RG02B – Guide to Workspace Manager registry
This article is based on the old article RG005 PowerFuse Tips and Tricks, which was published close to two years ago. Plenty has happened since then, so it seemed like a good idea to move the registry settings to a seperate dedicated technote. I have plowed through tonnes of releasenotes and available documentation to compile this list. Here you can learn how to tweak the behavior of RES Workspace Manager. Where possible I will try to include what release/version the registry settings are valid from.
Note1: You are likely to see a setting available from a given service release and updatepack. If you are running the next service release or a newer product version, you likely already have the given functionality as the service releases are cummulative, i.e. they contain all the previous updatepacks which also have been regression tested together. Only exception is if for one reason or another it has been decided to remove the feature.
Note2: Required values below may be marked with a hashmark (#) or a percentage sign (%). The hashmark indicates that the required value is a numeric value, regardless of the value’s datatype. Percent indicates a string value. If nothing else is specified, the value is simply just the stringvalue Yes.
Use the jump-links provided below to skip to the section you’re interested in. Newer registry tweaks will be tend to be towards the top. Clicking an up-arrow ( ^ ) will return you to the top of the index.
051 – Fix problem opening .CSV files from Internet Explorer
050 – Enable process to be started, called as a process.
049 – Prevent apps from changing size of workarea in RES Shell
048 – Change how Desktop Sampler reads computer/client name
047 – Fix Win7 Recent Docs not working after upgrade
046 – Fix ‘From’ field in Outlook 2010
045 – Locate printers by subnet for workstations
044 – Fix issue with starting Winword from within Navision
043 – Fix issue with opening UNC path from an app in PFshell
042 – Do not preceed RES published apps with a backslash
041 – Fix for Winword/Reference Manager problem
040 – Change local taskbar behavior of VDX
039 – Allow Desktop shortcuts to unmanaged applications
038 – Enable WM performance analysis dump file
037 – Disable connection string pickup via DCHP option
036 – Force enumeration of redirected folders from registry
035 – Correct behavior of dl-manager launched pub apps
034 – Fix Thinapp runtime error in a XenDesktop env.
033 – Folder Synchronization: Ability to use network drives
032 – Preserve QuickLaunch shortcuts on Win 7
031 – Fix slow logons due to SRS files in Outlook Folder
030 – User Settings: Configure compression interval
029 – Change timeout for password change in Workspace Prefs
028 – Fix low-resolution icons pinned on Start Menu
027 – Enable console legacy application mode
026 – Enable classic blanking splash screen on refresh
025 – Settings for Desktop Sampler
024 – Configure Agents to force shutdown
023 – Configure behavior of ALLUSERSPROFILE variable
022 – VDX: Set wait time before establishing connection
021 – Prevent Outlook 2k3 from launching Word 2k3 embedded
020 – Allow Windows Run keys to execute
018 – Force DISCONNECT after idle-timeout
017 – Enable asyncronous build of the start menu
016 – Force LOGOFF after idle-timeout
015 – Avoid privacy issues displaying concurrent license usage
014 – Read-only-Blanketing: Do not remove admin shares
013 – Display the taskbar only on the primary display
012 – Override the alteration of the Citrix Explorer Hook
011 – Change location of the Workspace Manager cache
010 – Force rebuild the Workspace Manager cache
009 – Managing global WM settings on an individual computer
008 – Database connection settings
007 – Configure cache update interval
006 – Disable screensaver when VDX is active
005 – Force LogOff of disconnected sessions after timeout
004 – Silently refresh RES Workspace Manager sessions
003 – Tweak how Memoryshield counts application instances
002 – Make WM use AD “displayname” instead of “fullname”
001 – Tweak how User Installed Applications authorizes
000 – Enable Workspace Manager trace mode
Fix problem opening .CSV files from Internet Explorer
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\Workspace Manager\SkipCLSID (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from RES Workspace Manager 2011 SR1, UpdatePack 5 (9.5.1.5) Opening a .CSV file from the Internet Explorer could fail. This problem can be solved by adding the registry entry above. ^
050 – Enable process to be started, called as a process.
