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Install Windows Mixed Reality in offline environments and WSUS

  • Article
  • Applies to:
    Windows 10 and Windows 11

Windows Mixed Reality was introduced in Windows 10 as a Windows Feature on Demand (FOD). Features on Demand are Windows feature packages that can be added at any time. When a Windows client needs a new feature, it can request the feature package from Windows Update.

Organizations and businesses that operate in offline environments or use Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) must take action to enable Windows Mixed Reality. Alternatively, any organization that wants to prohibit use of Windows Mixed Reality can block the installation of the Mixed Reality Portal.

Enable Windows Mixed Reality in offline environments and WSUS

  1. Check your version of Windows.

    Note

    You must be on at least Windows 10, version 20H2, or newer to run Windows Mixed Reality.

  2. The Windows Mixed Reality FOD file is downloaded from Windows Update. To reach Windows Update, select the Start button, then select Settings > Windows Update. Select Check for updates and if updates are available, install them.

    If access to Windows Update is blocked, you must manually install the Windows Mixed Reality FOD.

    1. Download the FOD .CAB file that matches the version of Windows you're currently running:

    2. Rename the FOD .CAB file to: Microsoft-Windows-Holographic-Desktop-FOD-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~.cab.

    3. Open PowerShell and run the following Dism command to add the Windows Mixed Reality FOD package to your Windows image.

      Dism /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath: (FOD package path)

    4. Open Settings > Windows Update, then select Check for updates.

IT admins can also create a remote feature file or side-by-side store to allow access to the Windows Mixed Reality FOD package.

Download the latest Windows Mixed Reality device driver

Like the FOD package, the Windows Mixed Reality device driver is downloaded from Windows Update. To reach Windows Update, select the Start button, then select Settings > Windows Update. Select Check for updates and if updates are available, install them.

If access to Windows Update is blocked, you must manually install and update to the latest Windows Mixed Reality device driver: 10.0.19041.2054.

  1. Fully connect your Windows Mixed Reality device to your PC.

  2. Open Device Manager by right clicking the Start button, then selecting Device Manager.

  3. Under the category Mixed reality devices, locate your device and right click on it, then select Update driver.

  4. Select Browse my computer for driver software, then select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.

  5. Select Have Disk > Browse... and then navigate to the path you have the device driver package saved, then select OK.

  6. The list of device drivers will now be filtered to a single driver. Select Next to finish installing the updated device driver.

Block the Mixed Reality Portal

You can use the AppLocker configuration service provider (CSP) to block the Mixed Reality Portal software.

In the following example, the Id can be any generated GUID and the Name can be any name you choose. BinaryName="*" allows you to block any app executable in the Mixed Reality Portal package. Binary/VersionRange, as shown in the example, will block all versions of the Mixed Reality Portal app.

<SyncML xmlns="SYNCML:SYNCML1.2">
    <SyncBody>
        <Add>
            <CmdID>$CmdID$</CmdID>
            <Item>
                <Target>
                    <LocURI>./Vendor/MSFT/PolicyManager/My/ApplicationManagement/ApplicationRestrictions</LocURI>
                </Target>
                <Meta>
                    <Format xmlns="syncml:metinf">chr</Format>
                    <Type xmlns="syncml:metinf">text/plain</Type>
                </Meta>
                <Data>
                  <RuleCollection Type="Appx" EnforcementMode="Enabled">
                   <FilePublisherRule Id="a9e18c21-ff8f-43cf-b9fc-db40eed693ba" Name="(Default Rule) All signed packaged apps" Description="Allows members of the Everyone group to run packaged apps that are signed." UserOrGroupSid="S-1-1-0" Action="Allow">
                    <Conditions>
                      <FilePublisherCondition PublisherName="*" ProductName="*" BinaryName="*">
                        <BinaryVersionRange LowSection="0.0.0.0" HighSection="*" />
                      </FilePublisherCondition>
                    </Conditions>
                  </FilePublisherRule>
                  <FilePublisherRule Id="d26da4e7-0b01-484d-a8d3-d5b5341b2d55" Name="Block Mixed Reality Portal" Description="" UserOrGroupSid="S-1-1-0" Action="Deny">
                   <Conditions>
                     <FilePublisherCondition PublisherName="CN=Microsoft Windows, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US" ProductName="Microsoft.Windows.HolographicFirstRun" BinaryName="*">
                      <BinaryVersionRange LowSection="*" HighSection="*" />
                      </FilePublisherCondition>
                    </Conditions>
                  </FilePublisherRule>
                 </RuleCollection>>
                </Data>
            </Item>
        </Add>
        <Final/>
    </SyncBody>
</SyncML>