HOWTO: use HP ALM 12 with Windows 8 / IE10

HP QualityCenter/ALM is normally run through InternetExplorer (as it doesn't work in any other browser). However if you are using a recent version of IE, your (not completely recent) HP ALM installation may simply refuse to work.

This howto assumes that you have admin privileges on your PC and that you know how to use a cmd.exe.

INSTAL ALM Explorer (i.e. ALM standalone):

ALM can be run in an IE independent window using ALM Explorer 'Add-In'. Go to

https://hpln.hp.com/page/hp-alm-explorer-add

Search the "Downloads" section and download the "Add-in". Be sure to download the version that matches your ALM release!

This will install the folder

C:\Program Files (x86)\HP\HP ALM Explorer xx.xx\

RUN ALM standalone:

The client side installer does not create shortcut or Start menu entries. So you will need to do that yourself. Also most users have problems unless they run ALM-Explorer as adminstrator.

Open the HP ALM Explorer xx.yy folder in windows explorer and create a shortcut to HP-ALM-Explorer on your desktop.
Right click on the shortcut icon, select Advanced...->Run as administrator.
Double click the shortcut, enter your server address including http[s]: and qcbin and click Go.

If you get a warning that capicom.dll is missing, go to the next section.

If you get the warning Main application process failed to start, you may have data from a newer or older version. Delete the following folder:

C:\Users\YOUR_LOGIN_NAME\AppData\Local\HP\ALM-Client

AppData is a hidden folder, so make sure you have Show hidden files enabled.

INSTALL capicom.dll:

If ALM-Explorer complains about missing capicom.dll then

Download the capicom installer from http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=25281

Open a cmd.exe as administrator.

Goto Start->All Programs->Accessories
right click Command Prompt
choose Run as admnistrator

Install capicom into a temporary folder:

msiexec /a Downloads\capicom_dc_sdk.msi /qb TARGETDIR=c:\CAPITMP

Copy capicom.dll from c:\CAPITMP\PFiles\... to C:\Windows\SysWOW64

regsvr32 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\capicom.dll

Delete the temp install folder c:\CAPITMP

Now quit and restart ALM-Explorer and try to access the server again (this SHOULD work without a reboot).

(c) joachim(et)buechse.ch. This description is in the public domain.
(tm) QualityCenter and ALM are trademarks of Hewlet Packard.