6.8.7.9216 R2 Release Notes (March 27, 2025)

Important:
For Existing Software Installations: Liquidware supports upgrades to existing ProfileUnity installations that are current on support contracts. However, it may be to your advantage to migrate to a new installation due to several architectural and feature changes as well as a requirement to break apart clustered installations prior to upgrading. See the Upgrading to 6.8.7 section below for more information on upgrade or migration options. See the Feature Updates Affecting Product Behavior Post Upgrade section below for more information on product changes that may affect your decision on whether to upgrade or migrate your currently installed version.

Product Updates

ProfileUnity Management Console

  • The ProfileUnity Management Console now supports installation on Windows Server 2025.
  • Entra ID Group Searching for filters has been expanded to support GOV Cloud environments.
  • Comprehensive filter and template updates have been implemented to support Server 2025. The filters section now includes a dedicated Server 2025 filter option, while also updating combined filters to include "Windows 10, 11, 2016, 2019, 2022 & 2025" where applicable. All templates now feature optimized active setup Portability rules for Server 2025, including enhanced Windows 11 Start Menu portability, ensuring consistent user experience across environments.
  • Legacy default filters have been removed.
  • The console now uses .Net core 8.0.14, providing security improvements.
  • The console now uses MongoDB 7.0.16, providing security improvements.

Client

  • The client now supports installation on Windows Server 2025.
  • The client now supports installation on Windows 11 24H2.
  • Updated compression library to 7zip version 24.09, providing security improvements.
  • A new silent mode has been implemented for the client splash screen. Instead of displaying a blank screen during processing, users now see the default Windows spinning circle, providing visual feedback during silent client execution. This feature can be enabled by modifying the "DisableSplash_DontHandleDelayedDesktopSwitchTimeout" setting from "False" to "True" in the files Client.Net.Zip\LwL.ProfileUnity.Client.exe.config, Client.Net.Zip\LwL.ProfileUnity.Client.Startup.Update.exe.config, and the copy of LwL.ProfileUnity.Client.Startup.Update.exe.config in the deployment path prior to installation.
  • Added new functionality to maintain the splash screen until all application delivery modules (FlexApp, FlexApp One, MSIX, and App-V) complete their processing. This feature can be enabled by changing the “LayeredAppAsyncExecution” setting from “True” to “False” in the Client.Net.Zip\LwL.ProfileUnity.Client.exe.config file.
  • Enhanced block caching reliability by implementing automatic failover to .FA1 format when a FlexApp XML is malformed and a VHDX file cannot be located.
  • FlexApp has bulk mounting disabled by default to provide better consistent activation of FlexApp’s.
  • The client now installs .Net core 8.0.14, providing security improvements.

FlexApp

  • FlexApp now uses .Net core 8.0.14, providing security improvements.

FlexApp Packaging Console Improvements

  • The runtime installer has been updated with the latest runtimes.
  • The console now uses .Net core 8.0.14, providing security improvements.
  • Additional capture exclusions have been added to provide even cleaner application captures.

FlexApp One Improvements

  • Added ability to respawn as system by using the command line switch --outofband. This feature simplifies support for Microsoft Intune and Workspace ONE by Omnissa.
  • FlexApp One can now bundle applications without the main client and .NET Core by omitting the -f argument. This significantly reduces the size of FlexApp One packages.

    Note: This option requires that the main client and appropriate .NET version are already installed on target systems.

  • 2020 drivers are now preserved during upgrades to maintain compatibility with older bundled FlexApp One packages.
  • The FlexApp One container service now uses .Net core 8.0.14, providing security improvements.

Issues Resolved

ProfileUnity Management Console

  • Fixed an issue where Windows 11 Start Menu Folders, System Tray Panel configuration, and Notification Panel settings were not being saved or restored.
  • Fixed an issue where the local MongoDB certificate was being removed when a node was removed from the cluster.
  • Fixed an issue where Entra ID Filters created in version 6.8.7 were not working.
  • Fixed an issue where FlexApp packages were being assigned with version "undefined".
  • Fixed an issue where a new installation was prevented after manual removal of the ProfileUnity console and MongoDB.
  • Fixed an issue where applying a wildcard certificate to each cluster node did not update the license server certificate.
  • Fixed an issue where there were delays after clicking import during SSL Certificate imports.
  • Fixed an issue where the UI became unresponsive when viewing modules with large amounts of rules.
  • Fixed an issue under Configuration Management where tenant ID verification was occurring during configuration updates.
  • Fixed an issue where users could not log into the 6.8.7 console after upgrading or database restoration.
  • Fixed an issue where console log collection would fail to execute.
  • Fixed an issue where MongoDB upgrade failed when located on drives other than C:.
  • Fixed an issue with an outdated MongoDB upgrade message URL.
  • Fixed an issue where SAML users were not being automatically added to the Access List.
  • Fixed an issue where the Standalone license service does not create a standalone certificate.
  • Fixed an issue where a Failback to Licensing Server certificate was failing when a MongoDB certificate hash was empty in the XML.

