Forum Discussion
Updating an MSIX application via SCCM
Hello,
My test scenario:
I have packaged two versions of Mozilla Firefox - 65.0.1.0 and 65.0.2.0 - they both have the same name so when I manually install 65.0.1.0 first and then double click the .msix file for version 65.0.2.0 it will update the current installation of Firefox into new version. That works correct.
Now I put these two packages into my SCCM lab 1902 and I set them as two individual applications. to keep is simple I named them Firefox1 and 2, see picture:
I deployed these two as Available into my test client's Software Center. Test client is a clean machine, so no previous versions of Firefox.
Scenario A: I install firefox1 from SW center - it gets installed successfully and I can run firefox from start menu and see that it is version 65.0.1.0 in help-about
Scenario B: I uninstall firefox1 and install firefox2 from SW center - it gets installed successfully and I can run firefox from start menu and see that it is version 65.0.2.0 in help-about
Up to this point everything works as I expect.
Scenario C: I install firefox1 from SW center to a clean machine, I run firefox and verify the version is 65.0.1.0, then I close it and install firefox2 from SW center. Here I thought what would happen is that when I run firefox it will be version 65.0.2.0 but it is not, it remains as 65.0.1.0. Even after machine reboot and reopening firefox.
Am I wrong to expect that firefox would be updated?
Scenario D: I skip SCCM and instead create .appinstaller file that points to firefox1. I install firefox by double clicking this appinstaller file and firefox installs and version is 65.0.1.0. Then after a while I edit appinstaller file and point it to firefox2. After I reboot the machine, wait a minute and run firefox from start menu, it runs and version is 65.0.2.0. Here happened exactly what I wanted from Scenario 3.
Am I doing something wrong with SCCM or why doesn't scenario C work? My hope is that I update firefox via SCCM and users will not lose their settings (which means I don't want to uninstall older and install newer, but just apply an update)
Thanks a lot for every reply.
15 Replies
In SCCM, I would use a different approach to the upgrade. I would add the new version as a new Deployment Type of the original application, and reorder them such that the new version is a higher priority (lower priority number). If everyone gets the upgrade, you can remove the old DT, although I'd tend to want to wait a while before the removal.
Tim
Tim Mangan You are correct Tim, it worked with your approach, thanks!
I tested two scenarios here, first is that Firefox is not running when update is being deployed - then it worked fine and Firefox is updated.
Second scenario I tried is that Firefox is running during the update deployment - in that case deployment is successful, but Firefox is still displayed as older version when I re-open it (or reboot machine). Shouldn't it update the blocks in the background even when the app is running?
michalkala123 And by the way, to your original issue. I think you can deploy the upgrade as a separate application, but you need to remember to also assign the original application to an uninstall job. While MSIX knows that packages are related, SCCM doesn't and likely wants to reinstall the original. But the DT method I think is easier and more straightforward.
