Duplicate Globally Unique Identifiers (GUIDs)

If the existing application you attempt to add is a duplicate of another application, stored in a separate directory, the following message dialog may appear.  Note that this message is only a warning, not an error.  The application will be added after you acknowledge the message.

 

A similar message dialog will appear when VTS is run and the VAM opens.

 

These messages indicate that VTS has recognized two applications as having the same globally unique identifier (known as a "GUID"). This situation can occur if a copy of an application exists on the same workstation as the original. These two applications may, or may not have the same title and/or application directory name however, if their GUIDs are the same, it indicates that one of the two applications is a revised copy of the other. As indicated by the dialogs, duplicate GUIDs may cause errors in remote applications, so it is recommended that the GUID for the offending application be reassigned.

The GUID for each application is located in the application's GDI.wif file. Each application has its own GDI.wif file that is used by VTS to identify a directory on your hard drive as being an application directory (see the topic: VTS File Types: .WIF Files for further information).

In the event that an application with a duplicate GUID has been added to the VAM, you can force a new GUID to be assigned to one of the applications as follows:

1.   Using a text editor, open the file GDI.wif in one of the application directories.

2.   Delete the text from the third line, leaving an empty third line in the file.

The text will be similar to : e72793ea-f001-494f-afe3-be82b918de05.

3.   Save and close the file.

4.   Start the application.

A new GUID will be generated.

Further information on forcing VTS to generate a new GUID for an application can be found in FAQ: Duplicate GUIDs (Globally Unique Identifiers).