I have a problem with a Windows 8.1 app that I want to deploy by sideloading.
I installed InstallShield premier to test it's feature, and generated an installation package that contains appx file and a test certificate file created by visual studio (associated in installshield project properties).
I need to enable app distribution in group policy settings to install.
After app correctly installs on system, i found it in start menu, but when i try to run the app, windows shows a popup that says "there is a problem with this app, contact administrator".
Target system is a Windows 8.1 Pro 32 bit PC.
Id there any other settings that I must enable on target system before install the app with InstallShield?
Thanks
There are multiple requirements for sideloading to work, documented on technet, which I've summarized here:
Activate the sideloading product key on the device OR join the device to an Active Directory domain (except for certain embedded devices which do not require either of these).
Enable the Allow all trusted applications to install Group Policy setting.
Since you don't mention it, I'm going to guess that your machine has neither the sideloading product key nor a domain membership (nor is it one of the special embedded cases), so that's where I'd start.
For more troubleshooting ideas, see some blogs like Sideloading Store Apps to Windows 8.1 Devices or How Do I Deploy a Windows 8 App to Another Device for Testing?
Related
I am working with the infrastructure team on deploying a Windows 10 Universal app and running into some roadblocks. They are currently requesting a release version application that does not require a developer license to install. They are using SCCM, a tool that I am not familiar with, and are only being presented with OS requirements of Windows 10 Mobile (not Windows 10 (x86), (x64)) and are on hold until I solve the developer license issue.
Here is what I have done:
Create appx bundle via Visual Studio 2015 Professional
I chose that it will NOT be uploaded to the store
Used x86 and x64 in release mode for the configuration
License used from a domain CA for code signing and appears to work
Enabled "Allow all trusted apps to install" in local GP editor (my dev device)
Enabled sideloading in settings/update & security/for developers
When running the Powershell script, I am greeted with "Before installing this app, you need to do the following: - Acquire a developer license" and then it does some administrator prompting and cannot acquire a developer license.
If I put the device in developer mode, the script runs flawlessly and the application runs as expected.
Am I missing something that is causing me to require a developer license? Does it have anything to do with the package folder ending in _Test? It is the only output that it creates.
If I can provide any additional information, let me know. Thank you!
OK... I finally figured it out. It was nothing to do with the configuration or the app packaging. It was the Visual Studio 2015 generated PowerShell script that was requiring the developer license (Developer Mode). If I simply ran my own Add-AppxPackage PathToAppxBundle in PowerShell, it installed without certificate or developer prompt in Sideload mode. Note that the certificate is already installed via group policy in my case.
I wrote a App for my family/friends and now we would like deploy it on or PCs. Publishing it in the store is not an option and not everyone has an Widows Live account. Sideloading isn't an option, because we do not own a Enterprise edition.
I found only the three already described ways. Either by publishing it in the store, using the development tools or having the enterprise edition.
Is there a fourth way to deploy a Windows UWP App without using the Windows Store or the need to install a developer certificate? If not, is there a possibility that something similar will be possible in the future?
The Windows 10 Deployment Tool looks like the thing I'm looking for, but i seems to be for mobile phones, or am i wrong?
The future is now! The process is easier on Windows 10 and the linked questions aren't relevant to that version. On Windows 10 users can enable developer mode or side loading in system settings on the "Update & security" page, in the for developers section.
See https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/dn706236.aspx
now with Windows 10 Anniversary update, you could just double click *.appxbundle file to install
Steps:
create your package, select no, when prompt "Do you want to build packages to upload to Windows Store?"
go to the package folder, double click *.cer, and install the certificate to Trusted Root Certification Authorities
double click *.appxbundle to install
Client OS Requirement: Win10 14393
UWP Target SDK: 14393
UWP Min SDK: 14393
On the target device, open the test folder. For example, C:\Projects\MyApp\MyApp\AppPackages\MyApp_1.0.2.0_Test
Right-click on the Add-AppDevPackage.ps1 file, then choose Run with PowerShell and follow the prompts.
Click the Start button and then type the name of your app to launch it.
I have an installation setup created by LE instalshield under VS2012. This setup.exe installs the application, registers some DLLs and activeX files and adds some registry entries as pointers to the location of an SQL server database. This application is to be run by all the users in a group policy created by the IT of their institution. The installation is done under the full administration privileges.
