How to force update of Windows Store Apps without launching the Store App?

Question

_{Monday, April 25, 2016 10:00 PM}

I am using MDT to deploy Windows 10 (v1511).

In my task sequence:

• I install some desktop software (Office 2016)
• I de-provision some store apps (Mail, Calendar, Phone, etc.)
• I install all available Windows Updates.

When deployment is complete, the computer is up-to-date, right?  No.  Launching the Store and checking for updates reveals updates available for nearly every remaining Windows Store App (including the store itself).

How can I force the installation of all available updates for Windows Store Apps using PowerShell or a command line tool?

Whatever the answer is, I'll add that procedure to the task sequence to ensure all the Windows Apps are up-to-date when deployment is complete.

Thank you.

-Tony

All replies (9)

_{Wednesday, April 27, 2016 11:50 PM ✅Answered | 5 votes}

I think I found a way:

$namespaceName = "root\cimv2\mdm\dmmap"
$className = "MDM_EnterpriseModernAppManagement_AppManagement01"
$wmiObj = Get-WmiObject -Namespace $namespaceName -Class $className
$result = $wmiObj.UpdateScanMethod()

This seems to be the equivalent of clicking "Check for Updates" and "Update All" in the Store App.  However, it doesn't wait for the updates to complete before returning.  I haven't yet discovered a way to determine when the updates are completed (other than using the Store App).

If someone knows how to do this, please post it.

-Tony

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_{Thursday, April 28, 2016 12:36 AM ✅Answered | 2 votes}

Hello,

There is a scheduled task that runs to update apps.

It's under Windows Update, as Automatic App Update

from schtasks /query

Folder: \Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate                                        TaskName                                 Next Run Time          Status          ======================================== ====================== ===============

Automatic App Update                     4/27/2016 9:53:41 PM   Ready          

Thanks, Darrell Gorter [MSFT] This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

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_{Tuesday, April 26, 2016 4:36 PM}

try this module.

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/heyscriptingguy/2012/11/08/use-a-powershell-module-to-run-windows-update/

Best Sam Please mark as answered if this solves your issue

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_{Wednesday, April 27, 2016 3:03 AM | 1 vote}

Hi Tony,

I didn't find any cmd or PowerShell commands to update Windows Store apps, the workable way is to open the Store update page, then click the update from there.

Dism commands only available to remoe or add the package, in this case, we at least need to new app package. But currently there is no methods I could find out to get the new app packages

For MDM, it have the app update function:

Enterprise app management

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/mt228170(v=vs.85).aspx#update_your_apps

Regards

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help, and unmark the answers if they provide no help. If you have feedback for TechNet Support, contact tnmff@microsoft.com.

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_{Wednesday, April 27, 2016 8:35 PM}

try this module.

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/heyscriptingguy/2012/11/08/use-a-powershell-module-to-run-windows-update/

This is a cool module, but it provides cmdlets to install Windows Updates.  This has nothing to do with Windows Store Apps and, therefore, doesn't update them.

-Tony

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_{Wednesday, April 27, 2016 8:44 PM}

I didn't find any cmd or PowerShell commands to update Windows Store apps, the workable way is to open the Store update page, then click the update from there.

Darn.  When automating the deployment of 1,000+ desktops, manually launching the Store App and checking for updates manually is not feasible.

For MDM, it have the app update function:

Enterprise app management

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/mt228170(v=vs.85).aspx#update_your_apps

This look promising.  How do I use that bit of XML to initiate the update?

-Tony

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_{Friday, May 31, 2019 6:47 PM | 1 vote}

Powershell Set-ExecutionPolicy ByPass
Powershell .\UpdateModerApps.ps1

Put this snipet in a ps script, UpdateModerApps.ps1.  Works great

Get-CimInstance -Namespace "Root\cimv2\mdm\dmmap" -ClassName "MDM_EnterpriseModernAppManagement_AppManagement01" | Invoke-CimMethod -MethodName UpdateScanMethod

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_{Monday, November 18, 2019 9:17 AM}

Would it be also somehow possible to achieve in Win 8.1 Home?

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_{Thursday, January 9, 2020 5:12 PM}

Tony,

Did you ever figure out a solution to this? I am wanting to achieve the same results.

Thanks,

Justin