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\Workspace Manager\PwrGateFileMapping (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from RES Workspace Manager 2011 SR1, UpdatePack 5 (9.5.1.5) In very rare circumstances Managed Applications will not start if that application is called as a process, e.g. by pressing a specific button in a third-party application. If this is the case, the registry entry above solves the issue. ^
049 – Prevent apps from changing size of workarea in RES Shell
SOFTWARE\RES\Workspace Manager\CorrectWorkArea (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from RES Workspace Manager 2011 SR1, UpdatePack 6 (9.5.1.6). In exceptional circumstances, when using the RES Workspace Manager Shell (aka RES Shell), applications incorrectly change the size of the work area (not sure what the Work Area is – The desktop?). Anyway, this behavior can be detected and corrected by setting the above registry key in either HKLM or HKCU. ^
048 – Change the way Desktop Sampler reads computer/client names
HKLM\Software\RES\Desktop Sampler\ForceComputername (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from (not really sure, a post release to WM2011 SR1). A new registry setting has been added to the Desktop Sampler. This fix changes how the desktop sampler reads the computer name. On a VDI/TS environment the, desktop sampler will per default look for the computername of the client connecting to the session. The reghack above changes the behavior to look for the hostname of the TS/VM itself. ^
047 – Fix Win7 Recent Docs not working after upgrade
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\ PowerFuse\UseOldRecentDocsMethod (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from RES Workspace Manager 2011 SR1 (9.5.1.1). On Windows 7, users may have Recent documents accessible from the start menu. When you upgrade from PowerFuse 2010 to Workspace Manager 2011, Recent documents may no longer work. Applying the above registry setting should this . ^
046 – Fix ‘From’ field in Outlook 2010
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\Workspace Manager\ConnectFromOL2010 (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from RES Workspace Manager 2011 SR1 (9.5.1.1). Sometimes the ‘From’ field in Outlook 2010 can display ‘Microsoft Exchange’ or ‘Microsoft Exchange Server’. This behavior can be fixed by using the above registry setting. ^
045 – Locate printers by subnet for workstations
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\LocatePrintersByIP (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from RES PowerFuse 2010 SR3 UpdatePack 7 (9.0.3.7). With this setting, the default printer configured on a laptop is remembered, based on ip address. This functionality is not available for terminal servers. For customers who want this functionality, the registry setting above can be set in either HKLM or HKCU.. ^
044 – Fix issue with starting Winword from Navision
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\KeepWordRunning (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from PowerFuse 2010 SR3 UpdatePack 6 (9.0.3.6). Starting winword.exe from within Navision might result in an error message like: Faulting application fin.exe, version 6.0.29626.0, time stamp 0x4a849450, faulting module OLHandler.dll,…. This behaviour can be prevented by setting this registry key. ^
043 – Fix issue with opening UNC path from an app in PFshell
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\StartHiddenPexplorer (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 SR2 UpdatePack 11 (9.0.2.11) and Workspace Manager 2008 SR9 UpdatePack 12 (8.0.9.12). In rare circumstances it is not possible to open an UNC path in the RES PowerFuse Shell from another application, such as MS Outlook. The registry setting above may very well solve the problem. ^
042 – Do not preceed RES published apps with a backslash
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\NoPrecedingSlashInPNFolder (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 (9.0.2.7) When publishing an application via RES Workspace Manager the PN root folder is always prefixed with a backslash “\”. This “\” will not appear if the registry entry above is configured. ^
041 – Fix for Winword/Reference Manager problem
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\TmpDDEMacros (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 (8.0.9.5) and Workspace Manager 2010 (9.0.2.4) For some reason Winword doesn’t start properly when using the Reference Manager plugin. This can be solved by setting the registry value above. ^
040 – Change local taskbar behavior of Worspace Extender
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PFWSExt\AutoExtendWorkspace (REG_DWORD) = 0
Per default, the Workspace extender will kill the local explorer.exe process and thereby also the local taskbar The default value for AutoExtendWorkSpace = 1). This behavior can be prevented by changing the value above to 0 (zero). ^
039 – Allow Desktop shortcuts to unmanaged applications
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\AllowExeLinkOnDesktop (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from RES Workspace Manager 2008 SR5. Note: This reghack has no use (if implemented at all) in Workspace Manager 2010, as this version offers the ability to mix managed and unmanaged applications in the console by default. Anyway, RES changed the mechanism for handling the desktop in the windows shell in PF2008 SR5. One of the results of this change is that user-made desktop shortcuts to executable files are now hidden in RES Workspace Manager sessions, because they are shortcuts to unmanaged applications. If users should still have access to any desktop shortcuts to executables, you can allow this by setting the key as specified above in either HKLM or HKCU. ^
038 – Enable Workspace Manager performance analysis dump file
HKLM\Software\RES\PowerFuse\Instrumentation (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 SR4 (8.0.4.0). When you create this key a dumpfile will be created which can help RES Software support troubleshoot performance issues. Two logfiles will be generated in seperate locations:
- The logfile for the performance of the RES Workspace Manager Workspace Composer will be generated when a Workspace Manager session is logged off and can be found as “\pwrmenu\perfdump_%computername%.txt” folder in the users homedrive.
