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MSIX Packaging Tool (Preview) is now available from the Microsoft Store

jvintzel's avatar
jvintzel
Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
Jul 25, 2018

We are happy to announce that MSIX Packaging Tool (Preview) is now available to from the Microsoft Store. MSIX Packaging Tool enables you to update your existing win32 application packages to the MSIX format. You can run your desktop installers through this tool and obtain an MSIX package that you can install on your machine and upload to the Microsoft Store (coming soon).

Prerequisites:

  • Participation in Windows Insider fast or slow rings
  • Minimum Windows 10 Build 17701 or later
  • Administrator privileges on your PC account
  • A valid MSA alias (to access the app from the Store)

 

To install MSIX Packaging Tool from Microsoft Store, go here, making sure you are logged in with the MSA that is used for your Windows Insider Program. Next, go to the product description page and click the Install icon to begin the installation.

 

Remember, this a preview and not all features are supported. Here is what you can expect to be able to do with this preview:
 

  • Package your favorite application(msi, exe, App-V 5.x and to MSIX format by launching the tool and selecting "Application package" icon.
  • Create a modification package for a newly created Application MSIX Package by launching the tool and selecting "Modification package" icon. More detail on modification packages coming shortly.
  • Open your MSIX package to view and edit its content/properties by navigating to "Open package editor" tab and browsing to the MSIX package and selecting open package.

Features not supported in the tool are currently greyed out. Here are some of highlighted missing features: 

 

  • Some options in the Settings page, such as adding or removing VFS/VREG and defining a default save location.
  • Package Support Framework See [link] for more detail on how you can use Package Support Framework today.
  • Packaging on existing virtual machines. You can still install the Tool on a fresh VM but the tool cannot currently spawn off a conversion from a local machine to an existing VM.
  • Command Line Interface support
  • Conversion of App-V 4.6 SP3 packages

The app is automatically update from the Microsoft Store.  More features will be available in August as we update the MSIX Packaging Tool (Preview).

 

How to file feedback:

Launch the MSIX Packaging Tool and select the Settings (gear) icon, then select Feedback. You will be redirected to Feedback Hub where you can file feedback for suggestions or problems and see other feedback items and upvote as necessary.  

 

Here are some things to keep in mind:

  • When Packaging ClickOnce installers it is necessary to send a shortcut to desktop if the installer is not doing so already. In general, it is good practice to always remember to send a shortcut to desktop for the main app executable.
  • When creating modification packages, you need to declare the Package Name (Identity Name) of the parent application in the tool UI so that the tool sets the correct package dependency in the manifest of the modification package.
  • Declaring an installation location field in Package information page is optional but recommended. Make sure that this path matches the installation location of application Installer.
  • Performing the preparation steps in Prepare Computer page is optional but highly recommended.

Blog Credit:  Peyman Zanjani, Program Manager, Microsoft

 

 

 

Updated Mar 03, 2022
Version 9.0
MSIX
  • Peitao Su's avatar
    Peitao Su
    Copper Contributor
    Aug 03, 2018

    How will MSIX support per user registry/file? I can see the packaging tool captures per user registry changes and save to User.dat and UserClasses.dat hive files. Seems these per user registry can be read by application after launched.

  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Jul 26, 2018
    If I try to sign the sign the MSIX Package with my Self Signed PFX it fails: [7/26/2018 12:46:08 PM] [Debug] About to start process [7/26/2018 12:46:08 PM] [Debug] - File name: signtool.exe [7/26/2018 12:46:08 PM] [Debug] - Arguments: sign /a /v /fd SHA256 /f "C:\Users\hcadmin\Desktop\MSIX\Sumatra.pfx" "C:\Users\hcadmin\Desktop\MSIX\SumatraPDF-3.1.2-install.msix" [7/26/2018 12:46:08 PM] [Error] signtool.exe failed, exit code = 1 [7/26/2018 12:46:08 PM] [Error] Error occured: Microsoft.Packaging.SDKUtils.ProcessRunner.ProcessRunnerException: Process signtool.exe failed with exit code 1. at Microsoft.Packaging.SDKUtils.ProcessRunner.ProcessRunnerBase.ValidateExitCode() at MsixGenerator.MsixPackageGenerator.RunSignTool(String packagePath, String certificatePath) at MsixGenerator.MsixPackageGenerator.FinalizePackage(CancellationTokenSource cancellationTokenSource) at MsixPackagingTool.ViewModel.Common.ViewModelBase.CreatePackage(Object sender, DoWorkEventArgs doWorkEventArgs) at System.ComponentModel.BackgroundWorker.OnDoWork(DoWorkEventArgs e) at System.ComponentModel.BackgroundWorker.WorkerThreadStart(Object argument) The Problem is that I cannot enter the password for the PFX Certificate in the Wizard, Please fix this,
  • manish k's avatar
    manish k
    Copper Contributor
    Aug 03, 2018

    Hi Team,

     

    When using the MSIX packaging tool on VM, encountered an error while creating a package with installation of MSIX packaging tool driver, following is the log details. 