If the UAC of the win 7 is not fully lowered, some DLLs and OCXs are not registered (although the required registry keys are written in the MACHINE area of the registry without any problem!). So in order to avoid this I have to manually lower the UAC to its lowest level before running the Setup.exe. This solves the problem with the registration of DLLs.
But sometimes even though the installed program works for the installed login, it does not work for other logins within the same group/users. So how can I create a setup.exe under LEinstallshield that would 1) not require manual lowering of UAC, 2) install for all users under the same group policy?
Thank you for all your help.
You should be asking why your installer isn't compatible with UAC instead of asking how to disable UAC. If you are authoring a clean MSI using the registry tables (COM extraction) instead of using COM self-reg or other custom actions, it should just work.
I am trying to install Remote Tools on a Surface RT running Windows 8.1 preview. I downloaded update 2 of remote tools from Microsoft's site and when I try to run it I get the error:
Windows cannot verify the digital signature for this file. A recent hardware or software change might have installed a file that is signed incorrectly or damaged, or that might be malicious software from an unknown source.
This is confusing because I downloaded the file directly from MS website and when I look at the .exe properties it says digital signatures by Microsoft Corporation.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Update: It seems like my Microsoft Root Authority certificate is "not valid for the selected purposes" I've tried exporting a "good" certificate from another machine and importing it into the Surface machine but it still gives the same issue.
This is because your downloading the 2012 tools. You can download the 2013 preview tools here at the following link! (Be sure to choose ARM)
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40781
Would have been nice if Microsoft had given us a heads up.
Also, when I go to the 2013 download on my Surface RT running 8.1 preview, and I click on Download, no matter which option I pick (x86, x64, or ARM) it downloads the x86 version, which obviously won't work. I had to download it on a PC and copy it over using a USB drive.
This problem exists on the released version of 8.1 too.
If you previously had the vs2012 tools installed, they appear to be uninstalled during the upgrade.
Attempting to reinstall gives the above error.
That means, it's now impossible to connect to the 8.1 Surface RT from VS2012 Pro to debug an 8.0 app running on 8.1. Instead, you need to connect with the VS2013 tools and remote debugger.
For anyone who is just trying to test their App updates a surface device running Windows 8.1 RTM, I have at least found a workaround.
You can manually deploy your package to your device by coping the package content to a USB memory stick and running a already defined powershell deployment script.
Basically you need to run the normal package creation process you would do to deploy to the app store to create a package, then copy the contents of the package folder (Not the compress package itself) to your USB stick. There should be a file named Add-AppDevPackage.ps1 in this folder.
Open your USB device from your Surface RT system, right click the Add-AppDevPackage.ps1 file and select "Run with powershell". You will receive several confirmation prompts at the command line and a popup window prompting you to run with admin privileges.
This is by no means a convenient or speedy process but it worked for my purposes.
This link has more detailed information on manually deploying your app package.
I'm developing a Windows Mobile application for internal company use, using the Windows Mobile 6 Professional SDK. Same old story: I've developed and tested on the emulator and all is well, but as soon as I deploy to advice I get an UnauthorizedAccessException when writing files or creating directories.
I'm aware that an application installed to a device needs to be signed but I'm running into roadblocks at every turn:
Using the project properties 'Devices' window I select 'Sign the project output with this certificate, and choose one of the sample certificates from the SDK. This results in a build error: "The signer's certificate is not valid for signing" when running SignTool.
If I try to run SignTool.exe from the commandline, I get an error telling me to run SignTool.exe from a location in the system's PATH.
I can't use the 'Signing' tab in the Project Properties to create a test certificate - this is greyed out (presumably for WinMobile projects?).
If at all possible, I would like to avoid having to go through Versign or the like to get a Mobile2Market certificate. If I have to go this route for a final version that's fine, but I need to at least be able to test the app on real devices.
Any advice would be most welcome!
First, make sure you really do need to sign it (you might be able to adjust the device security model).
If you do, then run signtool.exe, but from a Visual Studio command prompt. The easiest way to get there is fromt he Start menu, select Microsoft Visual Studio 2008->Visual Studio Tools->Visual Studio 2008 Command Prompt. This will set up all the proper pathing for you.