Run AppCapture Using PowerShell

You can run AppCapture using Microsoft PowerShell.

Prerequisites

Verify that you are logged in as administrator and you are taking the appropriate precautions:

• Run AppCapture as administrator.
• Disable User Account Control (UAC). See http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/turn-user-account-control-on-off#1TC=windows-7
• Become familiar with the AppCapture cmdlets. See PowerShell Options and Parameters

Procedure

1. Take a snapshot of the system.
   You can revert to the snapshot after the capture session.
2. Open a 32-bit or 64-bit PowerShell console,
3. Import the PowerCLI module using the import-module vmware.appcapture command.
   This imports the AppCapture module.
4. (optional) To see a list of all modules, run the get-module command.
5. Run the command Start-AVAppCapture -Name appStackFile, where appStackFile is the name of the AppStack .vhd file to create.
   Do not press Enter yet.
   appStackFile .vhd is created.
6. Leave the PowerShell console and install, on this machine, any applications to be provisioned.
7. After all of the applications have been installed, open the PowerShell console again.
8. Press Enter.
9. Reboot your machine if necessary.
   In the AppCapture console window you see the locations of the AppStack files .json, .vhd and .vmdk. By default, these files are stored in C:\ProgramData\VMware\AppCapture\appvhds.
10. (Optional) Examine the .json, .vhd, and .vmdk files in that directory to ensure that the applications have been bundled.
11. Copy the AppStacks that you have created to a staging file share.
12. Revert to the system snapshot that you captured before you started the first capture session.
13. Copy the AppStacks from the staging file share to your system.