I cannot figure this out. I just want to publish/deploy a hello world simple WinUI 3 app. Before I publish my real app (I tried to publish my full app, but I thought maybe there was something wrong with it, so I created a very small test app, just so I could test the publish/deployment process). I apologize for the rambling question. I am throwing out a life-line. My raft is sinking. I was so excited to build something with WinUI 3, I love all the new controls and things you can do. But I can't share the app with anyone, so they can test it. :-(. I cannot publish to the Microsoft Store. The company does not allow download from the Microsoft Store. I have been working on publishing a winui 3 app for a month.
I have tried all the different ways to publish 'click once', 'produce single file', 'Enable ReadToRun compilation', etc. The app I have developed needs to run on managed pc's, the users don't have visual studio installed, the users can't turn on developer mode, I can't side load. I created a certificate, I had a user install the certificate to the trusted root location. Still, the app will not deploy. I am exhausted from trying. I have copious notes on my attempts to publish/deploy. I have been able to successfully 'publish' the app via visual studio, but no one can install it on their pc.
I have tried to read all of the documentation (there is SO MUCH, WHY IS THERE SO MUCH? Why is this so hard? (rhetorical, I know): There is more this is only a partial list:
- Prepare to package a desktop application
- Sideload line of business (LOB) apps in Windows client devices
- Distribute your packaged desktop app
- Tutorial—Build and deploy a non-MSIX-packaged app that uses the Windows App SDK
- Deployment overview
- Windows App SDK deployment overview
- Install tools for the Windows App SDK
- Create your first WinUI 3 project
Should I abandon MSIX-packaging? (I like the promise of MSIX packaging 'gives your users an easy way to install, uninstall, and update your app using a modern UI.') My goal today was to try 'Sparse-packaging', and/or 'No Packing', but now I have to read 50 pages of documentation on how to do that. What the heck???? Sinking, sinking, sinking.......
Here is one error that a user gets when attempted to run the msix installer:
x86\resources.pri -IndexName aced8493-b5ac-46df-bc36-02b1fe1bb327 -Verbose -Overwrite
2>An error occurred generating a bootstrapper: Unable to finish updating resource for G:\xxx\Projects\xxx\Application Desktop T3\setup.exe with error 80070005
========== Build: 1 succeeded, 0 failed, 0 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========
========== Publish: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 0 skipped ==========