Creating MSIX installer, not working

Question

Creating MSIX installer, not working

Srikanth Krish 1

I have Visual studio 2019 pro, and building a UWP for side loading targeting a windows 10 IoT enterprise. My Dev system is a win 10 enterprise.

when i attempt to create an msix package of my app following (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/msix/package/packaging-uwp-apps) i end up with a .appx installer instead.

Win App store is disabled in my org and the only way i can distribute an app internally is via MSI or MSIX installer.

I have searched for answers on google but all results keep pointing me towards the above linked doc.

Is there some additional configuration to the Visual studio that i am missing ? Any help is appreciated.

Anonymous

2020-07-14T03:14:13.247+00:00

What do you mean by not working? If you are following the document to create a sideload package, the Visual Studio generates a msixbundle file that could be directly installed. I'm confused about this -'a .appx installer'? How do you mean you created an .appx installer file?
Srikanth Krish 1 Reputation point

2020-07-14T03:53:24.873+00:00
Hey Roy,

Thanks for answering.

The files created by visual studio are:

Add-AppDevPackage.ps1 Add-AppDevPackage.resources Dependencies/ Install.ps1 app_1.0.0.0_x86_Debug.appx app_1.0.0.0_x86_Debug.appxsym app_1.0.0.0_x86_Debug.cer

I am expecting an MSIX extension installer file here instead of the .appx file that VS created.
Anonymous

2020-07-14T05:49:29.263+00:00

Could you please tell me what's the detailed steps about the packaging process? Because if I followed the document, the Visual Studio will generate the msix file or the msixbundle file.
What's the version of the Visual Studio you are using?
Srikanth Krish 1 Reputation point

2020-07-14T11:58:13.233+00:00

Honestly, did not do any different than what the doc said, right clicked the project name -> publish -> create app packages -> followed the instructions on the screen after that.

I tried this for Release and Debug targets had the same results with both.

I am running a win os build 17134 on my dev system
APP Target min version: 15063
APP Target Version: 17134
VS 2019 Pro Version: 16.3.1
Anonymous

2020-07-15T03:09:34.747+00:00

Please try to set both target version and min version to 17763. If the target version and min version is lower than 17763, the VS will generate appx file and appxbundle file.
But please note both appx and appxbundle file could be sideloaded.
Srikanth Krish 1 Reputation point

2020-07-15T12:33:33.29+00:00

ok, I feared that could have been a reason.

The Org IT controls the win update, and they have cleared only up to 17134.

The issue is that we use a third party software Matrix42 for application management on our devices, it seems to be only able to handle msi or msix installers.

Do you know if MSIX and Appx are compatible ?
Anonymous

2020-07-16T03:37:56.003+00:00

I don't know about the third party software. In general, both msix and appx could be directly installed by double click. You might need to check if the third party software could manage appx file as well.