box appears and lists these
errors.

See also:

About Installation Expert on page 15

Data Layers Page

Use the Data Layers page to add a data layer to an application layer so that they can be
installed together by the application layer’s .VSA file. Example: If you created a data
layer to capture all .DOC and .XLS files, you could add this layer to a Microsoft Office
application layer so that they are deployed together to client computers.

See About Data Layers on page 11.
You can add a data la y er to a virtual softw are project file (.WVP) onl y. You cannot add it

to a virtual software archive file (.VSA) or virtual software layer. If you create a .WVP file
that contains a data layer and then open its .VSA file, the Data Layers page does not
appear.

Before you can add a data layer to an application layer, you must create the data layer.
The data layer must be in the .VSA format.

See Creating a Data Layer on page 19.
When you compile a .WVP file that contains one or more data layers, an .EXE file with

the same name is created in addition to the .VSA. You must use the .EXE file to
distribute the layer. When the .EXE runs, it creates the application layer and all the data
layers. Each layer appears in the Altiris SVS applet.

See About the Altiris SVS Applet on page 13.

To add a data layer to an application layer

1. In Virtual Package Editor, open the .WVP file of the application layer.

2. In Installation Expert, select the Data Layers page.

3. Click Add.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 33

4. Specify the .VSA file of the data layer.

5. Click OK.

See also:

About Installation Expert on page 15

Releases Page

Before you distribute a virtual software archive file (.VSA) to end users, you can create a
release for the archive file. A release consists of a WiseScript .EXE wrapper that contains
the logic that is needed to install your application properly.

You use the Releases page in Virtual Package Editor to create a release for a .VSA file.
You can create any number of releases, but normally you would create a single release
for an archive file.

Creating Virtual Software Packages

The Data Layer Details dialog box appears.

The file path for the data layer appears on the Data Layers page. You can add
multiple data layers to an application layer. Use the Move Up and Move Down
buttons to change the order in which the data layers are installed.

Before you use the Releases page, you should be familiar with the following:

z WiseScript project file (.WSE)

When you create a release for a .VSA file, a WiseScript project file (.WSE) is
created, which when compiled creates the .EXE wrapper. The .WSE file contains the
logic needed to install the .VSA file. You can edit this .WSE file from the Releases
page.

See Editing an Archive File’s WiseScript Wrapper on page 36.
By default, the .WSE file includes installation error messages and several installation

dialog boxes that appear when the end user runs the .EXE. It also includes the
installation’s maintenance mode dialogs that appear when the end user clicks the
application’s Change/Remove button in Add/Remove Programs.

See About User Maintenance of Virtual Software Packages on page 13.

z Execution of the .EXE wrapper

When an end user runs the default WiseScript .EXE wrapper, the .EXE wrapper does
the following on their computer:

 Determines whether the .VSA file has already been imported into an SVS layer

on the computer. If a .VSA file with the same GUID already exists, a message
informs the end user and the installation ends.

 Displays installation dialogs.
 Determines whether a compatible version of the SVS Driver (Software

Virtualization Agent) is installed.

 If a compatible version of the SVS Driver is not found, the .EXE wrapper

 Creates an SVS layer for the .VSA file and imports the .VSA file into the layer.
 Activates the virtual software layer.
 Displays a Finish dialog.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 34

displays an error message and the installation ends.

The virtualized application then looks and behaves like any other application to the
end user.

z Install SVS Package WiseScript action

If you use the Install SVS Package action in WiseSc ript P ackage Editor and mark the
option to bind the WiseScript to a .WVP release, then that WiseScript appears as a
release on the Releases page for that .WVP file. You can view the details of a bound
release on the Releases page, but you cannot edit them.

See Install SVS Package in the WiseScript Package Editor Help.

See also:

About Installation Expert on page 15

Creating a Virtual Software Package Release

Before you distribute a virtual runtime archive file (.VSA ) to end users, you can cre ate a
release for the archive file. The release consists of a WiseScript .EXE wrapper that
contains the logic needed to properly install the Virtual Software Package (VSP). This
WiseScript also installs the logic that lets the end user repair or remove the VSP from
Add/Remove Programs. You can also edit the WiseScript to add additional functionality.

