The Settings section of the configuration file contains the parameters for the application installation directory and ThinApp project output directory, in the form of UNC. It also contains several parameters controlling the conversion process behavior.

ThinApp Converter only requires read‐only permissions for the network share that contains the application installers. It requires read/write permissions for the network share that contains the ThinApp projects.

If input and output directories are on the same file server, you must use the same user account to connect them.

InputUncPath

Specify the network share UNC path for the application installers. For example: \\fileserver\sharename, or \\fileserver\sharename\dirname.

InputMountUserName

Specify the user name used for connecting to that network share. UPN format can be used when you specify a domain user, for example [email protected]

InputMountPassword or InputMountPasswordBase64

Specify the password for connecting to the network share. You have the following options when you specify passwords:

  • You can enter clear text.
  • You can specify a base64 encoded password for the PasswordBase64 parameter.

InputMountPasswordPrompt

Specifies that the user be prompted to enter a password.

If you do not want to store the network share password in the configuration file, specify the value as true. When set to true, a prompt always appears, even if a password is specified in the configuration file.

OutputUncPath

Specify the network share UNC path to the location of the generated ThinApp projects.

For example: \\fileserver\sharename, or \\fileserver\sharename\dirname

OutputMountUserName

Specify the user name used for connecting to the OutputUncPath network share. UPN format can be used to specify a domain user, for example, [email protected].

OutputMountPassword or OutputMountPasswordBase64

Specify the password for connecting to the network share. You have the following options when you specify passwords:

  • You can enter clear text.
  • You can specify a base64 encoded password for the PasswordBase64 parameter.

OutputMountPasswordPrompt

Specifies that the user be prompted to enter a password.

If you do not want to store the network share password in the configuration file, specify the value as true. When set to true, a prompt always appears, even if a password is specified in the configuration file.

Network share specifications

This example shows network share specifications. The user for the application installation directory has only read permissions. For both the input and output network shares, a prompt will display, requiring a user to enter a password.

[Settings]
InputUncPath=\\AppInstallerServer\AppInstallers\ThinAppMigration
InputMountUserName=readonlyUser
InputMountPassword=secret
InputMountPasswordPrompt=true
OutputUncPath=\\DeploymentServer\ThinAppProj
OutputMountUserName=readwriteUser
OutputMountPassword=secret
OutputMountPasswordPrompt=true

ThinApp Converter Logic for Detecting the Application Installation Processes

For the application installer’s network share, ThinApp Converter examines all subdirectories under the specified UNC path recursively, including their subdirectories. For each subdirectory, it determines which command to run for silent application installation using the following logic:

  1. Attempts to find a value for InstallationCommand in the [AppSettings:AppName] section of the configuration file. If successful, ThinApp Converter uses that value.
  2. Attempts to find a file named install.cmd or install.bat. If successful, ThinApp Converter runs that file.
  3. If ThinApp Converter finds a single .cmd or .bat file, it runs that file.
  4. If ThinApp Converter finds a single .exe file, it runs that file.
  5. If ThinApp Converter finds a single .mst file, it runs that file and adds the necessary silent installation switches.
  6. If ThinApp Converter finds a single .msi file, it runs that file and adds the necessary silent installation switches.

If none of the steps enable ThinApp Converter to find a correct installation command, the subdirectory is skipped. A warning is logged in the log file.

You must remove all network connections to the file server reference in the INI file from the host on which you run ThinApp Converter, to prevent conflict between user credentials.

PackageIniOverrideFile

Specify the file path to the global Package.ini override file.

This optional parameter enables you to specify a global override file for Package.ini that is generated for each ThinApp project. The values in the override file are merged into Package.ini in the ThinApp project that is generated for each application.

Global overrides are useful when you have a global policy setting, for example, PermittedGroup in Package.ini.

A Package.ini override file is formatted like a standard Windows INI file. You can add INI parameters and values that are relevant to the Package.ini file.

The path is relative to the application installer’s network share. Using the example for specifying the network shares for the application installers and ThinApp projects, if you specify PackageIniOverrideFile=override.ini, ThinApp Converter will try to find the file under \\AppInstallerServer\AppInstaller. You can provide a more explicit value by using predefined variables. For more information, see Predefined Environment Variables.

You can specify a Package.ini file for each application. This process is described as part of the [AppSettings:AppName] section.

ExclusionList

Specify a comma‐ or semicolon‐separated list of application directories that ThinApp will skip when searching for application installers.

The list is case insensitive.

You can specify wildcards for DOS‐style file names. For example, Microsoft*. ? and * are supported.

Exclusion specification using a wildcard

This example shows an exclusion specification using a wildcard.

[Settings]
ExclusionList=App?.old;FireFox1.0

ProjectPostProcessingCommand

Specify the file path to the project post processing command.

The file path is relative to the application installer’s network share. Using the example for specifying the network shares for the application installers and ThinApp projects, if you specify ProjectPostProcessingCommand=addscript.bat, ThinApp Converter will try to find the file under \\AppInstallerServer\AppInstaller. You can provide a more explicit value by using predefined variables. For more information, seePredefined Environment Variables.

StopOnError

Specify whether ThinApp Converter should stop converting an application if it encounters an error, or continue with the other applications. The default value is false.

BuildAfterCapture

Specify whether the ThinApp Converter should build the ThinApp Projects into packages following capture.

The default value is true.

DetectIdle

Specify whether ThinApp Converter should try to detect if an application installer is stalled, for example when the application is waiting for user input on the guest virtual machine because incorrect silent installation switches were specified.

The default value is true. ThinApp Converter might not be able to detect all situations in which the installer is idle.

InstallerTimeout

Specify how long ThinApp Converter should wait for an application installer to finish before it quits.

By default, the value is 7200 seconds.