Affected versions

This applies to Login PI 2.x and Login VSI 4.x

Background

In order to prevent some one-time first-run flows, or other modal dialog pop-ups which might be causing "stuck" sessions, there are some steps that can be taken. (Stuck sessions in this case means a pop-up came up that the virtual user didn't expect, so it doesn't work around it and the session stops progressing the workload.)

For example, there can be unexpected Office and Adobe pop-ups, among other applications, which can be prevented via registry entries, so long as the application supports them. 

Note in some cases it might be easier to prevent the pop-up in the settings of the target program, if applicable, in the base image - and then recompose this. However, registry modification might be an alternative:

(Note: Also, Login VSI offers professional services for workload customization to prevent pop-ups or work past them with the virtual user)

Manual registry steps

Find out if there's a registry entry that can prevent the target pop-up in the first place:

1. Connect to a target desktop in which the scenario can be reproduced
2. Export the registry
3. Reproduce the modal pop-up in the target program, and prevent the pop-up from showing again (usually a checkbox on the dialog box). Close the program
4. Export the registry again
5. Perform a diff of the exports using a diffing program (there are several freeware titles)
6. Locate the registry path and entry that should prevent the pop-up. Note this.
7. Can be helpful if the new registry path is negated or deleted, then the program opened again to see if the pop-up returns, just to verify the correct registry path and entry have been located

(Note: the above steps can also be achieved by one of several on-the-fly registry-diffing-specific freeware programs.)

Once the registry path and entry are located update the golden image with the correct registry paths and recompose the images.

Alternatively, use Login VSI's or Login PI's metalanguages to have the virtual user set the paths in the beginning of the test workload, before the target application is interacted with. This one-time-executed, preparatory segment is called the prepare segment (documentation link).

The metalanguage function is named VSI_RegWrite, and they are syntactically the same for Login VSI and Login PI.

Login VSI reference | Login PI reference

See also

1. Login VSI services offerings
2. 5 Best Practices for VDI Workload Customization with Login VSI