When using the Self-Service 2.0 plug-in in a roaming profile environment, during each logon, applications fail to synchronize automatically. Users must force application synchronization by using the settings and Refresh Applications option.

Note: Profile caching was not in use in the environment.

To resolve the issue, exclude the directory AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Program Files from the roaming profile because it is a junction or a symbolic link and is not required to be copied to the profile. 

Problem Cause

Running a process monitor at logon reveals that the SelfService.exe is trying to create a file in the following directory:
AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Program Files

Writing of this file is essential for the synchronization of the applications. But, the creation of this file is denied. Therefore, it interrupts the Self Service process and thus the Citrix Receiver application icon fails to populate correctly.

Application synchronization

Subscribed resources follow users from one computer with the Windows operating system to the other so that they need not repeatedly make the same changes each time they use a different computer with the Windows operating system. When a user adds, removes, renames, or moves a resource in a store with application synchronization enabled, details of the change are recorded in the store. Subsequently, whenever the user accesses the store from a different device running Citrix Receiver with the Citrix Self-service Plug-in for Windows, the same changes are automatically applied to the new device. This feature requires Delivery Services.

Refer to the Knowledge Center article CTX124932 – How to Configure Dazzle for Use with XenDesktop and Provisioning Services for more information.