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Hide/Remove ThinApp Information Launchbar
September 2, 2008
By starting a ThinApp application you see the VMware ThinApp Information Launchbar in the right corner of your screen. Just like the following screenshot.
To hide this ThinApp Information bar you first start Log Monitor. One of the VMware ThinApp tools available from the start menu after installation of the ThinApp software.
Within ThinApp Log Monitor browse to the location: C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware ThinApp\ and type *.* to see all files (included virtual files) in this folder.
Edit the file named ‘main.bmp’. Changing its pixel size to 1×1 will remove the Information bar.
Changes will be saved in the sandbox of ThinApp tools at: %AppData%\Thinstall\ThinstallBuilder\%ProgramFilesDir%\VMware\VMware ThinApp\main.bmp
Topics: VMware | 60 Comments »
September 28th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Thanks a bunch, just what I was looking for!
October 16th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Thanks! I love this fix. It is simple and non-intrusive. It cleans up the whole look. I generally turn off banners. Thanks again.
November 7th, 2008 at 6:03 am
I can not find this location to save the modified bmp image:
(Changes will be saved in the sandbox of ThinApp tools at: %AppData%\Thinstall\ThinstallBuilder\%ProgramFilesDir%\VMware\VMware ThinApp\main.bmp)
is this path within the created package or in my profile folder ?
Using Version 4.0.0.2200
November 16th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
TWO SEPARATE DIRECTORIES!
%AppData%\Thinstall\ThinstallBuilder\
And
%ProgramFilesDir%\VMware\VMware ThinApp\main.bmp
Hope this helps
Panarchy
PS: If this guide works, I’d just like to say THANK YOU A HEAP
November 17th, 2008 at 2:36 am
THIS GUIDE WORKS
Thanks
Panarchy
PS: Is there a way to remove the timeout?
December 5th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Worked with 4.0.0
Doesn’t work with 4.0.1
December 11th, 2008 at 2:27 am
Agreed
Worked With 4.0.0
Doesn’t Work With 4.0.1
They Changed The Loader Most Likely Cause Of This, I Think Changing The Boot Loader Should Be A Feature With ThinApp, Makes Your Corp Apps Look More Professional.
–
MJ
January 18th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
wonderful post))
January 19th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Good inght, bloggers =)
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:00 pm
such a real story..
February 7th, 2009 at 3:32 am
sad, that in version 4.0.1 does not work with trick main.bmp
March 11th, 2009 at 6:46 am
Has Anyone Found A Suitable Work Around For This Yet. This Is The Main Reason I Have Not Upgraded To 4.0.1.
–
MJ
April 3rd, 2009 at 11:55 am
Works perfect with 4.0.0.
THANKS.
Doesn’t work with future versions. Anybody found a way?
I opened ALL of the dll and exe files. None of them include the popup image.
It should be inside one of the three files at this location:
C:\Documents and Settings\%user%\Application Data\Thinstall\ThinstallBuilder
But I haven’t found a way to open those files yet!!!
April 17th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
I find the bmp, i can remove it (1/1 pixel), but Information Launchbar appear now whith white background, i search….
April 30th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Good work!
May 21st, 2009 at 1:36 am
If you have the solution for the new version of VMware after 4.0.0. Or if you can upload older version that has the possibility of changes and deletions and post link
Thank you
September 18th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Yeah It only Work With 4.0.0 And Starting From 4.0.1 And Up Its Not Working And The “main.bmp” Been Removed From The Installion Dir And I Think They Add
it To Another Place Like PE Files “exe ,dll ,..etc”
And I Did A Fast Scan Using PE Explorer And With Help Of Alot Other Tools But I Did not Found main.bmp Or Anything that get us to it so i hope someone Know How To Do It And Tell Us About It.
September 18th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
But Thanks For This Great How To .Working 100%
November 10th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
This worked for me, on XP:
1] Install ThinApp.
2] Open up a separate explorer window to “C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Application Data\Thinstall\ThinstallBuilder”.
3] Run “ThinApp Log Monitor” and select “Browse…” and browse to “C:\Program Files\VMWare\VMWare ThinApp”.
4] In the Filename box, type *.* and press Enter. Lots of files should appear.
