PROBLEM:

Although you published the App-V package via the publishing server using the Management console, users cannot find the shortcuts on the start menu. 

This problem happens when the unpublished and published application share the same name for their shortcuts as well as the same placement in the Start Menu. As an example, having the same version of 3M CGS but one is slightly different due to a recompiled hotfix that needed to be applied to the PFP component. When you look at the management console, both “versions” are separate packages:

When you verify using PowerShell command Get-AppVClientPackage –All, you can see the package is published and available to the user. Only the shortcuts are not there.

SOLUTION:

The recommended solution is to run in PowerShell as admin the following command:

Get-AppVClientPackage NameOfPackage | Repair-AppVClientPackage –Extensions

This command will resets the extensions to their original published locations and cleans the user state of the package. In other words, it is like reverting the App-V package to its “golden state.”

On a side note, the solutions below might work in case there is a “stale” App-V state on the VM.

1. Run in PowerShell as admin Sync-AppVPublishingServer IDofPublishingServer 
   • This will force the App-V Client service to check with the App-V publishing server and get the latest list of applications 
2. Remove the package manually by running the following commands in PowerShell as admin:

$path = Get-AppVClientPackage | Where-Object {$_.Name –like “NameofApplication*” | Select-Object –Property Path

Get-AppVClientPackage | Where-Object {$_.Name –like “NameofApplication*” | Stop-AppVClientPackage | Remove-AppVClientPackage

Once it is removed, run Add-AppVClientPackage –path $path | Publish-AppVClientPackage

3. Try to find a VM where you were able to get the shortcuts, and simply copy them to the user’s VM.

CAUSE:

The App-V client on the VM is subject to changes in its state based on the user’s usage of App-V packages and changes in the system as a whole. One of these changes are triggered by App-V publishing server in the form of new packages or removed ones. At times, during the change of state initiated by the publishing server the registry modifications that accompany it might complete successfully. The issue with the last write which might be to delete shortcuts. At times, the user him/herself might delete the shortcut, which can cause the App-V package to appear non-existent on the VM.