Creating Virtual Software Packages

See About User Maintenance of Virtual Software Packages on page 13.
See Editing an Archive File’s WiseScript Wrapper on page 36.

To create a new release

1. In Installation Expert, select the Releases page.

2. Click Add.
If you have not yet saved the project as a .WVP file, you are prompted to save it.

You must save the project before you can add a release.
The Release Details dialog box appears.

3. Edit the default settings of the Release Details dialog box as needed.

 Release Name

The default name of the release is the name of the .WVP file with Setup
appended. If the name contains spaces, then a space appears before Setup.
This name identifies this script on the Releases page. If you change the default
name of a new release, the name of the installation script file (.WSE) is also
changed accordingly. If you change the name of a previously created release,
the name of the installation script file does not change.

 Installation Script File

The default location of the installation script file (.WSE) is the same directory as
the .WVP file. We recommend th at you do not c hange the default location of the
.WSE file. If you keep the .WVP file and its .WSE file in the same directory, you
can then move the installation files without losing any functionality. If you do
move the .WSE file, use the browse button to specify it.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 35

By default the .WSE file has the same name as the name of the release. When
the .WSE file is compiled, the resulting WiseScript .EXE also has this name.

Note

Install SVS Driver options appear if you open a Virtual Software Package that
was created with Wise Installation Studio that included these options.

4. Click OK.
The release appears on the Releases page.

5. To compile releases, do one of the following:

 Select one or more releases and click the Compile button at the right of the

Releases page. This compiles the selected releases.

 In the Build column, check one or more releases and click the Compile button at

the bottom of the main window. This compiles the marked releases.

Also see:

Releases Page on page 34
Editing an Archive File’s WiseScript Wrapper on page 36

Editing an Archive File’s WiseScript Wrapper

Creating Virtual Software Packages

When you create a release on the Releases page, a WiseScript wrapper is created for
your virtual software archive file (.VSA). This WiseScript wrapper contains the logic
needed to properly install your application. By default, the WiseScript wrapper also
includes several installation dialog boxes that appear when the end user runs the
compiled .EXE. It also includes maintenance mode dialog boxes that the end user can
access from Add/Remove Programs.

You can edit the WiseScript wrapper in WiseScript Package Editor and add any
functionality that is available in WiseScript Package Editor. This includes editing the
default dialog boxes or adding other dialog boxes.

You can also edit the template that creates the wrapper. Edit the template to apply
changes to every WiseScript wrapper.

See Editing the WiseScript Wrapper Template on page 37.

To edit an archive file’s WiseScript wrapper

1. In Installation Expert, select the Releases page.

2. Select the release.

3. Click Edit Script.
The script opens in WiseScript Package Editor.

4. Edit the WiseScript.

5. Compile the WiseScript.
See About WiseScript in the WiseScript Package Editor Help.

Also see:

Releases Page on page 34
Creating a Virtual Software Package Release on page 35

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 36

Editing the WiseScript Wrapper Template

When you create a release on the Releases page, a WiseScript wrapper is created for
your virtual software archive file (.VSA). You can edit the template that creates the
wrapper. Edit the template to apply changes to every WiseScript wrapper.

See Creating a Virtual Software Package Release on page 35.
You can also edit each archive file’s WiseScript wrapper.
See Editing an Archive File’s WiseScript Wrapper on page 36.
The name of the template file is VsaWrapper.wse

To edit the WiseScript Wrapper Template

1. Access the template’s directory.
The template is in the Wise Share Point\Template\SVS directory.

2. Open the template in WiseScript Package Editor.

3. Edit the WiseScript.

4. Compile the WiseScript.

Creating Virtual Software Packages

See About WiseScript in the WiseScript Package Editor Help. Also see:

Releases Page on page 34
Creating a Virtual Software Package Release on page 35

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 37

Chapter 3

Capturing Applications

This chapter includes the following topics:

z About SetupCa pture on page 38
z Guidelines for Capturing an Installation on page 38
z Setting Up a Clean Machine on page 39
z Starting SetupCapture on page 39
z Capturing an Installation on page 40

About SetupCapture

You can use SetupCapture to capture an existing application as a Virtual Software
Package (VSP). SetupCapture can record all the changes performed by an installation
and save that information to a VSP. If you run SetupCapture from Virtual Package Editor,
you can save the output as a virtual software layer or a virtual software project file
(.WVP). If you run Setup Capture from Workbench, you can save the output as a .WVP
file only.