- The logfile for the performance of the RES Service and components will be generated when the RES Service is restarted and can be found as “%programFolder%\RES PowerFuse\perfdump_pwrcache_up_%computername%.txt“.
I have generated a couple of samples, so you can see what they look like. Only RES will be able to make heads or tails out of them anyway. The performance logfile for the RES service look like this. The per-user performance logfile looks like this. ^
037 – Disable connection string pickup via DCHP option
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\DisableDHCP (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 (9.0.0.1) Per default, Workspace Manager will look for a connection string in the DCHP options pulled from the DCHP server when TCP/IP initialized. See this article on how to set it up. If you haven’t defined a PoweFuse option on your DHCP server, you don’t need this setting, however if you do have it and you want to prevent some machines from picking it up, use the setting above. ^
036 – Force Workspace Manager to enumerate redirected folders from registry
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\SpecialFoldersFromRegistry (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 SR1, update pack 12 (9.0.1.2) Under some circumstances folder redirection was properly configured, but not recognized at the time Workspace Manager is building up the desktop, start menu and so on. As a workaround, it is now possible to force Workspace Manager to resolve the special folders from the registry by creating the registry value above in either HKLM or HKCU. ^
035 – Ensuring correct behavior of download-manager launched published apps
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ExcludeProcesses (REG_SZ) = %launchprocess|%childprocess
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 SR1, update pack 11 (9.0.1.11). Sometimes a published aplication uses a download manager (such as DFSVC.EXE found in Windows) to download and start an application. Because the DFSVC.EXE process doesn’t stop, the published Workspace Manager application will not stop even if the user ends the downloaded application. This has been fixed, but to work properly the above registry value must also be created. For example if the downloaded application is process xyz.exe, the data of the registry key must be “dfsvc.exe|xyz.exe”. See also RES KB article 201983 as the specification for the keyvalue was different in Workspace Manager 2008 SR3. ^
034 – Fix Thinapp runtime error in a XenDesktop environment
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\BlockPicaSvcFix (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 SR1, update pack 11 (9.0.1.11) Starting a Thinapp application on a XenDesktop environment might result in a runtime error generated by picasvc.exe. This behaviour can be blocked by configuring the registry value above. ^
033 – Folder Synchronization: Ability to use network drives
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\DisableFolderSyncLocalCheck (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 SR1, updatepack 9 (9.0.1.9) A registry tweak allows you to use network drives in Composition > Files and Folders > Folder Synchronization where normally only local drives are allowed. You can configure this registry settings in either HKLM or HKCU. ^
032 – Preserve QuickLaunch shortcuts on Microsoft Windows 7
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ KeepQL (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 SR1, updatepack 5 (9.0.1.5) On Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 QuickLaunch items were no longer managed. During logoff all Managed shortcuts in the QuickLaunch folder (which the user might have put there) were deleted. This deletion can be prevented with this key. ^
031 – Fix for slow logons due to large amount of SRS files in Outlook Folder
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\CleanupSRS (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 SR1, updatepack 4 (9.0.1.4) The *.SRS (Send and Receive Settings) files created in C:\Documents and Settings\%name%\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook, by outlook are not always correctly removed. This registry setting for RES Workspace Manager ensures a nice and tidy cleanup. ^
030 – User Settings: Configure compression interval
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ZPCompressInterval (REG_SZ) = #days
