TMEditX is the licensed and much more capable tool for fixing up MSIX packages since it doesn’t have to depend on the Microsoft MSIX Packaging Tool to create the final package. [Download_page]
To wrap up the end of the year, we have a bevy of new features to improve your packaging! The PSF version remains the same this release (v2023.08.28 from the TimMangan branch).
TMEditX new features
MSIX AppAttach
Added support to convert MSIX packages to all (VHD, VHDX, and CIM) formats for MSIX AppAttach. This is a new sub-tab of the file menu. The previous feature to “save as CIM” has been removed. The implementation for CimFS has been improved to deal with the package signature requirements. See this blog for more details.
Context Menus hiding in ExplorerCommandHandler
Added the detection of, plus a new recommended fixup for applications that register context menus using the Shell key ExplorerCommandHandler instead of the normal ShellExt registration process. These are ignored by the MMPT and require fixing up here. An example of an application that does this is Notepad++ 8.5.7.
Dependency Packages
Added the ability to add certain known Framework packages as a dependency package in the AppXManifest file. This is found on the new VCRuntimes tab. An example of this would be for an application that requires WebView2 to be installed. Dependency packages listed in the AppXManifest file will be automatically installed when the package is installed.
VC Runtime Files
Added the detection and a new fixup to detect the presence of VC Runtime files that can be replaced by a package dependency. The fix would remove the affected VC Runtime dlls from the package and add the appropriate VC Runtime as a dependency in the package AppXManifest. This would allow for easy patching of systems in one place if a CVE was detected and the dependent framework package updated by Microsoft. Due to limitations in the schema, which lacks the ability to specify which architecutre (x86 or x64) is needed, it is unclear if this will work for all packages. Therefore, this fix is listed under the available fixes at this time.
Also added /ReplaceVCRuntimeWithDependency as a command line option for the previously listed feature.
Package Branding
Added a “Branding” option, to allow customers to brand the MSIX packages so that people know that they came from their company. With this setting, which is enabled in the tool configuration options tab, you can request that a customized UI be used whenever someone installs the MSIX package created by this tool when using the Desktop AppInstaller UI. There is a complete blog article outlining this feature and showing how to use it in this post.
MsixDeploy new features
MSIX Deploy is included with TMEditX. It is a tool to quickly test your newly minted packages locally, without having to go to an external deployment platform.
MSIX App Attach
Completed support to locally deploy and remove the AppAttach style packages of VHD, VHDX, and CIM formats. The CIM support previously present was not working due to Microsoft changes, but now we have support to locally test AppAttach packages for all three formats without having to load them into Azure AVD to test. See this blog for more details.
Dependency Packages
Added the display of package dependencies on the UNC Packages and Deployed Packages displays.
Additional Fixes & Changes
- TMEditX: Fix issue that was preventing the PSF to be added to a package that had no applications in the current AppXManifest. We need this to be able to add PsfLauncher to fix missing shortcuts missed by the MMPT, such as shortcuts to documents or URLs.
- TMEditX: Fix issue with analyzing FTAs with no default verb (example: Adobe Reader)
- TMEditX: Fix issue with processing ImageHandler Shell Extension fixup. (ex: AutoDesk Design Review)
- TMEditX: Fix issue with the fixup for converted App-V packages that have empty folders.
- TMEditX: Fix issue with the available fixup for handling additional missing COM items.
- TMEditX: Fix issues with /ApplyAllFixes command line scenario that could cause the command line to pause without saving the package automatically as requested.
- TMEditX: Fix minor issue with display text right after the PSF is applied.
- TMEditX: Also clean-out the backup folder when exiting the tool or starting work on a new package. Previously, only the unpacked folder in the TEMP directory was cleaned up.