After you capture a package, you can use Virtual Package Editor to edit it.

See also:

About Virtual Software Package Formats on page 9
Starting SetupCapture on page 39
Capturing an Installation on page 40

Guidelines for Capturing an Installation

Before using SetupCapture for the first time, read the following guidelines.

z You must have the SVS Driver (Software Virtualization Agent) installed and you

must restart your computer after installing the driver.

z Run SetupCapture on a clean machine.

See Setting Up a Clean Machine on page 39.

z Before you run SetupCapture, close all other applications, including background

services or applications (example: Norton AntiVirus).

z When you capture an application as a Virtual Software Package (VSP), there are no

configuration settings.

z During a capture, SetupCapture tries to convert computer- and user-specific data in

the registry to generic data that will work on any computer. It does this by searching
for standard paths (example: C:\Winnt) and replacing them with Windows Installer
properties (example: [WindowsFolder]).

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 38

Capturing Applications

Part of this process includes searching for the computer name and currently logged­on user name. To make the search for computer and user names as accurate as
possible, make sure the computer name and user name on the capture com puter
are set to unique names four or more characters in length. Avoid having the user
name or computer name set to any common file or folder names. An example of a
unique user name is: repackage-1-user.

To create a portable Virtual Software Package (VSP), we recommend that you save
the output as virtual software project (.WVP) file. This removes security identifiers
(SIDs) that are created under HKEY_USERS.

z During a capture, changes to an .INI file are recorded as a file change.

To make an .INI file dynamic, use the WiseScript Edit INI File Settings script action
on the Events page.

z You must be able to run the original installation to repackage it with SetupCapture.

Example: If the installation requires a serial number, you must have the serial
number.

z When the layer is activated, the Windows API ExpandEventVariable converts a

registry key\value from an environment variable to the actual Windows value.

z After you capture an application, if any uninstall registry keys appear on the

Registry page in Virtual Package Editor, delete them. Uninstall registry keys can
cause problems if you use the Releases page to create a release for the VSP. These
keys can cause the Change/Remove button to not appear for the application in the
Add/Remove Programs list. Without the Change/Remove button, the end user
cannot repair or uninstall the application.

See About User Maintenance of Virtual Software Packages on page 13.

Setting Up a Clean Machine

A clean machine is a computer containing only the operating system and its service
packs. Run all SetupCaptures on a clean machine. This makes repackaged installations
more resilient by making them less dependent on the existence of other applications. To
replicate the clean machine quickly and easily, use a drive imaging tool.

How to Set Up a Clean Machine

1. Perform a clean installation of an operating system on the computer you use for
capturing applications.

2. Install any service packs.

3. Install Windows Installer if it is not included with the operating system.

Starting SetupCapture

To start SetupCapture from Virtual Package Editor

1. Start Virtual Package Editor.
See Starting Virtual Package Editor on page 17.

2. Select File menu > New.
The New Virtual Package dialog box appears.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 39

3. In the Templates/Tools list, click SetupCapture.

4. In Output Type, select whether to create a virtual software layer or a .WVP file.
See About Virtual Software Package Formats on page 9 .

5. Click OK.

To start SetupCapture in Workbench

z In Wise Package Studio, do one of the following:

 On the Tools tab, double-click SetupCapture.
 On the Projects tab, click the Run link to the right of the task or tool associated

with SetupCapture (Virtual Package). The package that is created is saved with
the default project name. This tool might skip dialog boxes or populate fields
based on command-line options defined in Process Templates Setup.

Capturing an Installation

¾ Requires SVS Driver on the SetupCapture comp uter.

Capturing Applications

Note

Instead of capturing an existing application to create a Virtual Software Package (VSP),
you can use the SVS Enabled Package option in Software Manager. This option lets you
keep all the configuration logic in the original installation.

See About SVS Enabled Packages in the Software Manager Help.