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 SR1, updatepack 3 (9.0.1.3) The User Settings Files *.upf2 and *.upr2 are now compressed during logoff approximately once per month. In addition the ‘compression interval’ for these files can be configured via this value. The #days is the number of days between each compression interval. If you set the value to 0 (zero) the files will be shrunk during each logoff. ^
029 – Change default timeout for changing password in Workspace Preferences
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ChangePasswordTimeout (REG_SZ) = #secs
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 SR1 (9.0.1.0). It is possible to change the default timeout for changing the user’s password in the Workspace Preferences tool. The default timeout is 5 seconds, which btw is the minimum value. To change the default timeout create the registry value as specified above. This timeout occurs if your network connection is very slow. You can experience it on a Win7 machine by blocking tcp ports 445 and 88 and enabling the rest. If you try to change the password you should receive a “the specified network password is not correct” message after approx. 8 seconds. By setting the registry value, you can manipulate that particular timeout. ^
028 – Fix low-resolution icons pinned on Start Menu
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\MultiIconSupport (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010, updatepack 10 (9.0.0.10). By default, the Workspace Manager doesn’t use Multi Icon Support (aka High quality icons) when pining icons to the startmenu. The result is funny looking stretched out icons. Apply this registry setting, then go to the Setup|Agents node in the console. Select and rightclick on the agents you want to update now, and select ‘Force Cache Update’. Next time you pin something to the startmenu, things should look better. ^
027 – Enable console legacy application mode
x86: HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ConsoleNoAppIcons (REG_SZ) = Yesx64: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\RES\PowerFuse\ConsoleNoAppIcons (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010, update pack 7 (9.0.0.7). With this registry setting it is possible to force the Workspace Manager 2010 console NOT to display the real application icons in the Managed Application node. This may be useful if you’ve got a ridiculous high number of applications, and the console seems somewhat sluggish to work with. See RES KB article Q202499 for more information. ^
026 – Enable classic blanking splash screen on refresh
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ClassicSplash (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 (9.0.0.0). If you for one reason or another would like to blank the screen while the refresh is taking place and show only the splash screen loader - just like in the old pre 2010 days, then this registry is for you. This is also a temporary workaround if your icons aren’t being built correctly. The setting can be applied both in HKLM and HKCU. ^
025 – Settings for Desktop Sampler
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\Desktop Sampler\Delay (REG_SZ) = #secondsHKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\Desktop Sampler\ExpireDays (REG_SZ) = #daysHKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\Desktop Sampler\InstallDate (REG_SZ) = %dd-mm-yyyHKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\Desktop Sampler\SamplePath = path (\\UNC or local)HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\DTSampler (REG_SZ) = "dtsampler.exe"
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 (9.0.0.0) These settings specify how the Desktop Sampler behaves. The setting Delay will determine how many seconds after execution the sampler will create it’s snapshot, 30 seconds is default if not specified. This is usefull if you have a longer-than-average loginscript or just a plain slow environment at the moment. Expiredays will cleanly uninstall the Desktop Sampler from the target environment #days after the date specified in Installdate. This value is set automagically if you use the Desktop Sampler MSI package to deploy it with. Finally the SamplePath allows you to specify where the Desktop Sampler should store it’s DTS files. If not specifed, the files will be stored locally in the same path as where the Sampler’s binary (dtsampler.exe) is found. The path can be an UNC path to a \\server\share, or just another local path on the target computer. Note, from Workspace Manager 2010 SR1, the samplepath can be overridden by specifying a /SAMPLEPATH= on the commandline of dtsampler.ex.
