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Tguadagno's avatar
Tguadagno
Copper Contributor
Jul 11, 2025

Update-AppxPackage....where is it????

hi, i am trying to update my Microsoft Store Apps using powershell.  Several different sources like this: https://powershellcommands.com/update-windows-store-apps-powershell show simple code like thi...
Windows PowerShell
Tguadagno's avatar
Tguadagno
Copper Contributor
Jul 14, 2025

Lain, thanks for the validation, i am now thinking that this is an AI generated page meant to sell ads.  I think it is hallucinating.  the scary part is that i found this same command on at least 2 other sites....ug

brave new world

 

btw, do you know of any way to command a computer to upgrade Store Apps even for users not logged in?

 

thanks

LainRobertson's avatar
LainRobertson
Silver Contributor
Jul 15, 2025

It's not a scenario I've thought to look at before, and the Appx module is quite basic in nature. I also wouldn't say I'm an expert with MSIX behaviour since I've rarely worked with it.

 

If I were going to look at it, I expect I'd use group policy to deploy a scheduled task that runs perhaps once a day that runs a PowerShell script under the SYSTEM account which:

  • Enumerates all staged packages (i.e Uses Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers);
  • For each unique Name, run Add-AppxPackage -Register to installer the newer version.

 

From memory, MSIX is implemented so that it's "stored" in two locations:

  • A staging area (there two areas: one for apps shipped with Windows and another for those added later from the store or sideloading);
  • In the user profile (i.e. Within %APPDATA%\Packages).

 

So long as any user "updates" (as described in my previous reply) a package, the MSIX engine updates the staging location as well as the user profile location of the user making the Appx call.

 

Other existing users will have to perform their own Appx call to update their own user profile store, while new users will receive the new version from the staging area as part of their user profile creation.

 

What you cannot do - as far as I recall - is update an MSIX app for all users since there's no capacity to call Add-AppxPackage to target a different user. The store experience is based around a per user experience, not per system - as with traditional MSI-based management.

 

Cheers,

Lain

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