5] Find “tlink.exe’ and right-click on it, select “Properties” at the bottom. In the already opened explorer window, a folder named “%ProgramFilesDir% should appear. (Selecting Properties is the only way I could get the “real” tlink.exe file to appear). Navigate into it, then into “VMWare”, then into “VMWare ThinApp”. The “tlink.exe” file should be there.
6] Edit the file with a resource editor like “Resource Hacker” and replace the bitmap (100) with one with the following: 243 width x 61 height in RGB (255,0,255) (that ugly pink background color. This will make the popup appear transparent). Save the new bitmap as 256 bit too. Save “tlink.exe”.
7] Close your explorer window and the log monitor, and you’re done. Apps packaged will now have a transparent popup, which to the casual observer, means it’s not there….
December 4th, 2009 at 12:28 am
Great tip PortableMe!
Worked with 4.0.4!
January 22nd, 2010 at 4:35 am
Just another thanks to PortableMe–great instructions, worked perfectly.
February 13th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Thanks again to PortableMe for the update, works great.
February 18th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Thanks for the guide PortableMe, tested and working with version 4.0.4-3614 running on a XP SP3 VM.
It’s always been one of those things that bugged me, I don’t mind VMware branding… but that bitmap just looks tacky.
February 25th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Well actually what PortableMe said its just a plain lie… You CANT edit the resource 100 on tlink.exe because Resource Hacker or ANY other editor doesnt shows up. Why this? Because DOESNT exist!. I did try with the version 4.0.2 AND 4.0.4 and THAT resource DOESNT EXIST. Plain and simple.
March 5th, 2010 at 10:13 am
Use Resource Tuner, the BITMAP 100 Shows up for 4.0.4 tlink.exe
Great mini-tut, PortableMe! Thanks for the help
March 11th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Not working… waste of time.
March 11th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
“243 width x 61 height in RGB (255,0,255)”
How to do that???
In Photoshop? but how? step by stp please.
March 15th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Hi,
First Off Thank You To PortableMe. This Was The Solution I Had Been Looking For, What You Suggested Worked Like A Treat.
Mendoza You Are Wrong, What PortableMe Has Given Us Works Perfectly. I Think You Did Something Wrong In Your Process.
March 18th, 2010 at 2:09 am
Damn… I see what happend to me… I didnt pay attention to the 2nd step. I thought that tlink were the same as the install directory but its not. Seems like ThinApp Log Monitor open a sort of backdoor or something. Because that wont showup without doing that.
Thanks PortableMe I was wrong.
March 18th, 2010 at 2:17 am
Working with v4.5 (3876)
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:35 pm
No such resource in Thinapp 4.5 just released. tlink.exe simply does not have a bitmap resource. It has icon and resources infor nut no (100) bitmaps. Anyone found it??
March 25th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
oh yes, Thinapp 4.5 doesn’t work with this tutrial. thank you for a solution.
March 26th, 2010 at 4:04 am
Sorry may bad English
Thanks to PortableMe.
For Thinapp 4.5.0-238809
To perform these procedures you will need Resource Hacker or another editor
01 – Enable the visualization of hidden files
02 – Open a window of Windows Explorer and navigate at c:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Application Data, keep this window open.
03 – In Start\Programs\VMware run “ThinApp Log Monitor”. Thinstall folder will appear in the already opened explorer window. Open this folder. In the “ThinApp Log Monitor”, select “Browse …”, browse at “C:\Programs files\VMWare\VMWare ThinApp”
04 – In “File Name” box, type *.* and press Enter. Lots of files should appear. Right-click on the file “tlink.exe” and click “Properties”. Its will enable “ThinstallBuilder” folder. Browse it to find “tlink.exe” file.
05 – Copy this file into the Resource Hacker
06 – Create a bitmap in a graphic program with the size of 243 X 61 (pixels) with color (255,0,255). Save this Bitmap.
07 – Open Resource Hacker. File menu click Open and select the file “tlink.exe”
08 – Click Bitmap\100\1033
09 – Action menu click “Replace Bitmap …”, then click “Open file with new bitmap …”
10 – Locate the bitmap created and replace the original Bitmap. Save the file “tlink.exe” and exit Resource Hacker.
11 – Copy the file “tlink.exe” changed into the folder in VMware ThinApp that was the original, replacing it.
Please, if any understand, rewrite in good English
March 26th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
hey pcmac.
thank you for this tutorial, but could you upload this hacked file to rapidshare or something like that?
thank you very much
March 27th, 2010 at 12:22 am
Hi Dear.