SetupCapture records all the changes performed by an installation and can save that
information to a Virtual Software Package (VSP). You can use SetupCapture to capture a
package as a VSP from Workbench or from Vi rtual P ackage Editor. When you use it from
Virtual Package Editor, you can save the output as a virtual software layer or a virtual
software project file (.WVP). When you use it from Workbench, you can only save the
output as a .WVP file.

Before you capture an installation, close all other applications so that changes they
make are not captured. After you capture an installation, you can use Virtual Package
Editor to edit it.

To capture an installation

1. Start SetupCapture.
See Starting SetupCapture on page 39.

2. If the SetupCapture Type Welcome page appears, select SetupCapture and click
Next.

This performs a typical SetupCapture, which captures the changes made by an
installation.

3. If the Specify Target Installation File page appears, specify what to do with the
results of the SetupCapture and then click Next.

See Specifying the Installation File on page 228.

4. On The Welcome page, select the capture method.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 40

Capturing Applications

 Single Program Capture

This captures only the installations that you execute from the Execute
Installations page. You can execute one or multiple installations. Any other
activity on the computer is ignored. This is the preferred method for creating
VSPs.

 Global Capture

This captures all changes that are made to the computer during the capture
process. Use this method to capture default application settings or application
updates after an installation is complete.

5. Click Next.
The Execute Installation page appears.

6. On the Execute Installation page, do the following:
a. In .EXE Name, specify the full path of the installation executable. To capture an

.MSI, click Browse and specify the .MSI.
If you specify an .MSI, it appears in Command Line with the appropriate

Windows Installer command-line options and msiexec.exe appears in .EXE
Name.

b. To run the installation with command-line options, enter them in Command

Line.

c. Click Execute.

The installation starts. Run the installation, installing the product as you want it
to be captured, and return to SetupCapture when the installation is finished.

d. (Optional.) If you selected Global Capture on the Welcome page, open the

application and set any preferences that you want set by default. Example: You
can set a default home page or custom security settings.

e. To run additional installations, repeat the preceding steps for each installation.

All installations that you run are added to the repackaged installation.
f. Click Next.
The End Installation Capture page appears.

7. Click Next.
The SetupCapture Inclusions page appears. It displays the items that will be added

to the VSP. These items represent changes that were detected during the capture.

8. On the SetupCapture Inclusions page:

 To display another type of item, select the type from Inclusion Type. Included

item types are files and registry keys.

 To remove an item from the VSP, select it in the list and click Exclude. You might

want to remove an item if it is unrelated to the installation that was captured.

9. Click Next on the SetupCapture Inclusions page.
The SetupCapture Exclusions page appears. It displays items that are excluded from

the VSP. These items might be excluded because you specified them in the
SetupCapture Inclusions page, or because they match default exclusion criteria. If
you capture an application from Virtual Package Editor and save it as a virtual
software layer, nothing is excluded by default.

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 41

Capturing Applications

10. On the SetupCapture Exclusions page:

 T o display another t ype of item, select the type from Exclu sion Type. Excluded

item types are files and registry keys.

 T o add an item back into the VSP, select it in the list and click Include. Y ou might

want to add an item if it is part of the installation that was captured.

11. Click Next on the SetupCapture Exclusions page.
The Finish page appears.

12. Complete the Finish page.
The summary information for the captured application appears on the Product

Details page in Virtual Package Editor. The value you enter for Name is also the
name of the VSP as it appears in the Altiris SVS applet. If the output of the captured
installation is a virtual project file (.WVP), you must also specify a directory for the
project’s source files.

13. Click Finish.
The package is captured as a VSP and what happens to the package varies as

follows:

 If you ran SetupCapture from Virtual Package Editor, the VSP opens in Virtual

Package Editor.

 If the output is a virtual software project file (.WVP ), it is not saved until yo u

save it in Virtual Package Editor.

 If the output is a virtual software layer, it also appears in Altiris SVS applet.

 If you ran SetupCapture from the Tools tab, the VSP is a .WVP file and is saved

to the file name and location you specified at the beginning of SetupCapture.

 If you ran SetupCapture from the Projects tab, the VSP is a .WVP file and is

saved in the project directory.

