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uvinabeysinghe's avatar
uvinabeysinghe
Copper Contributor
Oct 21, 2020

Registry keys created after installation and left behind after uninstallation.

Hello, When we install an application using the MSIX package we created using the MSIX packaging tool, certain registry keys are created. Once we uninstall the application, some of the registry keys...
MSIX
Registry Keys
URI activation
uvinabeysinghe's avatar
uvinabeysinghe
Copper Contributor
Oct 26, 2020

Hi Bogdan Mitrache , TIMOTHY_MANGAN 

As for additional details, we have created “myapp_setup.exe” which we converted to “myapp.msix”. When we install “myapp_setup.exe”, we create below registry keys for supporting the URI protocol “myapp-name://“ . The MSIX packaging tool monitors this and includes the appropriate steps in the MSIX installer.
 

 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\myapp-name]
@="URL:myapp-name"
"URL Protocol"=""
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\myapp-name\shell]
@="open"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\myapp-name\shell\open]
@=""
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\myapp-name\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\Users\\username\\Applications\\MyApp\\MyAppName.exe\""​

 


The MSIX packaging tool sees these registry keys getting created and adds the corresponding app manifest entry in the MSIX package to support the URI protocol. Since the registry keys are not required in the MSIX package, is there a way to make these keys not get created when MSIX package is installed?

Thank you,
Uvin
TIMOTHY_MANGAN's avatar
TIMOTHY_MANGAN
MVP
Oct 26, 2020

uvinabeysinghe The MSIX Packaging tool contains a package editor (available after the manifest is created but just before you save the package) where cleanup of this kind could be performed.  Why do you feel the need to remove the entries?

 

I would recommend against cleaning up those entries unless you find that they are actually causing you a problem..

 

The registry entries inside the package are contained in the application hive and are not visible externally. They would not be used at all in most cases, but there are situations where keeping these inside the package may be necessary. 

  • These involve interference by forces outside of the package alter the external protocol handler entries.
  • Workflows (that do not exist yet but presumably will someday) that allow for using this package as a base for something. In App-V we have package upgrade scenarios that rely on having the original captured components intact, as well as external package enhancement tools that rely on the underlying registry entries to be present.
  • Converters to something new (there is always eventually something new to convert to) may need those entries similarly.
  • uvinabeysinghe's avatar
    uvinabeysinghe
    Copper Contributor
    Oct 27, 2020

    TIMOTHY_MANGAN 

    Hi,

    The registry keys listed in the above reply are created to support URI scheme in the desktop app installer. MSIX package converter correctly interprets these keys and adds the required AppManifest entry to support URI scheme in the MSIX package.

    Based on the discussion in https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/msix-packaging-and-tools/adding-uri-activation-to-appxmanifest-xml/m-p/1704851#M870 , our understanding is that only the AppManifest entries are required to support the URI scheme in MSIX and registry keys are not required.

    > The registry entries inside the package are contained in the application hive and are not visible externally.

    The registry entries the MSIX package creates are visible externally using RegEdit under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\myapp-name.

    Is there a way to make these registry keys not get created when the MSIX package is used to install our App?

    Thanks,
    Uvin

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