Windows 10: Windows 10 - Unable to uninstall app - installed using a .appinstaller / .msix form last week

Hi All,Somehow our app got corrupted on Windows 10 in a few user machines and it is not allowing us to uninstall/install/update via the below options1. Settings2. Power Shell Remove Package CommandIt displays the error message as belowWe couldn't uninstall OnlineApplication Life+CRM The operation did not complete successfully. Try again in a bit.The error code is 0x80073cfa, in case you need it.

:)

 

Appinstaller cannot install msix package depending on windows version

Our Appinstaller which downloads an msix through a URI gives the following error on certain windows version:

The MSIX is published on a static web page hosted in IIS on a Windows Server 2019 version 1809 - OS Build 17763.5576.

Some tests on different OS/Build version on the "clients" give the following results

• Windows 10 21H2 - OS Build 19044.1288: appinstaller works
  
• Windows 10 22H2 - OS Build 19045.2006: appinstaller works
  
• Windows 10 22H2 - OS Build 19045.4046: appinstaller does not work
  
• Windows 10 22H2 - OS Build 19045.4170: appinstaller does not work
  

When testing on a Windows server version with a lower OS Build (17763.4851), the appinstaller does work on all Windows 10 builds.

Also installing the MSIX itself (without Appinstaller and the auto update feature) also woks on on all Windows 10 builds.

It seems the problem depends on a combination of the Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019 build version.

When googling on the errorcode 0x80072F8F, you will find many different causes, but nothing that can explain why one Aappinstaller works on the same Windows machine and the other does not. I have tested/verified the most common problems

• No issues with not-synced time zones
  
• Windows store restore
  
• Certificate issues: tried hosting the appinstaller/msix package on the static web page unsecure and updated the uri's in the appinstaller to http.
  

Some more information about the error itself.

Tried installing it via powershell

Anyone has any idea what might cause this behavior?

 

Appinstaller not working

The appinstaller only works with appx it dosent work for msix packages

 

Why has the ms-appinstaller protocol been disabled?

We deploy our software in MSIX format and use the ms-appinstaller protocol to provide a one click install & configure link to our customers.

The link uses the documented format ms-appinstaller:?source=<download uri to msix>&activationUri=<configuration parameters>

This has been working well in Windows 10 22H1 and Windows 11.

The protocol appears to have been disabled without any announcement from Microsoft since 13th December 2023.

The app installer shows reason: "The ms-appinstaller protocol has been disabled. Please ask the vendor to update the weblink."

Why has this feature been disabled & when will it be restored?