Note: the Windows..Run key above, is where the Desktop Sampler installs itself into the registry, so it runs automatically and takes a snapshot of the environment after the user has logged in. ^
024 – Configure Agents to force shutdown
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ForceShutdown (REG_SZ) = %option
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 (9.0.0.0). It is possible to force a shutdown on workstations when users log off. This can be enabled by setting the above registry string in either HKLM or HKCU, with one of the values for % option as specified below:
shutdown = Initiates a normal shutdown
poweroff = Initiates a shutdown + poweroff
restart = Initiates a shutdown + restart ^
023 – Configure behavior of ALLUSERSPROFILE variable
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\DisableWDSFix (REG_SZ) = Yes OR New
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 SR8, updatepack 1 (8.0.8.0) When starting a RES Workspace Manager session with the Windows Explorer, the ALLUSERSPROFILE variable in the Explorer will be set to the User’s profile folder. Under some circumstances this may result in unwanted behavior. Therefore in RES Workspace Manager 2008 SR8 the registry setting above was added. The caveat of this method was that Windows Desktop Search would not work properly. Therefore it is now possible to set this registry value to ‘New’ which will cause the ALLUSERSPROFILE variable to point to the All Users Profile folder. Note that this should only be used if DisableWDSFix = Yes does not work in your environment.
Note: In Workspace Manager 2008 SR7 another registry fix; HKLM\Software\RES\PowerFuse\EnableWDSFix was introduced. That key is now obsolete and thus should no longer be used. ^
022 – Extender/ Subscriber: Set wait time before establishing connection
x86: HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\WaitTimeForExtender (REG_DWORD) = #minutes [2..120]x64: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\RES\PowerFuse (REG_DWORD) = #minutes [2..120]
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 SR8 (8.0.8.0) Occasionally, the connection between the RES Workspace Manager Workspace Manager and the RES Subscriber/Workspace Extender cannot be established. If this occurs, you can solve this by enhancing the wait time for this connection during startup of the Workspace Composer component. The default wait time is 2 seconds. You can set longer wait times with the registry setting above. ^
021 – Prevent Outlook 2003 from launching Word 2003 embedded
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\StartWordForOutlook (REG_SZ) = No
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 SR7 (8.0.7.16). If you have a managed and a unmanaged instance of Outlook running, you can potentially run into conflicting Normal.dot problems. To prevent embedded autolaunch of Microsoft Word 2003 when Microsoft Outlook 2003 is launched, create the registry key above in either HKLM or HKCU. See RES KB article Q202617 for more information on this setting. ^
020 – Allow Windows Run keys to execute
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\DoNotRemoveRunKeys (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from RES Workspace Manager 2008 SR7 (8.0.7.0) Sometimes you may actually want to allow items registered under the HKLM…\Windows\Currentversion\Run key to execute at login. Workspace Manager disables this per default by tempoarily renaming the key to run.org within a Workspace Manager session. By using this registry setting you can block this behavior. Note however that it’s way more structured to create external tasks with the Run-Hidden option enabled than doing this reghack. Note: In Workspace Manager 2010 SR1, this option is now included in the console Go to Setup|Datastore|Advanced Settings. Here you will find a setting called “Do not prevent applications in the Run key or RunOnce key from starting”. ^
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\RES\PowerFuse\Settings\ApplicationSettings\NoSplash (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 SR3 (8.0.3.0) In certain circumstances, some customers wanted to hide the splash screen at logon, yet retaining the splash when refreshing. The above registry hack should do the trick. Note that the AdvancedConfig key above prior to 2008 SR3 was called AdvancedConfig. ^
018 – Force DISCONNECT after idle-timeout
