Windows 7 Deployment Deep DiveWindows 7 Deployment Deep Dive

How to Resolve (Nearly) Every How to Resolve (Nearly) Every Application IncompatibilityApplication Incompatibility

Greg Shields, MVP, vExpertGreg Shields, MVP, vExpertConcentrated Technologywww.ConcentratedTech.com

You Aren’t Going to Like what You Aren’t Going to Like what You’re About to LearnYou’re About to Learn

You Aren’t Going to Like what You Aren’t Going to Like what You’re About to LearnYou’re About to Learn

This. Ain’t. Easy.

You Aren’t Going to Like what You Aren’t Going to Like what You’re About to LearnYou’re About to Learn

This. Ain’t. Easy.

Well, that’s not entirely true.– Most applications run just fine atop Windows 7.– Those that don’t were coded poorly, use inappropriate

shortcuts, or leverage Windows XP work-arounds that no longer exist.

You Aren’t Going to Like what You Aren’t Going to Like what You’re About to LearnYou’re About to Learn

This. Ain’t. Easy.

Well, that’s not entirely true.– Most applications run just fine atop Windows 7.– Those that don’t were coded poorly, use inappropriate

shortcuts, or leverage Windows XP work-arounds that no longer exist.

For all the other apps, solutions exist that can “shim” them into functionality.– These shims will fix many of the remaining applications.– …though not all…

Two Needs, Two Tools.Two Needs, Two Tools.

Need #1:“I need to inventory the applications and drivers that are currently on my network.”– The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit, or MAP,

assists with resolving this need.– Easy to use. Reports are moderately useful.

Two Needs, Two Tools.Two Needs, Two Tools.

Need #1:“I need to inventory the applications and drivers that are currently on my network.”– The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit, or MAP,

assists with resolving this need.– Easy to use. Reports are moderately useful.

Need #2:“I need to resolve application incompatibilities with Windows 7.”– The Application Compatibility Toolkit, or ACT, assists with

resolving this need.– More difficult to use. Provides more than just reports.

MAPping Your InventoryMAPping Your Inventory

MAPping Your InventoryMAPping Your Inventory

The MAP is a simple tool that…– …collects a list of applications on your network.– …collects a list of installed drivers on your network.

With its data, you can identify the applications you currently have installed and the drivers you’ll need.– Use application data to determine which require packaging.– Use driver data to determine which go into your driver

store.

Start with the MAP first, then move to the ACT.– MAP’s inventorying functions are easier to invoke.

MAPping Your InventoryMAPping Your Inventory

Install the MAP to a desktop Windows 7 instance.– Requires Office 2007 SP2 or greater.– Requires the .NET Framework– Will install a copy of SQL Server Express during its

installation.

MAPping Your InventoryMAPping Your Inventory

The MAP is intended for greater things than just application and driver inventory.

MAPping Your InventoryMAPping Your Inventory

Multiple options for discovering computers.

MAPping Your InventoryMAPping Your Inventory

Multiple credentials (I particularly like this).

DEMO: MAP !DEMO: MAP !

Determining Compatibility, the Not-Determining Compatibility, the Not-Terrifically-Smart WayTerrifically-Smart Way

Cross-referencing MAP’s reports with the Windows 7 Compatibility Center– http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/

windows-7

ACTing on What you KnowACTing on What you KnowHar! I Love These Acronyms!Har! I Love These Acronyms!

If the MAP is simple, the ACT…well…ain’t.– The ACT is a robust solution for charting applications

against their Clearinghouse rating for compatibility.– It also supports the location and application of compatible

fixes.

ACTing on What you KnowACTing on What you KnowHar! I Love These Acronyms!Har! I Love These Acronyms!

If the MAP is simple, the ACT…well…ain’t.– The ACT is a robust solution for charting applications against

their Clearinghouse rating for compatibility.– It also supports the location and application of compatible

fixes.

The ACT just isn’t as simple as the MAP.– You can’t just install it and immediately run an inventory.– Rather than using remote WMI to query computers, it

requires the installation and execution of an agent.– That agent must be deployed through some external

solution, such as Group Policy Software Installation, logon scripts, or ConfigMgr.

– However, by being locally installed, that agent is more powerful.

Installing the ACTInstalling the ACT

Install the ACT to a Windows 7 or 2008 R2 computer.– Using a server here is common, as the ACT tends to have a

longer lifespan and is used by more people than the MAP.

Special Note on Installation:– If you intend to install the ACT on the same computer as

MAP, one step is required prior to installation.– First, install the MAP.– Navigate to C:\SQLEXPRESS and double-click the

installation file you find. This launches the SQL Server Setup wizard.

– You’ll need to install a second SQL Server instance for ACT.– Click through the wizard screens and create a New | Named

Instance.

