Glad I could help. Be sure to check out my other videos.

Glad it was helpful!

That is awesome!

I appreciate the kind words.

Glad it was helpful!

You are welcome.

I am glad my explanations are clear.

Thanks!

You are welcome.

Hi Sir, I published wpf app using MSIX packaging. App is interacting with sqlite database. When I removed databases interaction related logic from app it works fine. But when I try to add databases interaction logic then app gets crash. In fact when I add Microsoft.EntityFramworkCore.Sqlite and related NuGet packages and try to publish app, It doesn't open. Why this is happening. If you guide me it will be great help.

Thanks, and noted!

Consider if our application use a database and it is necessary to make a small change in the database schema, eg. add a field in a table. Is it possible to deploy also a SQL script to update the database schema together the application exe?

Thank you!

Glad I could help!

My pleasure!

I will add it to the list. Thanks for the suggestion.

@@IAmTimCorey Thanks for the great video - created an installer for a friend's UWP app using your instructions here. I also attempted to deploy the files to a web server as you suggested but there is more to that than meets the eye. I got the HTML file and appinstaller file to reflect the URL but IIS would not return the files (other than the INDEX.HTML file) even after getting all the mime types configured in the web.config file. I am currently stuck trying to get some support from my hosting provider. It would be really helpful if you could walk thru the intricacies of deploying to the web because the MS doco just glosses over it like it should be automatic. One other question regarding this video, I attempted to target the user desktop using the environment variables available to locate each users unique desktop path (\desktop). It worked great on my PC but I couldn't replicate that success on any other PC when placing the directory with all the output files in the package on their desktops. Any ideas why that falls apart with an error can't find file? That said I really want the web to work as that is the best way to go with the most reach to remote folks.

Yep, that is a nice option. I did cover that in another video I believe.

I will add it to the list. Thanks for the suggestion.

Another option is to check out my video on Squirrel. It does not need admin rights to install applications.

@@IAmTimCorey Really?!! PROPS, Bigg Tim, I'll check it out pronto!

You are most welcome.

Thank you!

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks!

Thank you!

You are welcome!

You are welcome.

You are welcome.

Thanks for sharing and for watching the video.

Glad it was helpful!

Yep, that's a good one.

You are welcome.

Happy to help!

고마워, 형제!

[English] Thank you very much!!! I'll give you like, comment and subscribe. Bro!

Yes sir!

I'm not sure if you can do that with the basic MSIX installer. You might need to go custom on that one.

@@IAmTimCorey so the same project type won't work for that ? Any other options, tool on Microsoft stack ?

Look into Advanced Installer or other 3rd party MSI tools.

You are welcome.

I did find an option to do this for anyone interested. Not quite as simple as I was hoping, but it's possible. techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-dev-appconsult/msix-how-to-copy-data-outside-the-installation-folder-during-the/ba-p/1133602

Thank you!

Good to know.

I will add it to the list. Thanks for the suggestion. As for its relevance, it is still relevant but only to a select few people since it is a UI-specific tool that is mostly just for display changes.

No you do not. The installer needs to have the ability to completely uninstall the app so it retains control over what gets installed where. It is all installed inside of a sandbox.

That is a good possibility.

I haven't completed this for MSIX yet. I just did something similar in TimCo with just the self-contained EXE file.

I don't believe so. Sorry.

An MSIX installer does not need admin rights to install. That means your users should be able to install it without an issue (unless there is a group policy specifically stopping it). As for the follow-up, yep, that is on the list. Thanks for the suggestion.

Identify what the file is. There may be a limitation on size or it might be an invalid file type. The error message should give you more information.

Glad you liked it!

It only supports .NET Core because it has to do a self-contained installation where it bundles .NET Core with the application so that it does not have to depend on the client machine to have .NET Core. The MSIX installer works on Windows 10 natively and will work on Windows 7 and beyond if you install the MSIX Core package (a one-time install). You cannot install items on the client machine that might remain after the package is uninstalled so you cannot install SQL Server Express or anything similar. It is a sandboxed installation.

@@IAmTimCorey ok thanks for the info and great tutorial

IAmTimCorey what about SQLite ? My app uses that. How will a version update NOT touch a users database? Also, how do alter the DB if I NEED to? Thanks!!

Hello?

Noted, added to the list.

@@IAmTimCorey Thank you so much sir.

@@IAmTimCorey Hey Tim thanks, can u share video link to create setup with database scenario.

It downloads just what it needs to update the application (at the block level) to be as efficient as possible: docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/msix/desktop/managing-your-msix-deployment-update

Unless you are packaging a UWP application, you have to have runFullTrust since that is the only way WPF or WinForms operates. Here is an article with more information: docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/appconsult/a-simpler-and-faster-way-to-publish-your-desktop-bridge-applications-on-the-microsoft-store

You don't really do either of those. Now, with SQL you just put the connection string in the appsettings.json file and you are set. It won't deploy SQL but that isn't traditionally how you deploy SQL. Traditionally, SQL is in place and you just point to it with your connection string. If you need additional control over your installation, you would need to create an MSI installer or similar.

