Citrix MCS - Automate Master Image vCenter Update

Purpose:
This post is to share a Citrix MCS / VMware PowerShell script I created over the last year or so to automate the process of renaming a master image (Win2K16 or W10), converting it to a template, cloning the template and creating a snapshot of the clone in preparation for MCS updates.

You can use this script if you have a single datacenter or if you have multiple. It's relatively easy to modify it so the master image is copied to multiple vCenter datacenters/clusters and follows the same process.

I currently have 9 different datacenters/clusters running the same master image. I just maintain the core master image in the primary datacenter, perform updates, shutdown, run this script and once the process is done I can update each machine catalog one by one from the same master image.

Download the script from Citrix ShareFile

SageLike Post ID: SL0023

Citrix PVS - Automate PVS Target Device and VM Creation

Purpose:
This post is to share a Citrix PVS / VMware PowerShell script I created over the last year or so to automate the creation of additional VM's in VMware and create the PVS devices, assign them a PVS image, a PVS site, add them to the domain and then add the vDisk to the new devices. I have transitioned jobs since I first wrote this script so I haven't updated it in a few months but figured it would be helpful to some out there

SageLike-PVS-VMware-Script


SageLike Post ID: SL0020

Applies to:
Citrix Provisioning Server
Citrix XenApp
Citrix XenDesktop
VMware ESXi

Windows 10 Store Apps Missing

Purpose:
This post explains how to reinstall the Windows 10 Calculator app after it has been uninstalled

Symptom:
Windows 10 Calculator App missing

Resolution:

Issues reinstalling Win10 Store apps after removing them. This is specific to the Windows Calculator app.

Requirement is to have Base Filtering Engine and Windows Firewall service turned on.
*Note* - This is also a requirement for Windows 10 Updates to function correctly.

If the folders in the C:\Program Files\WindowsApps directory have been deleted or are missing find another machine that does have these folders and copy them into your machines directory. I also had to copy the VCLibs directories (highlighted below - You'll see why in a minute why these are needed.)



After you have these directories open up an elevated powershell window and register the apps using this command (specific to Calculator)

Add-AppxPackage -Register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_10.1703.601.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode




However when I ran this command I got an error about the VCLibs missing. So  I registered these VCLibs first with these command:

Add-AppxPackage -Register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00_14.0.24123.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode

Add-AppxPackage -Register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00_14.0.24123.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode



And then re-ran the command to register the Calculator app.

Add-AppxPackage -Register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_10.1703.601.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode

Cause:

The uninstall of Windows 10 Apps by various means

SageLike Post ID: SL0018

Applies to:

Windows 10

References:
http://www.intowindows.com/reset-and-reinstall-calculator-in-windows-10/
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-reinstall-default-apps-in-windows-10/