Installing the ACTInstalling the ACT

Database | Log Share | Service Account– Typical stuff, really.

Installing the ACTInstalling the ACT

Database | Log Share | Service Account– Typical stuff, really.

Secret Trick:When asked for a Share Path and Name, ensure

that the Domain Computers group has access.

Collect | Collect | Analyze | FixAnalyze | Fix

Data Collection Packages are software installations in pre-silenced MSI format.– Inside the package is the necessary logic for evaluating

computers, gathering data, and reporting back apps and compatibility info.

Collect | Collect | Analyze | FixAnalyze | Fix

Your first task is to create a Data Collection Package.

Notice that this package analyses the computer for an upgrade, runs immediately, and for ten minutes

only.

Collect | Collect | Analyze | FixAnalyze | Fix

Your first task is to create a Data Collection Package.

Your second task is to deploy the DCP to computers around your network.– You know how to do this now, because you took my earlier

class on automated software distribution.

CollectCollect | Analyze | Analyze | Fix| Fix

Your first task is to create a Data Collection Package.

Your second task is to deploy the DCP to computers around your network.– You know how to do this now, because you took my earlier

class on automated software distribution.

Your third task is to wait, then analyze.– When data begins to appear in the ACT server’s \Processed

folder, you know that agents are starting to report back.– Take a look at the ACT’s Analyze view.– Then, when enough clients have reported in, click the Send

and Receive button.

CollectCollect | Analyze | Analyze | Fix| Fix

CollectCollect | Analyze | Analyze | Fix| Fix

The ACT is intended to serve as a central clearinghouse for intra-team compatibility reporting.– Think of the solution like a mini Help Desk application, but

written specifically to coordinate teams of app compat-ers.

Collect | Analyze Collect | Analyze | Fix| Fix

Analyzing and tracking applications is one thing. Actually fixing them is quite another.

ACT’s Compatibility Administrator is the solution for testing and applying fixes to apps.– Contains a catalog of over 6500 known “bad” apps and

their fixes.– Contains over 360 fixes (“shims”) for unknown apps.– Contains a few easy-to-start Compatibility Mode fixes for

automatically adjusting a bad app’s execution space.

Collect | Analyze Collect | Analyze | Fix| Fix

Over 6500 Known Bad Apps (with their Fixes!)

Collect | Analyze Collect | Analyze | Fix| Fix

Over 360 Fixes for Unknown Apps

Collect | Analyze Collect | Analyze | Fix| Fix

Here’s the general flow of how this works.– Do an inventory, and find the known-bad apps.– See if fixes are available, or upgrade those apps to newer

versions.– If the app isn’t in the Clearinghouse and no fixes are

available, being researching why the app fails.– Start by setting the Compatibility Mode to Windows XP.– Apply other fixes, guess-and-check, test, test, test.– Make sure you uninstall fixes before trying something new.

Mind the scientific method, natch.– When a fix works, add that fix to your centralized fix

database.

Collect | Analyze Collect | Analyze | Fix| Fix

Here’s the general flow of how this works.– Do an inventory, and find the known-bad apps.– See if fixes are available, or upgrade those apps to newer

versions.– If the app isn’t in the Clearinghouse and no fixes are

available, being researching why the app fails.– Start by setting the Compatibility Mode to Windows XP.– Apply other fixes, guess-and-check, test, test, test.– Make sure you uninstall fixes before trying something new.

Mind the scientific method, natch.– When a fix works, add that fix to your centralized fix

database.

Secret Trick: A single “fix” database can contain all fixes for all apps.– One package to fix them all…

DEMO: ACT, AND DEMO: ACT, AND SPECIFICALLY “FIX”INGSPECIFICALLY “FIX”ING

One Database to Fix them AllOne Database to Fix them AllMy My PreciousPrecious……

The resulting compatibility fix (.SDB) database can be used against every application at once.– Login script– ConfigMgr or Group Policy Software Installation– Task Sequence

– sdbinst.exe is in the default Windows 7 path.– sdbinst.exe -q \\server\share\MyFixes.SDB

One Database to Fix them AllOne Database to Fix them AllMy My PreciousPrecious……

Task Sequence | Run Command Line– Do this before the Install Applications action.

DEMO: APPLYING A FIX DEMO: APPLYING A FIX DATABASEDATABASE

Yes, Greg, but Yes, Greg, but WhichWhich Fix…? Fix…?

I told you this wouldn’t be easy, but…– http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc722305(WS.10).aspx

Windows 7 Deployment Deep DiveWindows 7 Deployment Deep Dive

How to Resolve (Nearly) Every How to Resolve (Nearly) Every Application IncompatibilityApplication Incompatibility

Greg Shields, MVP, vExpertGreg Shields, MVP, vExpertConcentrated Technologywww.ConcentratedTech.com