windows-itpro-docs/windows/application-management/msix-app-packaging-tool-walkthrough.md

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title	description	keywords	ms.prod	ms.mktglfcycl	ms.sitesec	ms.localizationpriority	ms.author	ms.topic	ms.date
Learn how to repackage your existing win32 applications to the MSIX format. This walkthrough provides in-depth detail on how the MSIX app packaging tool can be used.	Learn how to use the MSIX packaging tool with this in-depth walkthrough.	MSIX application app win32 packaging tool	w10	manage	library	medium	mikeblodge	article	08/027/2018

MSIX Packaging tool walkthrough

Learn how to repackage your legacy win32 application installers to MSIX, without the need for making code changes to your apps. The MSIX Packaging Tool allows you to modernize your app to take adavantage of Microsoft Store or Microsoft Store for Business to deploy apps on Windows 10 in S mode.

Terminology

Term	Definition
MPT	MSIX Packaging Tool. An enterprise grade tool that allows to package apps in the enterprise easily as MSIX without app code changes.
PSF	Package Support Framework. An open source framework to allow the packaging tool and the IT Admin to apply targeted fixes to the app in order to bypass some of the modern environment constrains. Some fixes will be added automatically by the tool and some will be added manually.
Modification Package	MSIX package to stores app preferences/settings and add-ins, decoupled from the main package.
Installer	Application installer can be an MSI, EXE, App-V , ClickOnce.
Project template file	Template file that saves the settings and parameters used for a certain package conversion. Information captured in the template includes general Tooling packaging options, settings in the options menus like exclusion lists, package deployment settings, application install location, package manifest information like Package Family Name, publisher, version and package properties like capabilities and advanced enterprise features.

Creating an Application package

When the tool is first launched, you will be prompted to provide consent to sending telemtry data. It's important to note that the diagnostic data you share only comes from the app and is never used to identify or contact you. This just helps us fix things faster for you.

Creating an Application package is the most commonly used option. This is where you will create an MSIX package from an installer, or by manual installation of application payload.

• If an installer is being used, browse to and select the desired application installer and click Next.
  • This field accepts a valid existing file path.
  • The field can be empty if you are manually packaging.
• If there is no installer (manual packaging) click Next.

Optionally

• Check the box under "Use Existing MSIX Package", browse, and select an existing MSIX package you'd like to update.
• Check the box under "Use installer Preferences" and enter the desired argument in the provided field. This field accepts any string.

Packaging method

• Select the packaging environment by selecting one of the radio buttons:
  • "Create package on an existing virtual machine" if you plan to do the package creation on a VM. Click Next. (You will be presented with user and password fields to provide credentials for the VM if there are any).
  • "Create package on this computer" if you plan to package the application on the current machine where the tool is installed. Click Next.

Create package on this computer

You've selected to package your application on the current machine where the tool is installed. Nice job! Provide the information pertaining to the app. The tool will try to auto-fill these fields based on the information available from the installer. You will always have a choice to update the entries as needed. If the field as an asterisk*, it's required, but you already knew that. Inline help is provided if the entry is not valid.

• Package name:
  • Required and corresponds to package identity Name in the manifest to describe the contents of the package.
  • Must match the Name subject information of the certificate used to sign a package.
  • Is not shown to the end user.
  • Is case-sensitive and cannot have a space.
  • Can accept string between 3 and 50 characters in length that consists of alpha-numeric, period, and dash characters.
  • Cannot end with a period and be one of these: "CON", "PRN", "AUX", "NUL", "COM1", "COM2", "COM3", "COM4", "COM5", "COM6", "COM7", "COM8", "COM9", "LPT1", "LPT2", "LPT3", "LPT4", "LPT5", "LPT6", "LPT7", "LPT8", and "LPT9."
• Package display name:
  • Required and corresponds to package in the manifest to display a friendly package name to the user, in start menu and settings pages.
  • Field accepts A string between 1 and 256 characters in length and is localizable.
• Publisher name
  • Required and corresponds to package that describes the publisher information.
  • The Publisher attribute must match the publisher subject information of the certificate used to sign a package.
  • This field accepts a string between 1 and 8192 characters in length that fits the regular expression of a distinguished name : "(CN | L | O | OU | E | C | S | STREET | T | G | I | SN | DC | SERIALNUMBER | Description | PostalCode | POBox | Phone | X21Address | dnQualifier | (OID.(0 | [1-9][0-9])(.(0 | [1-9][0-9]))+))=(([^,+="<>#;])+ | ".")(, ((CN | L | O | OU | E | C | S | STREET | T | G | I | SN | DC | SERIALNUMBER | Description | PostalCode | POBox | Phone | X21Address | dnQualifier | (OID.(0 | [1-9][0-9])(.(0 | [1-9][0-9]))+))=(([^,+="<>#;])+ | ".")))*".
• Publisher display name
  • Reuqired and corresponds to package in the manifest to display a friendly publisher name to the user, in App installer and settings pages.
  • Field accepts A string between 1 and 256 characters in length and is localizable.
• Version
  • Required and corresponds to package in the manifest to describe the The version number of the package.
  • This field accepts a version string in quad notation, "Major.Minor.Build.Revision".
• Install location
  • This is the location that the installer is going to copy the application payload to (usually Programs Files folder).
  • This field is optional but recommended.
  • Browse to and select a folder path.
  • Make sure this filed matches Installers Install location while you go through the application install operation.

