August 24, 2026

Windows Command-Line Arguments for the App Volumes Application Capture Command-Line Program

This section lists the command-line arguments that are used with appcapture.exe to achieve tasks such as create a capture, update an existing application, end a capture session, and so on, using the command-line capture program. Some of these arguments are mandatory while few are optional.

The following table lists the command-line arguments and tasks accomplished using these arguments:

Note: Command-line arguments for an MSIX app attach format are not supported for capturing packages in the Omnissa App Volumes format.

Command-line Argument	Task	Examples
/help	Displays the list of arguments and their description that can be used with the `appcapture.exe` command.	`appcapture.exe /help`
/new <package_name>	Start a capture session for a new application or update an existing application. This argument is mandatory. Following files are created in a capture session: `.vmdk`, `.vhd`, and `.json`. By default, the files are located at `\AppCapture\appvhds`, where `AppCapture` is present in one of the subfolders within `C:\ProgramData`. Note: Only the following arguments can be used with /new: /d, /s, /a, and /novmdk. To see the usage of /new, see Capture an App Volumes Application.	Example: `appcapture.exe /new MyApp` `MyApp` is the name of the package generated when the MyApp application is captured.
/d <disk_description>	Specify comments that identify the content in the output file while running a new capture session or updating an existing application. The disk description can be viewed in the App Volumes Manager admin UI as part of the package description. This argument is optional.	Example: `appcpature.exe /new MyApp /d "This package contains the MyApp application."`
/s <source_vhd_filepath>	Update an existing (already captured) application by using the captured application's `.vhd` file as the source. This argument is optional. Note: Do not use this argument when capturing a new application. To see the usage of /s, see Update an App Volumes Application	Example: `appcapture.exe /new MyApp_update /s C:\Packages\MyApp.vhd` `MyApp_update` - name of the package. `<strong>Note:</strong> This name must be different from the name provided during the initial application capture.</li>` `MyApp.vhd` - existing application package created during the application's initial capture. `The command-line capture program uses this file as the source and creates an updated package (<code>MyApp_update.vhd</code>).</li>`
/o output_dir	Customize the location of the output files created in a capture session by specifying the path to the directory where the files must be saved. This argument is optional. By default, the output files are located at `\AppCapture\appvhd`, where `AppCapture` is present in one of the subfolders within `C:\ProgramData`. Note: /o can be used only with the following: /new, /meta, /vmdk, /vhd.	Example: `appcapture.exe /new MyApp /o C:\Packages\MyApp_dir` After the capture session, `MyApp_dir` contains `MyApp_workstation.vmdk`, `MyApp.vhd`, and `MyApp.json`.
/novmdk	Prevents the creation of the `.vmdk` format of the application package. This argument is optional and can be used when you need only the `.vhd` format of the application package. By default, after a capture session, the program creates a `.vmdk` file for the captured application. When this argument is provided, the `.vmdk` file is not created.	Example: `appcapture.exe /new MyApp /novmdk` `MyApp.vhd` and `MyApp.json` are created.
/end	Completes the capture session which was started by using /new. When /end is used, the machine reboots and the command-line capture program automatically restarts. This completes the capture process. `.vhd` and `.vmdk` package formats are generated along with the `.json` metadata file. This argument is mandatory. To see the usage of this argument, see Capture an App Volumes Application.	Example: `appcapture.exe /new MyApp ......................... ......................... appcapture.exe /end` By default, `MyApp.vhd`, `MyApp_workstation.vmdk`, and `MyApp.json` are created at `\AppCapture\appvhds` where `AppCapture` is present in one of the subfolders within `C:\ProgramData`.
/noauto	Prevents the program from automatically restarting after a machine reboot. This argument is optional and can be used only with /new and /end. In some scenarios such as during capture completion and at times during application installation, the machine reboots. In either case, the command-line capture program automatically restarts on its own. At times you might want to perform some custom initialization task and prevent the automatic restart of the program. In such cases, you can use the /noauto argument. After the machine reboots, to restart the program and complete the capture session, /resume must be used.	Examples: `appcapture.exe /new MyApp /noauto` `appcapture. exe /end /noauto`
