MSIX - Biggest Update for Windows Installer

Written by Bogdan Mitrache · March 26th, 2018

What is MSIX?

Create a single package for all Windows platforms, the promise of MSIX, Microsoft’s vision for the future of Windows Installer. MSIX is a complete containerization solution which inherits all the great features in UWP and most importantly, it applies to all Win32, WPF, Windows Forms, and UWP applications.

The new MSIX package format is practically a major improvement (in progress) of the current APPX format, which you can try now using the latest version of Advanced Installer and our support for the Desktop Bridge.

What’s Next?

Being just the start, MSI packages may very well be supported for at least a few more years on Windows 10. However, by looking on the GitHub repo of MSIX, there are some hints that Microsoft envisions a future where MSIX not only replaces the MSI but also creates a package format which cross-platform Microsoft applications can recognize and use on any platform (iOS, Android, MacOS, and Linux).

Microsoft Partnership

Our commitment to improving the platform led us to build the Express edition, released in partnership with Microsoft. Watch Kevin Gallo, VP at Microsoft, announcing it in the following video.

This edition extends the Desktop Bridge platform from Microsoft. It is designed to help developers and IT professionals easily migrate an application to APPX format, the first step for getting to an MSIX package in the near future, while still building your MSI packages for the Windows 7 users.

Licensed User?

If you have a Professional or higher license, you already have access to all these features and even more, just go to the Builds page and add a UWP MSIX build to your project then start testing.

Application Packager?

If you are a user of our Architect edition, you can open any project for the apps you repackaged and simply go to Builds page to generate your MSIX build, along your MSI build, just as a developer would do. You don't have to convert the package all over again.