Forum Discussion
Msix packaging tool update
While I cannot speak for Microsoft, here is what I think...
Microsoft has interest in improving their packaging tool. But I don't believe they seek to make it the best tool out there. There are third party tools today, that either augment or replace this tool, and these allow you to create pretty good MSIX packages. I think Microsoft is happy with this situation.
From my conversations with Microsoft, I do believe that they are interested in hearing about specific things you need in that tool that you cannot get elsewhere. You should both raise such items here AND provide feedback through your TAM if you want action.
Hi Tim. I understand what you're saying about the packaging tool. The same was true when Microsoft released the MSI format. I was working for Seagate Software at the time, who provided the WinINSTALL LE free tool which was on the Server 2000 CD. It did the job but still required a fairly deep knowledge of MSI to extract the best from it. So having worked as a packager for almost 30 years now I guess I have higher expectations than most when it comes to new technologies. And like a lot of my peers I am quite disappointed by MSIX so far. MS released a lot of their flagship products in MSI in 2000. Call me cynical, but I can't see that happening anytime soon with MSIX...
Things have gotten much better with the right tools. See MSIX Report Card for 2025 on how we are doing on that front in repackaging vendor MSIs and Exes into MSIX. And for devs, new development using the .Net 8+ stuff is pretty good as it is built to run in the MSIX container already.
But in helping devs with older apps move to the new installer, Microsoft has not provided the help devs need to adapt to the new runtime. I can usually repackage their installers to work, but they don't know how to build one in VS/Code. I have hope that Microsoft has heard this message and will take some new action to help going forward, but we need to see the effort.
Tim