Both installers have their place. It depends on your scenario. MSIX cannot touch the GAC or registry because it wants to have a clean uninstall. The only way to do that is to be self-contained.

It is possible to do that, yes. You can put that updates folder in a web-accessible location to distribute your updates.

@@IAmTimCorey Thank You for the clarification Tim.. Have a great day :)

No, if you are going to install a SQL Server database, you would use a different process. Probably I would recommend using a DevOps pipeline (CI/CD). I demo that in the TimCo Retail Manager series. You typically don't install a SQL database for desktop applications, though. You typically have one central database that all of the desktop applications use.

This way updates the application. There isn't a way to uninstall fully and then install a new, fresh version.

@@IAmTimCorey thank you so much for your help!

Actually, because MSIX wants to have a clean uninstall, the entire application must be self-contained (not use the GAC or registry, for example). It also then cannot install .NET Core or expect it to already be there. So, it bundles .NET Core with your installation. That means that you can use your MSIX that contains a .NET Core 3.1 project in it on any Windows 10 machine (or any machine Windows 7 or greater if they installed MSIX Core).

For MSIX? Not really, no. I am planning on doing a video covering creating NuGet packages with CI/CD, though.

Noted, added to the suggested topics list, thanks.

Yes, it can. I don't have any demos showing that off, though.

That's not one of the things a MSIX is designed to do.

Not sure why that happened. Sorry.

I don't believe so with MSIX. You would need a more customizable installer system for that.

Not sure but this page might help you diagnose it: docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/msix/packaging-tool/tool-known-issues

That's going to be tricky because the goal of MSIX is a sandbox environment, where nothing outside the sandbox gets changed (no registry, no dependency installation, no GAC, etc.) Your best bet would be to include the files as content files in your project.

@@IAmTimCorey Thank you for taking the time to respond. I think I forgot about that, this installer is really just like getting an app from the Microsoft Store.

Are they marked as included with the project?

@@IAmTimCorey I figured it out. I have the images marked as Content instead of Resource.

That is possible, but I don't have a demo showing off how to do it.

I might be late but I ran into the same issue. When I looked in the Eventmanager I had an error stating that CoreCLR encountered a problem. After some hours of reading I found out that there was a bug with the windows application publishing project that was fixed in the version 16.10.4 of visual studio 2019. If someone encounters that problem, too, try updating your VS Version :)

Squirrel is not dead (it almost died but was revived). As for MSIX, no it does not allow you to choose your installation location. Installers are going away from this because doing so means that uninstalling your application might leave artifacts behind.

@@IAmTimCorey In the words of Magic Max it is "mostly dead". ;) As for my question, I used the wrong word. Not installation location but deployment location or install-from location. I have spend the last 2 days implementing MSIX for one of my apps and I answered my own question: yes you can change the location after the package has been built. All thanks to your great video!

With the installer? No. Later through your application itself? Yes, that is possible.

No, I don't believe you can do that.

That's not really what MSIX does. It is designed to be installed as a Windows App. Custom installation locations are more for MSI installers. MSIX installers are meant to be self-contained and easy to uninstall. That means a central installation location.

@@IAmTimCorey 👌 ok

I touched on this in the video. Microsoft is enabling sideloading by default on newer updates of Windows 10. So if your users have an updated copy of Windows 10 (meaning they have automatic updates turned on), they should not have a problem. Some corporate policies, though, disable sideloading. In that case you would need to enable it.

Correct. If you use a certificate from a known and trusted provider, you will not need the user to do anything (that is the typical path). This won't be free. Typically certificates cost $80+ for applications. However, if you are building a commercial product or building an app for an employer, this shouldn't be an issue.

@@IAmTimCorey thanks for the help

You need a code signing certificate. If you have a code signing service, you might already have something like that in place.

@@IAmTimCorey Thanks Tim!

You need to change your image path to be the location of the app. It isn't in System32, so I'm guessing that the relative path is set incorrectly or you are using the wrong one.

It sounds like you have a configuration issue in Visual Studio. It should be able to do it (VS2019, right?)

Yes, VS 2019 Community

Not really. Custom Actions can only be executed before the app is opened or when it’s closed. It cannot be placed in the install sequence. Scripts executions are added to the config.json file. -from www.advancedinstaller.com/msix-limitations.html

@@IAmTimCorey Thanks alot. will go through..

This isn't how you add support for MSIX in your Visual Studio.

Ok, fine then how is it added? Confused. I thought it would be configured in it already.

The video is on my list but it isn't done yet. Not sure of a release date yet. I'll add those suggestions to the list.

@@IAmTimCorey Appreciate that. Also is there a way to allow friends, testers etc to download for free.