    Can anybody provide a fix to this?

     

    [03/08/2018 08:05:25] [Info] ----------------Prepare Computer View----------------
    [03/08/2018 08:05:25] [Info] Required prepare computer task: MSIX Packaging Tool Driver
    [03/08/2018 08:05:26] [Info] Optional prepare computer task: Windows Search is active
    [03/08/2018 08:05:26] [Info] Optional prepare computer task: Windows Update is active
    [03/08/2018 08:05:26] [Info] Checking if MSIX Packaging Tool Driver is installed...
    [03/08/2018 08:05:26] [Debug] About to start process
    [03/08/2018 08:05:26] [Debug] - File name: dism.exe
    [03/08/2018 08:05:26] [Debug] - Arguments: /online /add-capability /capabilityname:Msix.PackagingTool.Driver~~~~0.0.1.0
    [03/08/2018 08:05:33] [Error] dism.exe failed, exit code = -2146498224
    [03/08/2018 08:05:33] [Error] Error Occured Process dism.exe failed with exit code -2146498224.
    [03/08/2018 08:05:33] [Error] Stack Trace at Microsoft.Packaging.SDKUtils.ProcessRunner.ProcessRunnerBase.ValidateExitCode()
    at MsixGenerator.LocalOrRemoteExecution.PrepareComputerLocalOrRemoteSession.<>c.<FODInstallationAsync>b__3_0()
    [03/08/2018 08:05:33] [Error] Failed to install MSIX Packaging Tool Driver.
    [03/08/2018 08:05:33] [Error] Error occured: Microsoft.Packaging.SDKUtils.ProcessRunner.ProcessRunnerException: Process dism.exe failed with exit code -2146498224.
    at MsixGenerator.LocalOrRemoteExecution.PrepareComputerLocalOrRemoteSession.<>c.<FODInstallationAsync>b__3_0()
    at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Execute()
    --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
    at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
    at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
    at MsixGenerator.LocalOrRemoteExecution.PrepareComputerLocalOrRemoteSession.<FODInstallationAsync>d__3.MoveNext()
    --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
    at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
    at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
    at MsixPackagingTool.Model.ApplicationPackageWorkflow.PrepareComputerModel.<FixRequiredPrepareComputerTasks>d__4.MoveNext()
    --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
    at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
    at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
    at MsixPackagingTool.ViewModel.ApplicationPackageWorkflow.PrepareComputerViewModel.<RequiredPrepareComputerTasksMethod>d__21.MoveNext()

  • Sangamesh Gouri's avatar
    Sangamesh Gouri
    Copper Contributor
    Aug 06, 2018

     How User.dat and userclass.dat files are used in  the MSIX package installation as these files were not present in Appx package. How these files are different as compared to Registry.dat file ?

  • Jeroen de Jong's avatar
    Jeroen de Jong
    Copper Contributor
    Aug 17, 2018

    I had the same issue with the MSIX Packaging Tool Driver; but after a Windows update it started working.

  • Bogdan Mitrache's avatar
    Bogdan Mitrache
    Steel Contributor
    Jul 26, 2018

    Our insider account is a work account (i.e. @company.onmicrosoft.com....). After I login with this work account in the store we still cannot see the tool available when searching for "MSIX". 

     

    Aren't work MSAs good for accessing the app in the store?

  • jvintzel's avatar
    jvintzel
    Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
    Jul 26, 2018

    Bogdan, does the link in the blog post work to access the app?  I think the search was not fully populated is the issue still occurring?

     

    Michael, Thanks for the feedback.  The app is still in preview and some functionality is still limited or incomplete.  We should have this polished up in an upcoming update.  In the interim you can run signtool directly to sign the package.

  • Sangamesh Gouri's avatar
    Sangamesh Gouri
    Copper Contributor
    Aug 06, 2018

    Hi  John,

     

    is there any plan in the future  to support Appx to MSIX conversion using MSIX Packaging tool.

     

    Thanks,

    Sangamesh

  • xiaojie xu's avatar
    xiaojie xu
    Copper Contributor
    Aug 14, 2018

    Hi John，

    I also meet the problem that failed to dism.exe to install "MSIX Packaging Tool Driver" , is there any source path of "MSIX Packaging Tool Driver" so i can manually dism or other solution?

     

    Thanks,

    Alex