TMEditX is the licensed and so much more capable tool for fixing up MSIX packages; better than PsfTooling since it doesn’t have to depend on the Microsoft MSIX Packaging Tool to create the final package. [Download_page]
Version 5.5 of TMEditX is released on Jan 12, 2025. It contains the following:
TMEditX:
- PSF: Psf v2025.0.1 (See New Psf v2025.01.02 – Confessions of a Guru). Includes a fix for DynamicLibraryFixup.
- Features: A focus on understanding package dependencies.
- The ‘VCRuntimes tab’, that also covered dependencies is now called ‘Dependencies’ and has 4 sections displayed as sub-tabs: VCRuntimes, The internal AppInstaller, Packaged dependencies, and Other dependencies.
- VC Runtimes are shown, along with a button to remove them. After researching this, I have concluded that while sometimes you could replace with a Packaged Dependency, you probably shouldn’t. So if you remove them you should ensure the latest VC Runtimes are maintained on all systems externally. The configuration option on the tool can control if you automatically remove them when using the default fixes feature.
- Internal AppInstaller is an optional package file that normally is used to add autoupdate capability. Added a detection and display of the file if present, along with a fixup to remove the autoupdate. While there, we also discovered an ability to place additional dependencies in this file. This could be interesting as this version of dependency definition supports designating if you want the 32 or 64 bit version (which we can’t do in the AppXManifest, leading to you getting only the x64 version of things like VCRuntimes). But, unfortunately, these turn out to be less useful as you must host the dependency via a URI reference that you host and is placed in the file. So I don’t recommend it, but highlight it when present.
- Expanded the list of Packaged Dependencies that Microsoft has that could be useful. To be automatically installed when the package is, they must exist in the Microsoft Store and the client must have store visibility. Those we have found in the store have a button to add to the package, but most seem only available via Winget so you’d have add manually externally.
- The Other Dependencies for .Net Frameworks and DotNet Runtimes (the modern ones). We now detect the needs based on exe/dll file content, but it is (currently) up to you to add them to the systems.
- Added new detections for required .Net Runtimes (appears in the unfixable list for visibility). Two forms of detection are used; looking for components of the WindowsAppSDK and at the manifests of dll and exe files.
- Added support for VCRuntime 14.42 detection and upgraded our support for replacing VCRuntime files with package dependencies.
- Feature: Added detection of Run or RunOnce entries in the captured package to note in the unfixable list for visibility.
- Added: Added support for COM Typelibs, ProxyStubs, Interfaces, and CLSIDs that used relative paths (or just filename) in original install (e.g.: AutoDesk TrueView).
- Fix: Prevent stack overflow bug in TMEditX on extremely large packages with tons of COM (Autodesk TrueView).\
- Fix: Prevent multiple entries for Package Dependencies for the same version into the AppXManifest when processing VCRuntime replacements, also a fix for x86 components when x64 is present.
- Fix: Some of the more unusaual capabilities would have an illegal space at the end of the name if you added them to the package. This was fixed.
- Fix: Fix for an app that had arguments to a shortcut (ignored by the MMPT) when the app also already had app extensions. They are now migrated when applying the PSF.
MSIXDeploy:
- Fix: Fixed issue with running this app on a system with Windows 11 24H2. The app would crash on startup. There remains an issue with reading the list of installed MSIX packages from within MSIX, which we are working with Microsoft to resolve. Everything else is working.
- Feature: Added detection of WebView2 dependency in the packages to the graphic listings associated with each MSIX package on the MSIX UNC files display.
- Change: Removed the StateRepository extraction for installed MSIX packages. It wasn’t useful yet and produced clutter.
- Fix: Fix for registration of deploying a CIM package.
Where to get the release
The latest version of TMEditX is found at the following link. TMEditX has a fully functional trial mode that can be used to verify just how good it is.