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ForceDisconnectOnIdle (REG_DWORD) = #minutes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2010 (9.0.0.1). It is possible to force a RES Workspace Manager session to disconnect after “n” minutes, by setting the key above in either HKLM or HKCU. The #minutes value must be at least 1. ^
017 – Enable asyncronous build of the start menu
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\AsyncStartMenu (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 SR6, updatepack 1 (8.0.6.1) Some improvements were made in this release, due to that reading of the icons from disk and the creation of the Start Menu during the first logon could sometimes slow things down. To enable to faster async creation of the Start Menu, try setting this registry key. ^
016 – Force LOGOFF after idle-timeout
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ForceLogOffEnabled (REG_SZ) = Yes or No
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ForceLogOffTimeout (REG_SZ) = #minutes
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ForceLogOffOnIdle (REG_SZ) = Yes or No
Valid since Workspace Manager 2008 SR4, updatepack 5 (8.0.4.5). Forcing a logoff event is typically used for computers that run in some sort of kiosk environment or say for service stations. You can configure this behavior by configuring the following registry settings in either HKLM or HKCU:
If ForceLogOffOnIdle has been configured as Yes, the timeout will start when the idle timer starts. If ForceLogOffOnIdle has not been configured or has been configured as No, the timeout will start when the screensaver starts or when the session is locked. When the timeout expires, the user session will be forced to log off (any unsaved data will be lost). See RES KB article Q201739 for further information. ^
015 – Avoid privacy issues with display of concurrent license usage
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\NoListConcurrentUsers (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 SR4 (8.0.4.0). If an application has concurrent user licensing, and the number of licenses is exceeded, a new attempt to start the application will show a warning form, with a list of users currrently using this application. Showing this list may conflict with security or privavcy policies. As a workaround the registry setting above may be configured to prevent the list being shown to the users. This value can be set in either HKLM or HKCU.
Perhaps it would be a good thing to configure this registry value as global PowerLaunch registry setting when needed, where you can apply Access Control to it. The setting is especially useful for shared environments such as MSP’s or perhaps financial institutions. ^
014 – Read-only-Blanketing: Do not remove administrative shares
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\KeepSharesWithROB (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 SR4 (8.0.4.0). Setting this item will prevent the Read-only-Blanketing subsustem from removing the administrative shares (\\computer\c$, d$ etc). This happens even if RoB is in LearningMode. Even though this constitures a reduction of overall security, this is useful if there is such a need on a given machine. ^
013 – Display the taskbar only on the primary display
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\CorrectTaskbar (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from PoweFuse SR3, updatepack 7 (8.0.3.7). This reghack may be useful in situations where for some reason the taskbar is not visible or your application is displayed behind the taskbar. You may also experience that the taskbar is stretched across multiple monitors if you have such a setup. This behavior has been observed on Citrix platforms primarily. For this fix to work, you need at least an ICA Client 11 or higher. ^
012 – Override the alteration of the Citrix Explorer Hook
x86: HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ResetCitrixExplorerHook (REG_SZ) = Nox64: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\RES\PowerFuse\ResetCitrixExplorerHook (REG_SZ) = No
Valid since after Workspace Manager 2008 SR3 (8.0.3.0). RES introduced a change which disables the Citrix Explorer Hook. The explorer hook is what in a plain-vanilla Citrix environment would prevents a user running a published app from getting access to an explorer desktop. However since PowerFuse is wrangeling the desktop environment, we really want to get rid of said explorer hook as it can complicate things unnecessarily. Security is not comprimised as PowerFuse’s AppGuard takes over from there.