Thanks.
Very Good But Plz Add Image For Learn.
March 27th, 2010 at 1:47 am
SIno, here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/368583784/ThinApp.rar
AhrimanSefid:
Sorry, but I do not speak English. I speak Portuguese. I´m Brazilian.
My Windows is brazilian. I think you would not understand the images
March 27th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
oh you uploaded the hole thinapp. thank you… i need only the tlink.exe but. thank you !
March 28th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Thanks A Lot.
Working Me Chang PIC.
http://rapidshare.com/files/369271524/tlink.rar
Size: 282 KB
March 29th, 2010 at 2:53 am
Sino, I uploaded:
New Bitmap
tlink.exe modified
Resource Hacker
VMware-ThinApp-Enterprise-4.5.0-238809
keygen
April 14th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Hi guys, thanks for the tutorial,
but when i replace the modified tlink.exe (1mb in size) with the original one in the installed folder (300kb) i always get an error when trying to build my project. no exe is created in bin folder.
any help appreciated.
April 18th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Hey People,
here you have a video, that shows you exactly how to unpack the complete VMware ThinApp Enterprise 4.5.0-238809 and change the information launchbar with ResHack.
http://rapidshare.com/files/377227780/changevt-r4e.rar
It’s in german but you will understand what you have to do because the steps are the same in all languages.
For the audio in the video I’ve used (if you want to know it):
Autumn – It’s Always About The Girl (Lomax Remix)
Have Fun!
April 19th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Thanks a lot Ranzen4ever !!
following your video-tutorial i finally managed to replace the launchbar. I guess unpacking all files with “log monitor” did the trick.
But now when i try to “upgrade” older Packages with relink.exe the produced exe is no more executable.
(“keine zulässige win32 anwendung” error appears – sorry dont know the english error message).
this happens after unpacking thinapp – no matter if i replace the bitmap or not.
Does anybody know how to fix this please ???
April 20th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Older packages or older versions of ThinApp?
If you want to use the modified tlink.exe in older versions of ThinApp, you need to unpack the complete old version of ThinApp like the newer one and edit the tlink.exe of the older version with reshack. You can not use the exe of the newer version in an older version of ThinApp.
If you want to re-build older captured packages with your new tlink.exe, you need to build the packages with the whole unpacked ThinApp. You cannot use the modified tlink.exe, if the rest of ThinApp is not unpacked.
If you use ThinApp and only unpack the tlink.exe, it won’t work. You need to unpack all files of ThinApp.
Hope you understand this. If not, you can send me an eMail on WEP.DEe@web.de and than we can discuss the problem in our language – german. Type in the subject your name (errz) and ThinApp problem or something like that.
Have a nice Day!
April 21st, 2010 at 9:21 am
Hi ranzen4ever. Thanks for your reply. Let me try to explain better what i meant.
I understood that all files have to be unpacked in order to get the modified tlink to work.
New to thinapp 4.5 is the relink-function which allows users like me who didnt keep the capture files to “upgrade” a package created with an earlier version of thinapp (e.g. 4.0) as described here. This doesnt work anymore after completely unpacking thinapp 4.5 as described in your tutorial – before and after modifying tlink.exe. I cant figure out why. Your tutorial is working great when creating new packages but i´d really like to be able to remove the Info Launchbar when relinking old packages as well. Thanks again for your time …!
April 21st, 2010 at 10:01 am
Hm, on my pc I can use the relink feature. Don’t knew that this feature exists in the new version. Thanks for the Information.
OK.
If you have Windows XP, Navigate to:
(german)
“C:\Dokumente und Einstellungen\USERNAME\Anwendungsdaten\Thinstall”
(english)
“C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\Thinstall”
or type %userprofile%\Anwendungsdaten\Thinstall or %userprofile%\Application Data\Thinstall in the Adressbar of your Windows Explorer.
In Windows Vista and Windows 7 I think it’s the following Directory:
C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Thinstall\
or type %Appdata% in the Adressbar of the Windows Explorer.
Remove the whole content of the Thinstall-folder completely.
If I had any problems with ThinApp or “ThinApp’ed” applications, I emptied this folder and all problems are gone. (bad english, I know)
After I had unpacked ThinApp, I’ve reinstalled it and I couldn’t start the reinstalled App so I’ve emptied the Thinstall folder and now it runs like on the first day.