Client

  • Fixed an issue where the Folder Redirection custom Soft Redirect option was not functioning properly.
  • Fixed an issue where the App-V module was not operational.
  • Fixed an issue where duplicate key errors were occurring during processing.
  • Fixed an issue where parallel filter execution was taking significantly longer than serial processing, with up to 10x increased duration.
  • Fixed an issue where duplicated FlexApp with different filters were not processed correctly.

FlexApp

  • Fixed an issue where On boot, cached and Click to layer FlexApps were not available during second login after activation.
  • Fixed an issue where Run keys and Startup shortcuts were not executing for on-boot applications for each user.
  • Fixed an issue where Black Ice ColorPlus Printer ports do not play back correctly.
  • Fixed an issue where Local Security Authority protection was preventing ProfileDisk mounts.
  • Fixed an issue where conflict resolution of certain folder configurations were preventing proper playback of FlexApps.
  • Fixed an issue where FlexApp profile data was only being copied for the first account to log in.
  • Fixed an issue where the priority boost feature log could cause excessive disk space consumption.

FlexApp Packaging Console

  • Fixed an issue where all pre-cache blocks are saved as pre-play blocks after extend process.
  • Fixed an issue where the alternate data file value is stripped from cloud package XML.
  • Fixed an issue where larger packages were unable to be merged.
  • Fixed an issue where directories were listed while in the editor duplicate.

FlexApp One Issues Resolved

  • Fixed an issue where FlexApp One Package did not playback after Upgrading to 6.8.7 from 6.8.6 R1.

ProfileUnity Component Versions

Component 6.8.7 R2
Console UI 6.8.7.9216 R2
FlexDisk Service 6.8.7.9008 R2
Client.NET 6.8.7.9216 R2
VirtFS 6.8.7.9216 R2
LWL UserApp Player 6.8.7.9216 R2
LWL UserApp Service 6.8.7.9216 R2
LWL Elevation Service 6.8.7.9216 R2
LWL License Service 6.8.7.9216 R2
FPC 6.8.7.9216 R2
FPC Player 6.8.7.9216 R2
FPC VirtFS 6.8.7.9216 R2

Known Issues and Limitations

Important: End-of-Life for ProfileUnity Versions: Liquidware provides specific information on the version support lifecycle for recent product releases. Once a version has reached End of Life, Liquidware will discontinue all sales and technical support of that version. We encourage all customers who might still be utilizing these versions to upgrade to a more recent version to take advantage of the numerous technologies & feature enhancements as well as resolved support issues. For a full list of End-of-Life dates, refer to this URL: https://www.liquidware.com/support/sections/202062243-Updates