/resume	Resumes the command-line capture program after a machine reboot. This argument is mandatory if you have used the /noauto argument while starting (/new) or ending (/end) a capture session.	Example: `appcapture.exe /new MyApp_test /noauto ................................... ................................... appcapture.exe /resume`
/cancel	Cancels the capture session that was started using /new. The capture session gets cancelled and the machine reboots. It is recommended that you revert to a clean snapshot before you start a new capture session.	Example: `appcapture.exe /new MyApp ......................... ......................... appcapture.exe /cancel`
/test source_vhd_filepath	Tests and validates the captured application using the application's `.vhd` package format. When this argument is used, the program attaches the package to the virtual machine and enables the application bundles in the package for testing. To use the /test parameter, you must revert to a clean snapshot, different from the one used for application capture. To see the usage of this argument, see Test a Captured Application.	Example: `appcapture.exe /test C:\Packages\MyApp.vhd` The application package `MyApp.vhd` is attached to the virtual machine and enabled for testing.
/testend	Ends the test session. If you intend to test and validate another application, then revert to the snapshot taken before you started the test session for this application.	Example: `appcapture.exe /testend`
/list <vhd, vmdk, or json filepath>	Prints the package information.	Example: `appcapture.exe /list C:\Packages\MyApp_workstation.vmdk`
/meta <vhd or vmdk filepath>	Creates a `.json` metadata file for a captured application using the application's `.vmdk` or `.vhd` file as the source. By default, the `.json` file is created in the same path as that of the source.	Examples: `appcapture.exe /meta C:\Packages\MyApp_workstation.vmdk` `MyApp.json` is created at `C:\Packages\`.
/vmdk vhd_filepath	Creates a `.vmdk` file using the application's `.vhd` file as the source.	Example: `appcapture.exe /vmdk C:\Packages\MyApp.vhd` Using `MyApp.vhd` as the source, the program creates `MyApp_workstation.vmdk`. By default, the `.vmdk` file is located at the same path as the `.vhd` file. In the example, `MyApp_workstation.vmdk` is created at `C:\Packages`.
/vhd vmdk_filepath	Creates a dynamic `.vhd` file from a `.vmdk` (monolithic sparse) file as the source Note: If you want to convert a `.vmdk` of an application package, captured using App Volumes Manager, the application package must be converted to a monolithic sparse `.vmdk` and then `appcapture.exe` can be used with the `/vhd` argument.	Example: `appcapture.exe /vhd C:\Packages\MyApp_workstation.vmdk` Using `MyApp_workstation.vmdk` as the source, the program creates `MyApp.vhd`. By default, the `.vhd` file is located at the same path as the `.vmdk` file. In the example, `MyApp.vhd` is created at `C:\Packages`.
/addmeta vhd_filepath	Creates a `.json` metadata file as required by App Volumes to process an MSIX app attach format. Note: Prior to using the /addmeta argument, ensure that the VHD is not already mounted. If the VHD is mounted, you must unmount the VHD and then run the argument. After creating the metadata for the MSIX app attach format, you can copy the `.vhd` and `.json` files to a file share and import the package to App Volumes Manager by following the Import an Application to App Volumes procedure.
/msix root_path	Specifies the location of the unpacked MSIX inside the MSIX app attach format. Note: This argument must be used with /addmeta <vhd_filepath> while creating the `.json` file.	Example: `appcapture.exe /addmeta "C:\VHDs\MyApp.vhd" /msix "WindowsApps\MyApp_1.0.0.0_x64__97zz0k7g87g9t"` A `.json` metadata file is created for the `MyApp.vhd` package, which is an MSIX app attach format. This metadata file is created at `C:\VHDs`. `WindowsApps\MyApp_1.0.0.0_x64__97zz0k7g87g9t` specifies the location of the unpacked MSIX inside the MSIX app attach format.
/msixvmdk vhd_filepath	Converts the MSIX app attach format to `.vmdk` (monolithic sparse). To import the `.vmdk` into App Volumes Manager, you must rename the file to `_workstation.vmdk` and follow the procedure that is similar to importing a `.vmdk` package after capturing an application. For more information, see the What to do next* section in Capture an App Volumes Application.	Example: `appcapture.exe /msixvmdk "C:\VHDs\MyApp.vhd"` Converts `MyApp.vhd` to `.vmdk`.

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Windows Command-Line Arguments for the App Volumes Application Capture Command-Line Program

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