In short, disabeling the Citrix Explorer Hook - and keeping it that way, is a good thing to do. Even so, there might be special situations where you do not want this to happen. For more information about these keys, refer to RES KB article Q202199. Login required. ^
011 – Change location of the Workspace Manager cache
HKLM\Software\RES\PowerFuse\LocalCachePath (REG_SZ) = %folderpath
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008. In some instances you would prefer not to have the cached copy of the Workspace Manager datastore in the default location of %programfiles%\RES PowerFuse\Data\DBcache. If you use this regsetting, you can provide an alternate local %folderpath like “D:\Somefolder\PFLocalCache” (NO! don’t even think of UNC’s, it’s supposed to be local!). Note: you must do two things to complete the move: 1) Delete all values and keys beneath HKLM\Software\RES\PowerFuse\UpdateGUIDs. 2) Restart the RES service. Once this is done, the IconCache, Objects, etc folders will be created and populated with the current values from the Workspace Manager datastore. ^
010 – Force rebuild the Workspace Manager cache
x86: HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\UpdateGUIDs <- delete this keyx64: HKLM\Wow6432Node\RES\PowerFuse\UpdateGUIDs <-delete this key
If for some reason you need to completely re-initialize the local cache of RES Workspace Manager, this is accomplished by deleting the key above. After you’ve done this, you will need to restart the RES service, which in turn will rebuild the cache. The key holds the GUID’s for the different objects in Workspace Manager. The GUIDS are used to verify if the local cache is in sync with the datastore. If an object has changed, the Update GUID will change, hence all agents will update just the difference/delta instead of the complete configuration set in the database. This operation is harmless as the UpdateGUIDs key can be removed without causing any problem with Workspace Manager. As soon as the RES service determines there is no local cache, it will proceed to transfer a copy of the entire configuration set in the datastore. ^
009 – Managing global Workspace Manager settings on an individual computer
SOFTWARE\Policies\RES\PowerFuse\Settings - and below
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 but mostly obsolete after version 2010. This registry tree holds the RES Workspace Manager global configuration data and may exist in both HKLM and HKU. Note per default it does not exist in HKCU. There are MANY registry settings in here, which are largely self explanitory. Perhaps in a future article I may detail these further. The settings found here concerns configuration items that can only have a Yes/No value (Boolean) or a numeric value (Integer) . An example of a Boolean setting is “CPU Shield Enabled”: the value of the setting can only be “Yes” or “No”. An example of an Integer is the maximum number of simultaneous logons: the value of the setting can only be a number.
Another side to using the registry settings found here, is that you can use policies to customize these settings per user or per server. These policies can be applied using RES Wisdom or importing an ADM file found in this article.
An important change from Workspace Manager 2008 SR3 and up: Prior to this the Advanced Configuration settings resided below HKLM\Software\Policies\RES\Powerfuse\Settings\AdvancedConfig. From RES Workspace Manager 2008 IR3 and up the AdvancedConfig keyname has changed to ApplicationSettings, so the full path is: HKLM\Software\Policies\RES\Powerfuse\Settings\ApplicationSettings.
Notice: Using these registry settings is largely a moot point since Workspace Manager 2010, as we now have the ability to configure most of these items from within Workspace Models. See article RG02A for more information on this topic. Second, the decision should be weighed carefully whether to roll out policies using Active Directory or using RES Workspace Manager. It is advisable to choose one method or the other, and it is inadvisable to attempt to combining them. Reason is that Microsoft applies policy based settings at logon and at 90 minute intervals per default after that, where as Workspace Manager may apply settings at any time in a dynamic environment. ^
008 – Database connection settings
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\DB*
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008. Database connectivity settings can be found in this key. Do not modify these directly unless you have a very specific reason to do so, as per Workspace Manager 2010, you now have the ability to import/export a connection string, even obtain it via DHCP from Workspace Manager 2010 and up. See this article for further info on DHCP and the connection string. While thus obsolete, you can however still copy this registry key from another computer to ensure the two computers connect with the same username, password and other database connectivity options. The database password is ofcourse encrypted properly. The keys you would need are the ones that begin with DB* as shown above. ^
007 – Configure cache update interval
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\CacheTimerInterval (REG_SZ) = #seconds
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 SR4 (8.0.4.5). The described method here is obsolete as it’s now possible in the Workspace Manager 2010 console to configure this behavior more detailed. Look in the Setup|Agents node for the Agent update cache dropdown. The #seconds interval (valid range is 5-60 seconds) determines how often the RES service checks for changes in the database or for new transactions locally that needs to be uploaded. The default for this interval is 5 seconds. This interval can be changed only in HKLM.
