Oct 30 2019 08:56 AM - edited Oct 31 2019 07:28 AM
We are deploying a classic Winforms .exe via MISX. Approximately 20% of the time, the application does not start automatically after an auto update completes. After an update and failed start, we can trigger the application to startup by just typing random text into the Windows search bar. Another way we can trigger it to start is to re-launch the application via the start menu item, but of course two instances will then be running.
We are testing with 5 separate workstations that have Windows 10 1903. I have logging in the Main method of the application in program.cs, so I can see that nothing attempts to execute after the auto update until the user intervenes. This has lead me to believe that there is nothing in the application itself causing the issue, but rather the MSIX framework or a configuration option.
The appinstaller file -
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<AppInstaller Uri="{AppInstallerUri}"
Version="{Version}"
xmlns="<a href="<a href="<a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/appinstaller/2018" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/appinstaller/2018</a>" target="_blank"><a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/appinstaller/2018</a" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/appinstaller/2018</a</a>>" target="_blank"><a href="<a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/appinstaller/2018</a" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/appinstaller/2018</a</a>" target="_blank"><a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/appinstaller/2018</a</a" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/appinstaller/2018</a</a</a>>>">
<MainBundle Name="{Name}"
Version="{Version}"
Publisher="{Publisher}"
Uri="{MainPackageUri}"/>
<UpdateSettings>
<OnLaunch HoursBetweenUpdateChecks="0" ShowPrompt="true" UpdateBlocksActivation="true"/>
<AutomaticBackgroundTask/>
<ForceUpdateFromAnyVersion>true</ForceUpdateFromAnyVersion>
</UpdateSettings>
</AppInstaller>
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Package
xmlns="<a href="<a href="<a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10</a>" target="_blank"><a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10</a" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10</a</a>>" target="_blank"><a href="<a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10</a" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10</a</a>" target="_blank"><a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10</a</a" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10</a</a</a>>>"
xmlns:uap="<a href="<a href="<a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10</a>" target="_blank"><a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10</a" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10</a</a>>" target="_blank"><a href="<a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10</a" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10</a</a>" target="_blank"><a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10</a</a" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10</a</a</a>>>"
xmlns:rescap="<a href="<a href="<a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities</a>" target="_blank"><a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities</a" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities</a</a>>" target="_blank"><a href="<a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities</a" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities</a</a>" target="_blank"><a href="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities</a</a" target="_blank">http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities</a</a</a>>>"
IgnorableNamespaces="uap rescap">
<Identity
Name="IMSPolicy.local"
Publisher="CN=Foo, O=Foo, L=MyTown, S=MyState, C=US"
Version="1.0.14.0" />
<Properties>
<DisplayName>MyApp</DisplayName>
<PublisherDisplayName>FooPublisher</PublisherDisplayName>
<Logo>Images\StoreLogo.png</Logo>
</Properties>
<Dependencies>
<TargetDeviceFamily Name="Windows.Universal" MinVersion="10.0.0.0" MaxVersionTested="10.0.0.0" />
<TargetDeviceFamily Name="Windows.Desktop" MinVersion="10.0.14393.0" MaxVersionTested="10.0.14393.0" />
</Dependencies>
<Resources>
<Resource Language="x-generate"/>
</Resources>
<Applications>
<Application Id="App"
Executable="$targetnametoken$.exe"
EntryPoint="$targetentrypoint$">
<uap:VisualElements
DisplayName="MyApp Dev"
Description="MyApp application package"
BackgroundColor="transparent"
Square150x150Logo="Images\Square150x150Logo.png"
Square44x44Logo="Images\Square44x44Logo.png">
<uap:DefaultTile Wide310x150Logo="Images\Wide310x150Logo.png" Square71x71Logo="Images\SmallTile.png" Square310x310Logo="Images\LargeTile.png"/>
<uap:SplashScreen Image="Images\SplashScreen.png" BackgroundColor="white"/>
</uap:VisualElements>
</Application>
</Applications>
<Capabilities>
<Capability Name="internetClient" />
<rescap:Capability Name="runFullTrust" />
</Capabilities>
</Package>
Oct 25 2021 01:37 AM
Oct 25 2021 02:28 AM
@Lars_Pedersen I'm afraid I don't know how to open a formal support case. Does anyone have any experience with that?
