MED-V 2.0 Step by Step

In this topic I will go through the installation of MED-V 2.0, creating and deploying a workspace.

MED-V is great when you need to migrate your  to Windows 7 and you still have apps that only work in XP.

First of all to install MED-V 2.0, let's talk about the host requirements:

Windows 7 Professional/Enterprise/Ultimate SP1 x86/x64 and a minimum of 2GB of RAM and 10GB of storage.

Workspace requirements:

Windows XP SP3 x86 and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and update KB959209

In this example I will install all the components in the same host.

Launch the MDOP and click on Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization.

Now click on Enterprise Desktop Virtualization 2.0 to expand it and install the Windows Virtual PC (skip the restart), then the QFE (restart the computer), then the Host Agent and finally the Workspace Packager.

All the installations in the host computer are done.

Now we can start to customize our Virtual PC image. If you already have a XP VHD image you can use it, I will start from scratch.

Open the Virtual PC and click on Create virtual machine.

Give it a name, leave the default location and click on Next.

Specify the amount of RAM and click on Next. The default is 512MB.

Now it's time to add a VHD to your virtual machine. You can create a dynamically expanding VHD, you can use an existing VHD, you can use a fixed size VHD or you can use a differencing VHD.

I will use a fixed size disk.

Select Create a VHD using advanced options and click on Next.

Click on Fixed Size. Select a name for the VHD, leave the default location and click on Next.

Specify the size of the VHD and click on Create.

After the VM is created, click on Settings, select the DVD drive and mount an XP SP3 image or select a physical drive where you have the XP SP3 source. Click OK.

Now double click the newly created VM to power it on.

If during the installation this warning pops up and you are unable to click on OK, click on Tools, Settings and ajust the keyboard to send key combinations to the virtual machine. Now hibernate the VM and wake it up again so the new settings are applied.

Then click on the virtual machine, press ALT + TAB and press enter to hit OK.

Now that you have a VM with XP SP3 installed, let's install the other requirements.

Install the Integration Components from the Tools menu of the VM. Restart the VM so you can get full mouse integration.

First install the .NET 3.5 SP1, you can download it from here.

Second install the update KB959209 which you can download from here.

Now install the update to enable RemoteApp which you can download from here. Check Do not restart now and click finish.

Finally install the update KB972435 (optional) which you can download from here. Restart the VM.

Now that we have installed all the prerequisites let's install an application. In my example I will install WinSCP. Just make sure the application you install creates a shortcut in the Start Menu.

I will also create a shortcut of Internet Explorer 6 and the cmd to the Start Menu.

After all required applications have been installed, it's time to copy the sysprep files which can be downloaded from here and the i386 folder from the Windows XP CD.

Extract the deploy.cab and copy the i386 folder to C:\sysprep.

Now run setupmgr, click on Next, Next again, select Sysprep setup and click on Next, Next, select Yes, fully automate the installation and click on Next.

Fill all the fields as required. You must join a domain so users can use their credentials to log on to the host.

In the Run Once command add the following commands:

wmic /namespace:\\root\default path SystemRestore call Disable %SystemDrive%\
c:\Program Files\Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization\FtsCompletion.exe

Your sysprep.inf should look like the one below.

Now run sysprep. Click OK. Check Don't reset grace period for activation and Use Mini-Setup, make sure the Shutdown mode is Shut down and click on Reseal. Click OK.

Before you start the MED-V Workspace Packager, make sure you set the Powershell execution policy to unrestricted.

Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted

Also make sure the SAN policy is set to "Online All".

diskpart.exe
san
exit

To change it:

diskpart.exe
san policy=onlineall
exit

Start the MED-V Workspace Packager. Select Create a MED-V Workspace Package.

Specify the workspace name and click on Next.

Browse to the syspreped VHD and click on Next.

Select the first time setup settings and specify messages and online help based on your requirements.
Click on Next.

I will let MED-V manage computer names. Click on Next. Next again.

Start up and Networking again is based on different requirements. I will set MED-V to start the workspace when the user logs on, shared networking and store credentials enabled (this is not recommended as the credentials are stored in a reversible format.)

Specify the urls you want redirected to IE 6. Click on Next.

Review your settings and click on Create.

After it has been created successfully, we need to install it.

In my example I will install it in the same computer and will perform a manual installation. In a enterprise environment the best solution would be to deploy it using SCCM or another ESD of your choice.

Browse to the Documents folder (or whatever you have choosen) and run the setup file. Click on Next and Install.

After the installation is finished click on Finish and MED-V will start.

If during the creation of the Workspace you selected to warn the user before it stars, you will see the screen below. Click on Start.

The first time the user will be prompted for credentials. Then the Remember my credentials can be checked to not receive that prompt anymore.

It will take sometime as this is the first time, the Mini-Setup will run and then start Windows.
After it's finished you will see the balloon below.

Now you can start using the available applications that are running in the Virtual Pc in the background seamless in Windows 7.

Also test your Web Redirection is working. In my example I set to redirect http://www.microsoft.com to Internet Explorer 6.