Notice: Changing the default of 5 seconds should only be done in special cases, such as if you anticipate heavy load on the database server. ^
006 – Disable screensaver when VDX is active
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\NoAgentScreensaver (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 SR4 (8.0.4.5). When a RES Workspace Manager session is started from a workstation with the VDX component aka RES Subscriber Agent installed, the RES Workspace Manager session will enable a Screensaver by default. It is now possible to change this behavior, by setting the following registry string value in either HKLM or HKCU. ^
005 – Force LogOff of disconnected sessions after timeout
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ForceLogoffEnabled (REG_SZ) = Yes OR NoSOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ForceLogoffTimeout (REG_SZ) = #minutesSOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ForceLogoffTimeoutOnDisconnect (REG_SZ) = #minutesSOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\ForceLogoffOnDisconnect (REG_SZ) = Yes OR No
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 SR4 (8.0.4.5). It is possible from to force a logoff of disconnectd sessions after a specified timeout expires. This can be enabled by setting the following registry keys in either HKLM or HKCU. If you are already using the ForceLogoffOnIdle mechanism, the timeout in ForceLogoffTimeout can be used to use the same timeout for both mechanisms, or you can use a different timeout to disconnect by setting a value in ForceLogoffTimeoutOnDisconnect. ^
004 – Silently refresh RES Workspace Manager sessions
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\SilentRefresh (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid since Workspace Manager 2008 SR5. This setting is somewhat obsolete since Workspace Manager 2010 as you can configure this behavior in the console in the Composition|Desktop|Lockdown and Behavior node. Look for the Hide Splash scren option. A silent refresh of RES Workspace Manager will not show a splash screen during load or refresh of the Workspace Composer, which may be perceived as less intrusive on the ser. A silent refresh will only be used when the refresh is a result of a display change, a USB device change or a reconnect of a disconnected session. Note: In the Workspace Manager 2010 console this is only available as a global option, i.e. you cannot have the splashscren turned on for some users and off for others. The setting can be configured in HKLM or HKCU and is not created per default. ^
003 – Tweak how Memoryshield counts application instances
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\MSLimitOnProcIDs (REG_SZ) = Yes OR No
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 SR5. With MemoryShield, you can limit the number of running applications per session. This limits the number of tasks on the taskbar, which is not always equal to the number of running applications. For example, 3 open e-mails in Microsoft Office Outlook count for 3 tasks, whereas there is only one running application. You can now set one of the following registry settings to ensure that tasks belonging to the same running application are counted only once by MemoryShield. You can set the registry key in either HKLM or HKCU. ^
002 – Make Workspace Manager use AD “displayname” instead of “fullname”
HKLM\SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\UseDisplaynameasFullname (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid and working from Workspace Manager 2008 SR6. It is possible to use and show the Active Directory property “displayname” instead of “fullname”. When using the “displayname” property, it will be shown in the Full name column in the Workspace Sessions and Workspace Analysis nodes. It will also influence the full name that is shown to the user in a RES Workspace Manager session (for example in the PowerPanel’s User tab). This can be enabled by setting the following registry key only in HKLM. Note: This feature only works in an Active Directory environment. ^
001 – Tweak how User Installed Applications authorizes non-managed applications
SOFTWARE\RES\PowerFuse\PMWAutoAllowFolders (REG_SZ) = Yes
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 SR5. In order to allow more complex apps with multiple executables and other unknowns to be installed by a user trusted with the User Installed Application right, in an environment where both AppGuard and Read-Only Blanketing are enabled, set the registry key to “Yes” in either HKLM or HKCU. This will automatically authorize all executables found in the folder where the executable specified in the PMWS wizard was found. Note from Workspace Manager 2010 SR2, this feature is now a checkbox in the console, found under Composition|Applications|User Installed Applications. ^
000 – Enable Workspace Manager trace mode
Valid from Workspace Manager 2008 (8.0.0.0) Trace mode enables a detailed diagnostics logging mode built into Workspace Manager. This is very useful if you are experiencing technical difficulties with the product. When you enable tracing, a continuous 2MB logfile will be created, i.e the log will never grow bigger than 2 Meg. If you decide to open a support ticket with RES Support, they are likely to be happy if you have this trace logfile at hand. It includes detailed information of what’s going on inside, enabeling RES Software’s engineers to better and quicker figure out what’s going on.There is a seperate article RG015 which discusses tracemode and other tools of the trade. Click here to read.
RESguru | 
August 30, 2010 00:07
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