Prepare computer

• You are provided with options to prepare the computer for packaging.
• MSIX Packaging Tool Driver is required and the tool will automatically try to enable it if it is not enabled.

  Note

  MSIX Packaging tool driver monitors the system to capture the changes that an installer is making on the system which allows MSIX Packaging Tool to create a package based on those changes.

  • The tool will first check with DISM to see if the driver is installed.
• [Optional] Check the box for “Windows Search is Active” and select “disable selected” if you choose to disable the search service.
  • This is not required, only recommended.
  • Once disabled, the tool will update the status field to “disabled”
• [Optional] Check the box for “Windows Update is Active” and select “disable selected” if you choose to disable the Update service.
  • This is not required, only recommended.
  • Once disabled, the tool will update the status field to “disabled”
• “Pending reboot” checkbox is disabled by default. You'll need to manually restart the machine and then launch the tool again if you are prompted that pending operations need a reboot.
  • This not required, only recommended. When you're done preparing the machine, click Next.

Installation

• This is installation phase where the tool is monitoring and capturing the application install operations.
• If you've provided an installer, the tool will launch the installer and you'll need to go through the installer wizard to install the application.
  • Make sure the installation path matches what was defined earlier in the package information page.
  • You'll need to create a shortcut in desktop for the newly installed application.
  • Once you're done with the application installation wizard, make sure you finish or close on the installation wizard.
  • If you need to run multiple installers you can do that manually at this point.
  • If the app needs other pre-reqs, you need to install them now.
  • If the application needs .Net 3.5/20, add the optional feature to Windows.
• If installer was not provided, manually copy the application binaries to the install location that you've defined earlier in package information.
• When you've completed installing the application, click Next.

Manage first launch tasks

• This page shows application executables that the tool captured.
• We recommended launching the application at least once to capture any first launch tasks.
• If there are multiple applications, check the box that corresponds to the main entry point.
• If you don't see the application .exe here, manually browse to and run it.
• Click Next

You'll be prompted with a pop up asking for confirmation that you're finished with application installation and managing first launch tasks.

• If you're done, click Yes, move on.
• If you're not done, click No, I'm not done. You'll be taken back to the last page to where you can launch applications, install or copy other files, and dlls/executables.

Package support report

• Here you'll have a chance to add PSF runtime fixes that might be applicable to the application. (not supported in preview)
  • The tool will make some suggestions and apply fixes that it thinks are applicable.
  • You'll have the opportunity to add, remove or edit PSF runtime fixes
  • You can see a list of PSFs provided by the community from Github.
  • You'll also see a packaging report on this page. The report will call out noteworthy items for example:
    • If certain restricted capabilities like allowElevation is added
    • If certain files were excluded from the package.
    • Etc Once done, click Next.

Create package

• Provide a location to save the MSIX package.
• By default, packages are saved in local app data folder.
• You can define the default save location in Settings menu.
• If you'd like to continue to edit the content and properties of the package before saving the MSIX package, you can select “Package editor” and be taken to package editor.
• If you prefer to sign the package with a pre-made certificate for testing, browse to and select the certificate.
• Click Create to create the MSIX package.

You'll be presented with the pop up when the package is created. This pop up will include the name, publisher, and save location of the newly created package. You can close this pop up and get redirected to the welcome page. You can also select package editor to see and modify the package content and properties.