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Components of a ThinApp Application

AdminStudio 2025 R2 | 30.0 | ThinApp Assistant

When you use the ThinApp Assistant to build a ThinApp virtual package, the resources you generate are called ThinApp applications. The number of files included in a ThinApp application depends upon how many shortcuts are defined in the project (or Windows Installer package) and whether you choose to include diagnostic tools with the ThinApp application.

Number of ShortcutsThinApp Application ComponentsDescription
1 shortcutProductName.exeThe ThinApp application consists of a single executable (.exe) file:
  • Launching the application—This executable file is used to launch the ThinApp application.
  • Location of application data—This executable file contains all of the files, registry keys, DLLs, ThinApp components, and third party libraries that are required for the application to run.
More than 1 shortcutProductName.exe
FeatureName.exe
Package.DAT		The ThinApp application consists of two or more executable files and a Package.DAT file:
  • Launching the application—Each of the executables is used to launch the ThinApp application or a specific feature of the ThinApp application.
  • Location of application data—The Package.DAT file contains all of the files, registry keys, DLLs, ThinApp components, and third party libraries that are required for the application to run.
1 shortcut with diagnostic toolsProductName.exe
cmd.exe
regedit.exe
Package.DAT		The ThinApp application consists of three executable files and a Package.DAT file:
  • Launching the application—The package executable is used to launch the ThinApp application.
  • Launching the diagnostic tools—The cmd.exe and regedit.exe executables are used to launch the Command Prompt and Registry Editor diagnostic tools.
  • Location of application data—The Package.DAT file contains all of the files, registry keys, DLLs, ThinApp components, and third party libraries that are required for the ThinApp application and the diagnostic tools to run.

ThinApp application files are saved in a directory named ThinAppPackage. The location of the ThinAppPackage directory depends upon the type of file you are editing in InstallShield:

  • InstallShield project—The ThinAppPackage directory will be located in a subdirectory of the directory that contains this InstallShield project file, such as:

    C:\InstallShield 2009 Projects\ProductName\ConfigurationName\ReleaseName\ThinAppPackage

  • Windows Installer package—The ThinAppPackage directory will be located in the same directory as the Windows Installer file, such as:

    C:\FolderContainingMSI\ThinAppPackage

warning

Modifying these files directly is not recommended. To make any modifications, use the InstallShield ThinApp Assistant.

Intermediate Data Files: Interm Directory​

When a ThinApp application is built, files that support the ThinApp application build process are extracted out of the Windows Installer package and saved in a subdirectory of the ThinAppPackage directory named the Interm directory.

Interm Subdirectory of the ThinAppPackage Directory

The data in this directory is then compiled into ThinApp application as part of the build process. The data in the Interm directory does not need to be distributed with the ThinApp application.

See Also

Using the Microsoft App-V Assistant to Create an App-V Package