Hope you understand me.
have a nice day
April 21st, 2010 at 11:13 am
Hi again. I just realized the relink just wouldnt work for packages i already relinked with the standard (packed) 4.5 version of thinapp. relinking them again with the unpacked version somehow destroys them (strange error!).
.
However all other packages work with the unpacked relink and i am finally happy
thanks again for your help & have a nice day too!
April 27th, 2010 at 5:25 am
here again,
I have thr following Problem with Version 4.5.
Every App what I’ve captured with the new Version have a little bit bigger file-size.
For Example, I’ve captured WinRAR 3.93.
If I build the portable Application of this package with ThinApp 4.5, the final result in the “bin”-Dir have a 8mb filesize.
If I build the same package with ThinApp 4.0.4, the filesize is 3,8mb.
The same with Internet Explorer 8. The build with v4.0.4 have 72mb and the same package build with v4.5 have 90mb.
The second Problem:
if I run an App created with v4.5, the process and/or the background-services won’t close even if I exit the Application. The window of the App closes but the process and the services continuing in the background.
I just can close an app with the task-manager.
Hope you can help.
April 28th, 2010 at 3:30 am
ranzen4ever:
First problem add
OptimizeFor=Disk under the Compression section
May 1st, 2010 at 9:02 pm
The VIDEO tutorial link has been removed why?
can someone please upload/update this video thank you.
May 8th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Hello everybody.
I’m posting the link to video tutorial that I made:
http://www.mediafire.com/?uztj4ygz5my
I hope it’s enough explanatory.
May 10th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Hello everybody
I need help with Thinstall 4.0.0 2200 to remove the
popup window when starting a application. Is there anybody out here that have a version 4.0.0 2200 that not have this popup?
Please leave a message thanks!
May 10th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
I have try all this examples but it not works have also wath this exelent video, but nothing helps, so my question is still is anybody can help or have some url to Thinstall v4.0.0-2200
without popup. Perhaps I must have a unpacked version not a portable ?
Please leave a meesage or a link
Thanks!
May 11th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Hi Borje,
I made you portable VMware ThinApp 4.0.4-204871. You can download it from here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?rm2twmzyw4j
This version works well. I hope you don’t mind that mine splash screen pops up when you run the program, lol
I had the same problems with bigger packages and programs keep running in the background when I used 4.5 version as ranzen4ever said few posts back. But certain programs kept running in the background even if they were packed with v4.0.4-204871 e.g. Ashampoo. So for me this behavior is mystery.
May 11th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Hello 3K3
Thanks for the Portable you done i have tested this but if I test with 4.0.0-2200 the application start much faster than the 4.0.4-204871 why I dont know, i have tested many differnts version’s of this but with 4.0.0-2200 I found it works all the best. But I can not find any 4.0.0-2200 with no popup perhaps you know a way ?
Borje
May 12th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Hello again Borje.
About my portable starting “slower” than your v4.0.0-2200. I wrote in my previous post that mine splash screen pops up when you start the portable version. That takes 2s + launcher I created copies Thinstall folder to $APPDATA folder. I think this is not to long for you to wait… But all this is irrelevant if you can confirm that my portable get’s the job done: program packed with portable version doesn’t show info bar at startup. If that is the case than I don’t understand why you insist on getting even more outdated version than the portable one. Anyway, as I see you got two choices: use my portable version and packed programs won’t show info bar at startup or continue using your precious v4.0.0-2200. Your choice.
Cheers.
May 12th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Hello again 3K3
Yes I know that is not any problem with your splash screen, yes all works good in your version no popup when i run the ready exe file but the ready exe file detected this virus: Trojan.Dropper-22862 FOUND what do you think about that?
May 12th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Borje, look for answers on VMware Communities:
http://communities.vmware.com/thread/256206?tstart=0
May 13th, 2010 at 7:59 am
Hi 3K3
ok. I understand that is some positive false regarding this exe files in some of the versions
the problems seen to be in the virus scanners.
Ok 3K3 I must ask you one thing the exellent video
you have create, what have you use for a program and version to do this video?
May 13th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
BB FlashBack Pro Recorder v2.6.9
May 19th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Hello 3K3
I would like to ask you how I can include a little
splasch screen in the pakage. I have see your spasch screen and that is nice function but I not understand how to do that?