See also:

About the Altiris SVS Applet on page 13

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 42

Index

A

Altiris SVS applet

about 13

application

executing from SetupCapture 41
name 21

application layer

about 11
adding data layer 33
capturing 18
creating 11, 18
removing 13

repairing 13
application template 19
archive type 21

about 10

converting 11

C

capturing an application

See SetupCapture
Change/Remove button

missing 39
clean machine

for SetupCapture 39
command line

in SetupCapture 41

on layer event 31
compile 20

D

data layer

about 11

adding to application layer 33

creating 11, 19

inclusions 31
Data Layers page 33
data template 19
Delete Entries page 28
deletion entry

creating 28

read-only sublayer 28

writable sublayer 28
directory

adding 23

adding contents 24

excluding from layer 29, 30

including in layer 3 1

predefined 23

using wildcard to filter 24
documentation, Wise 14
drive imaging software 39

E

Event drop-down list 32
Events page 31
exclusion, layer 29, 30
exclusion, SetupCapture 41
Exclusions page 29, 30
EXE file 33
execute installation from

SetupCapture 41

F

file

adding to package 24
attributes, changing 25
details 25
excluding from layer 29, 30
hidden 25
including in layer 3 1
multiple files, adding 24
name, changing 25
read-only 25
system file, designating 25
using wildcard to add 24

file name

long 25
short 25

Files page

about 22
adding directory 24
adding file 24

filter directories with wildcards 24

G

Getting Started Guide 14
global capture 41

H

help

about 14
Installation Expert 16
using 14

hidden file 25

I

imaging software 39
inclusion, layer 31
inclusion, SetupCapture 41
Inclusions page 31
installation

capturing 40
capturing, see SetupCapture

executing for SetupCapture 41

installation directory

adding 23
predefined 23

Installation Expert

about 15
help 16
page groups 16
page navigation 16

L

layer

activate on startup 21
excluding directories, files 29, 30
including directories, files 31
sublayer 12

layer GUID 21

M

manual, reference 14
manufacturer name 21

N

new features

Refer to Release Notes

new folder 23

O

operating system

clean 39
service pack 39

P

page

See Installation Expert
page groups, about 16
Product Details page 21
product version

See version, product

R

readme

See release notes
read-only file 25
read-only sublayer

about 12

deletion entry 28
read-write sublayer

See writeable sublayer
reference manual 14
REG file

importing 28

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 43

registry

data type 27
importing 28
key, creating 27

value, adding 27
Registry page 26
release

adding 35

creating 35
release notes 14
release script

editing 36, 37
Releases page

about 34

S

service pack, on clean machine 39
SetupCapture

about 38

clean machine 39

exclusions 41

executing installation 41

global capture 41

guidelines 38

inclusions 41

running 40

single program capture 41

starting 39

summary information 42
single program capture 41
Software Virtualization Agent

See SVS Driver
Software Virtualization Solution 8
start Virtual Package Editor 17
sublayer

about 12

Also see read-only sublayer

Also see writeable sublayer

drop-down list 12
SVS Agent

See SVS Driver
SVS Driver 8

updating 13
system directory 23
system file, designating file as 25
system requirements, Wise product

Refer to Getting Started Guide

T

template

creating 17

virtual software archive

opening 20
virtual software archive file 10
virtual software layer

about 9

compiling 20

opening 20
virtual software packages

See VSP
virtual software project

about 10

compiling 20

opening 20
virtual software project file 10
VRA file 10

opening 20
VSA file 10, 10

generating 10

opening 20
VSP

about 9

adding files 24

compiling 20

creating release 35

formats 9

GUID 21

maintenance 13

opening 20

removing 13

repairing 13

saving 42

W

wildcard

adding files with 24

filtering directories 24
WiseScript Editor 32
WiseScript wrapper

about 34

adding 35

creating 35

editing 36, 37
WiseScript, on layer event 31
writeable sublayer

about 12

deletion entry 28

viewing files 28
WVP file 10

about 10

opening 20

saving 42

V

version, product 21
Virtual Package Editor

about 8
starting 17, 17
template, creating 17

Wise Virtual Package Editor Reference 44