  • FlexApp Filter Driver: FlexApp file system filter driver in certain conditions can exhibit a memory leak, specifically affecting environments where desktops do not reboot frequently combined with aggressive information systems security tools. The leak occurs when security tools scan the redirection paths of FlexApp or ProfileDisk, causing the filter driver to fail to release memory allocated for tracking these events. For example, when security tools repeatedly scan redirected paths such as C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome (FlexApp) or C:\Users%username% (ProfileDisk), the driver progressively consumes more memory, potentially degrading system performance over time until a reboot clears the condition.
  • Cluster Management Tasks: When performing cluster management tasks (e.g., adding/removing nodes), the ProfileUnity user account must belong to the local administrators group on all nodes.
  • AppStream Compatibility: FlexApp and FlexApp One cannot publish shortcuts to the AppStream Dynamic Application Framework in multi-session environments, as AppStream does not support the Dynamic Application Framework and multi-session use simultaneously.
  • IPv6 Cluster Upgrade Issue: Upgrading a ProfileUnity cluster with nodes that have an IPv6 address from a valid IPv6 DHCP scope may fail. For more information, see Clustering - Error Adding Third Cluster Node.
  • Marketplace Console Upgrade Issue: ProfileUnity Console deployments from the Amazon AWS Marketplace or Azure Marketplace may encounter issues during upgrades. Contact support@liquidware.com for assistance.
  • 32-Bit Windows Feature Deprecation: The following features no longer support 32-bit Windows: FlexApp, FlexApp Packaging Console, ProfileDisk, Custom Folder Redirection with Hard Redirect, and Registry Redirection.
  • Internet Explorer Compatibility: Using Internet Explorer to manage the ProfileUnity console is no longer supported. Performance collection is unavailable in developer tools on Internet Explorer 11 and Legacy Edge when ProfileDisk is enabled.
  • Unsupported Operating Systems: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows Server 2012 R2 are no longer supported.
  • Outlook File Previewer: The file previewer in Office 365 (FlexApp version) does not work. However, double-clicking the file functions correctly.
  • File Path Limit: Files with more than 260 characters cannot be processed by the Portability engine.
  • Root Certificate Update Requirement: If automatic root certificate updates are disabled, the ProfileUnity Management Console installation might fail due to a data1.cab certificate error. Federal and some commercial accounts following STIG guidelines may need to manually update root certificates to avoid this issue.
  • Folder Redirection on AppData: Using Folder Redirection on the entirety of AppData Local can cause issues on Windows 10/11 and Windows Server 2016/2019/2022.
  • Portability on AppData Local: Using Portability on all of AppData Local can lead to extended login times.
  • Windows Start Menu Migration: Pinned Start Menu items from Windows 10 may not migrate to Windows 11 when using Portability.
  • ProfileDisk Compatibility from Windows 10 to Windows 11: A ProfileDisk created on Windows 10 may not function correctly on Windows 11. Portability should be used to migrate to a new ProfileDisk on Windows 11.
  • Console Logins: Active Directory (LDAP) users that were manually added to the ProfileUnity Console are unable to logon if their common name does not match their username. See this KB article for workarounds.
  • ProfileUnity Client Service Account: Persistent workstations that leverage the ProfileUnity client service to run on-boot configurations do not process new iterations of existing startup configurations when deployed. See this KB article for workaround.

Upgrading to 6.8.7 R2

The procedures and requirements for upgrading ProfileUnity & FlexApp differ based on certain factors, such as your existing version and whether or not you have multiple ProfileUnity Console nodes configured in a cluster. For information and procedures for your specific upgrade scenario, refer to the ProfileUnity & FlexApp Upgrade Guide.

Feature Updates Affecting Product Behavior Post Upgrade

Before upgrading to the latest version, be aware of the following product changes if you are not already running 6.8.5.

  • Disabled features and retaining enabled features.
    • On upgrade, each configuration will have Printer Refresh, Restart Spooler, Mapped Drive Refresh, and Retain User File Associations checked. This gives you the same behavior as prior releases.
    • If you are leveraging the ability to disable the Print Spooler Restart feature, you will apply this option with the new Windows Options, as the old method is now deprecated.
      • After upgrading and before deploying the new 6.8.6 configuration, go into the Windows Options configuration module and uncheck Restart Spooler.

      Note: Any workarounds for Refresh.exe and Refresh Visual Style (PUPThemes) are no longer needed as they do not run by default any longer.

    • If you are leveraging retaining Volume Level, Number Lock State, Caps Lock State, Scroll Lock State, User Installed Fonts, and/or System Installed Fonts, you will have to do the following.
      • Enable the corresponding feature in the Windows Options module in your configuration. Then add the corresponding portability rule to your configuration before deploying your configuration.
  • Multiple INIs and Require Group Membership for Execution
    • On upgrade of the ProfileUnity Client to 6.8.6, 6.8.6 will honor older INIs and 6.8.6 INIs that restrict INI execution to group membership. However, once you uncheck the option in the Main configuration module for Require Group Membership for Execution, you can NOT use this option again. It is permanently disabled. It is suggested to transition using the Require Filter for Execution setting to build the filter you need to restrict INI execution and then apply it to the configuration.
  • Multiple INIs with User Defined Scripts
    • By default in prior versions, ALL User Defined Scripts would execute regardless of Require Group Membership for Execution or Require Filter for Execution settings in the Main module. In 6.8.5 and up, User Defined Scripts will only execute if the configuration applies to the user or the User Defined Scripts filter applies to the user. For most customers, no action is required. However, if scripts that were applied from unattended configurations were helping, these scripts would need to be duplicated from configuration to configuration.