We can all agree that adopting new technology is not easy. In effect, it can be stressful for everyone.

In a previous article we had a look on how Environment Variables work with MSIX. We now know that in MSIX, Environment Variables are redefined as AppExecutionAlias.

Up until 2020, Windows Services were not supported in MSIX -- which represented a blocker for organizations looking to transition their applications (that used Windows Services) to MSIX technology.

In 2018, Microsoft delivered a breakthrough packaging technology to enable a flawless application packaging process, including enhanced features to help IT Pros and Developers carry out updates and customizations in a more reliable way.

Scripts have been traditionally used by ISVs to add Custom Actions to their applications and make changes to the environment. They have been present in MSI and App-V packaging formats for ages, while for MSIX, they were introduced and supported about a year after Microsoft announced the MSIX release.

A firewall is a network security system that can be found on any modern operating system. It's purpose is to act as a barrier against network-based intrusions, to monitor and control incoming and outgoing traffic following an organization's predetermined security rules.

There are situations when you have to know the difference between expense and investment. Within the packaging industry, we know that it is definitely not cheap to package all applications in your organization respecting all quality standards.

Microsoft recently came out with an MSIX-related packaging format called the MSIX Bundle, which includes safer and more reliable deployments as well as auto-updates and improved widespread support - which makes our life easier as application packagers.

Managing an infrastructure doesn’t only require updating software, creating OS deployments, or applying GPOs (Group Policy Object).

MSIX packages are installed by default per-user, and the option to provision per-machine MSIX applications is possible through SCCM - which is not yet available in Task Sequences.

If you missed out on our previous blog articles about MSIX, make sure to check out this comprehensive guide to get insights about the technology and the changes it brings to the industry. To continue understanding the different tools and best practices MSIX has, this article will go into the MSIX Packaging Tool. We discuss what it is, how it works, and finally, we will show a side by side comparison using our free Advanced Installer Express edition.

Environment variables are settings or paths that are set outside of a program and can be globally accessed by any software.

With App-V packages closing to end-of-life (2026), the reality of a transition to MSIX is much closer and many are starting to research the ins and outs of what it entails. Although we now know that MSIX is not an update to MSI, but a completely new technology, there are still some correlations that we'd like to address.

Starting with version 17.3, Advanced Installer natively supports Device Guard Signing. This feature is of most use for the vendors to prepare their software product installers to be used in enterprise environments.

When building a new version of an installation package, you should pay attention not only to adding improvements but also ensuring a seamless upgrade to the old version.

If you have ever wondered how fonts are installed in an MSIX package or if you want to master all MSIX concepts, you landed on the perfect page. In the following article, we’ll see how to add and register fonts so your package will be more impactful.

On a recent post, we explored how MSIX deployments are done via SCCM, covering the scenario when a per-user installation is needed.

For the past 10+ years, I have worked with various projects and types of organizations as an Application Packager. During that time, I have witnessed some "elementary" mistakes that could have been easily avoided by having a clear understanding of the end-to-end application packaging process.

Recently, in one of our previous articles, we covered how MSIX redirects user data to specific locations.

To help with the MSIX transition, Microsoft has released the Package Support Framework (PSF) - an open-source framework that enables you to apply runtime fixups for issues that might appear when migrating legacy applications that you don’t have the source code for.