Simple, safe, reliable software installs and uninstalls are always best, but getting there isn’t easy. Applications break each other—or even the operating system itself.
MSIX, Microsoft’s packaging format, is the newest replacement for the decades-old Microsoft Software Installer (MSI) and setup exe installer technologies. MSIX is gaining acceptance and wider adoption because of the benefits it delivers: security, ease of use and reliability in application installations.
MSIX provides a new, modern runtime environment intended to protect both your application(s) and end user systems. Enterprise users prefer the MSIX format because it provides the most appropriate framework to modernize applications; simultaneously reducing IT departments’ workloads when preparing application package(s) for delivery to hundreds or thousands of end users.
As developers who build Windows desktop applications embrace the concept of running code in an MSIX container, understanding certain key concepts can streamline and strengthen their application installation experience.
Running code in an MSIX container can solve common problems encountered by developers coming from non-containerized deployments. This includes products built and delivered as a Win32, .Net Framework or Universal Windows Platform (UWP) packages—or when starting a new project from scratch.
In addition to providing clean installation and uninstall processes, MSIX enables enterprise customization in independent packages via modification packages. It also supports the ability to deploy applications through enterprise tools (e.g., Microsoft Endpoint manager) or to the cloud (Azure Virtual Desktop, MSIX app attach).
MSIX improves upon the more restrictive model of UWP while still running in a container. It allows developers to code in their preferred way (e.g., unmanaged code using Windows Forms, calling the Win32APIs or managed code using XAML and .NET framework versions of the APIs).
Some tactics must be changed to run inside the MSIX container, however. In addition to minimizing work, it facilitates building modern IT ecosystems, deploying apps and updates faster and more frequently and modernizing applications into the new world of containerized packages.
MSIX also supports deploying applications via enterprise tools (e.g., Microsoft Endpoint Manager) or even to the cloud.
By delivering a more streamlined installation experience for users, MSIX offers benefits to customer and end users, including:
MSIX projects require a different approach than what many developers are accustomed to. To provide customers with the best package file(s) possible, consider the following elements as part of the project. Doing so will strengthen additional project activities, project setup, testing and debugging and supported schemas.
While MSIX continues to evolve, so can your projects. The end results will be application packages that not only streamline work for IT departments but also reduce headaches for end users.
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