Nov 11 2021 09:16 AM
Nov 16 2021 02:14 PM
Dec 23 2021 04:54 AM
Jan 17 2022 04:58 AM
Jan 19 2022 09:22 AM
Mar 30 2022 08:45 AM
@Roy_MacLachlan Any update? Our customers have been experiencing this same issue ever since we added the MSIX install.
Jul 14 2022 04:40 AM
@Roy_MacLachlan Any updates?
Jul 27 2022 03:16 PM
Hi,
The development team has been unable to re-produce the experience you are describing in this thread, providing the following comment:
Tested app upgrade with appinstaller files. Unable to reproduce described experience.
Steps taken to re-produce experience:
If the problem is still happening please re-open the ticket with both appinstallers and the packages so I can test locally.
Please let me know if the above is helpful, and if possible please share the appinstaller file and MSIX packaged app that is resulting in this negative experience.
Thank you,
Roy MacLachlan
Jul 28 2022 03:02 AM
Jul 28 2022 03:12 AM
Jul 28 2022 03:21 AM
Jul 28 2022 09:56 AM
Hi @MikeH,
I've re-opened the Bug and have included additional information shared by yourself and @Lars_Pedersen regarding this negative experience.
Hopefully they will be able to re-produce and identify the problem.
I appreciate the time taken to provide the descriptive information that has been shared in this post, as it'll help us to find and resolve what is happening. Thank you everyone!
Thanks,
Roy
Aug 11 2022 10:09 AM
Hi @MikeH,
The developer that is working on this is unable to re-create the experience and is asking for a further, more explicit breakdown of steps that re-trigger this experience. Looking at previous comments I do not see an exact list of steps.
Can you or someone following this discussion please provide this?
Thank you,
Roy
Aug 12 2022 02:33 AM
I deploy an MSIX app to a shared folder from where my users will install from.
I have 2 versions, the old .3501 and the new, 3504.
MasterData.appinstaller points to the new version.
I make 2 copies of the .appinstaller file, one called New and the other called Old.
Then I modify the MasterData - Old.appinstaller file to point at an old version (.3501).
It should look like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<AppInstaller
Uri="file://XXX/MasterData/Test/MasterData.appinstaller"
Version="2022.329.1519.3501" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/appinstaller/2018">
<MainBundle
Name="067d1aa7-6a9d-4195-b04c-4dc1f12837c1-test"
Version="2022.329.1519.3501"
Publisher="CN=XXX"
Uri="file://XXX/MasterData/Test/MasterData_2022.329.1519.3501/MasterData_2022.329.1519.3501_x64.msixbundle" />
<UpdateSettings>
<OnLaunch ShowPrompt="true" UpdateBlocksActivation="true"
HoursBetweenUpdateChecks="0" />
<AutomaticBackgroundTask />
<ForceUpdateFromAnyVersion>true</ForceUpdateFromAnyVersion>
</UpdateSettings>
</AppInstaller>
Then I delete MasterData.appinstaller and copy MasterData - Old.appinstaller, and rename it to MasterData.appinstaller.
Then I install the app by clicking MasterData.appinstaller.
Then I close the app.
Now I want to simulate an upgrade of the app.
First I delete MasterData.appinstaller. Then I copy MasterData - New.appinstaller and rename it to MasterData.appinstaller.
Then I go to Windows->Start and run MasterData. The upgrade dialog appears:
I click on Update and the update finishes. The dialog closes, but nothing happens. <- This is the bug.
Then I click on the Windows button, and the upgraded app opens.
Aug 12 2022 03:28 AM
Thanks to Lars for repro steps. @Roy_MacLachlan - to get everyone on the same page, can you find out what exact version of Windows and AppInstaller your developer is using? Let's rule out the possibility that you've already got it fixed in a build we're not using. Or better, ask your dev to come here directly so we can iterate faster?
I haven't tried to repro it lately, but I'll try to get an independent set of repro steps next week.
Aug 12 2022 05:59 AM
Sep 02 2022 03:23 AM
@Roy_MacLachlan any news on this?
Has someone been able to work around this problem? (for example with a custom update process like alluded to here):
https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/msix-docs/issues/59
??
Oct 19 2022 06:31 AM
In case that helps: we have the exact same problem but only on some computers: for some the problem always reproduces, for other it never happens.
That's on the exact same application, so the problem seems to be either on the computer itself or some interaction between the computer and the application.
We have not seen any obvious difference between the computers but we're not sure what to look for.