MSIX is the new packaging format to create new packages. It is aviable on Windows 10 v1809 and later. According to Microsoft packaging has never been easier. In this tutorial I will create a Paint.Net 4.1.5 package on a dedicated Hyper-V Virtual Machine. The package will be deployed with PowerShell.

The order:

  1. Prepare the packaging client
    • At least Windows 10 v1809

    • Participate in the Windows Insider Program
      Windows Insider Program

    • Install the MSIX Packaging Tool from the Windows Store:
      MSIX Packaging Tool

  2. Create a self signed certificate to sign the MSIX package. 
    You can do that with PowerShell
    $CurrentDir     = Split-Path -parent $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Definition
$CertName       = $CurrentDir + "\Test.pfx"
$PassWord       = "P@ssw0rd"
$HashedPassWord = ConvertTo-SecureString -String $PassWord -Force -AsPlainText
$Org            = "CN=Contoso1"
$FriendlyName   = "Test certificate"
$ExpDate        = "01-01-2030 00:00:00"
 
New-SelfSignedCertificate -Type Custom -Subject $Org -KeyUsage DigitalSignature -FriendlyName $FriendlyName -NotAfter $ExpDate -CertStoreLocation "Cert:\LocalMachine\My"
 
$TP = Get-ChildItem cert: -Recurse |Where-Object{$_.FriendlyName -match $FriendlyName} |Select-Object -ExpandProperty Thumbprint
 
Export-PfxCertificate -Cert Cert:\LocalMachine\My\$TP -FilePath $CertName -Password $HashedPassWord
Remove-Item Cert:\LocalMachine\My\$TP​




  3. Prepare the packaging virtual machine
    You can choose from:
  4. Capture the Paint.Net 4.1.5 installation
  5. Revert the VM to a clean state
  6. Install the Paint.Net package with PowerShell

Capture the installation

Start the MSIX packaging tool and click on Create your app package​

Description Picture
Start the MSIX packaging tool and click on Create your app package
Browse to the installer...
... and select the installer.
Click [Next]
Select the VM you want to use to perform the installation on.
Enter the login details.
Wait while the VM is prepared.
Enter the package details. Once done, click [Next]
Please wait while the package driver is installed on the VM. It can take a long time. 
Disable the services you do not need.
Click [Next]
Click [Next]
Disable the automatic update function.
Click [Next]
Once installed, do not start the application.
Click [Next]
Start the application from here.
The changes are still captured.
 
Once started, close the application.
Click [Next]
Click [Move on]
Save the 'raw' version in the correct folder. So you always have a raw version before performing the clean up.
Click [Create]
Click [Close]
Now we are starting the cleanup and assigning the certificate to it.
Open the package
Open the 'raw' package.
Open the package.
Specify the certificate (pfx file)
Enter the certificate details.
Perform the cleanup.
And we are sure that we want to delete an entry.
Go to the package files...
... and delete all unneeded files.
Save the cleaned up package
 
Close.

Install the MSIX package

Revert the machine to a clean state.

Before you can install the MSIX package you have to install the certificate that you created earlier.

$CurrentDir     = Split-Path -parent $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Definition
$CertName       = $CurrentDir + "\Test.pfx"
$PassWord       = "P@ssw0rd"
$HashedPassWord = ConvertTo-SecureString -String $PassWord -Force -AsPlainText
 
Import-PfxCertificate -FilePath $CertName -CertStoreLocation Cert:\LocalMachine\Root -Password $HashedPassWord

In the certificate manager:

 

Description Picture
Start the certificate manager to import a certificate.
Browse to pfx file.
Enter the password.
Add the certificate to the Trusted Root Certification Authorities.
Click [Finish]
Click [Ok]
Start Settings -> Updates and Security -> For Developpers.
Enable sideload apps.
Click [Close]
Install the application with powershell.
The progress bar....
Start the application via the Start Menu
The application has been started successfully