UWP Info Conversion Designers

[pakrat2k2]

Thanks goes to prudislav for information & files posted here. Thought be better place then in requests topic.

hey do you still have the info for shortcuts for the UWP
games ?

you posted in requests but it got cleaned out, & i didnt have chance to C/P it in notepad for later conversion...

I did read that you can also drag the start menu item for game to desktop & create a shortcut to it on desktop & it will play that way ??

Gonna be a real pain in the ass to figure out how to NOT create desktop shortcut & only start menu item, unless I can implement the info for desktop shortcut for those 3 UWP games.

thanks
hi
drag and dropping from startmenu works but its not really something that can be automated and put to desktop
... so it has to be done the otherway aka using batchscript with launch command conveted to exe ;-)
so parameters i know so far are
Zoo Tycoon: explorer.exe shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.ZooTycoon.136d332137_8w ekyb3d8bbwe!MSTycoon.app
AoE:DEs: explorer.exe shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.MSDallas.136d332137_8we kyb3d8bbwe!App
ForzaHorizon3 explorer.exe shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.OpusPG_8wekyb3d8bbwe!Op usReleaseFinal
ForzaMotorsport7 explorer.exe shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.ApolloBaseGame_8wekyb3d 8bbwe!forzamotorsport7

in general its explorer.exe shell:AppsFolder\APP_FAMILY_NAME!AppId
- AppId is taken from <Application Id> tag from AppxManifest.xml
- APP_FAMILY_NAME is taken rom "PackageFamilyName" you get from Get-AppxPackage powershell comand when the game is installed

As for actuall UWP un/instalaltions ..... you need two powershell commands where the parameter is PackageFullName from Get-AppxPackage
for example
install: Add-AppxPackage -Package "Microsoft.ZooTycoon.136d332137_1.1711.52116.2_x64_ _8wekyb3d8bbwe"
uninstall: Remove-AppxPackage -Package "Microsoft.ZooTycoon.136d332137_1.1711.52116.2_x64_ _8wekyb3d8bbwe"


BTW: Currently i am tryin to code some kind of UWP launcher that just reads the needed info automatically and launches the game based on appmanifest file in the folder, but might take a while

ok fixed commands:

Batch Install: (must be run from root)
powershell -Command "Add-AppxPackage -Register "AppxManifest.xml""


Uninstall:
powershell -Command "get-appxpackage NAME | remove-appxpackage"
NAME = Package.Identity.Name from AppxManifest.xml

Run
explorer.exe shell:AppsFolder\PackageFamilyName!AppId
AppId = Package.Applications.Application.ID from AppxManifest.xml
PackageFamilyName = powershell -Command "get-appxpackage NAME" and its the PackageFamilyName result
(game must be istalled for this command to work)
(NAME is same as above)

In the attachment I created basic universal scripts thar should work for all unpacked UWP apps (Run one needs to be improved ... for example catches if the game is installed or if appmanifest.xml exists or other checks)

So batch should be run from game root folder (where AppxManifest.xml is located)?

So batch should be run from game root folder (where AppxManifest.xml is located)?
if you use the Batch commands specified to selected title like in case of ZooTycoon
powershell -Command "Add-AppxPackage -Register "AppxManifest.xml"" (install)
powershell -Command "get-appxpackage Microsoft.ZooTycoon | remove-appxpackage" (uninstall)
explorer.exe shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.ZooTycoon_8w ekyb3d8bbwe!MSTycoon.app (run)

only install one needs to be in root as it reads AppInfo from AppManifest.xml
From what i read i even should work like that even if in that root is game packed in *.appx (but havent properly tested that)

Personally for desktop shortcut, i will probably just convert the RUN command to exe , add icon to it, put it to root and link deskop shortcut do this new exe

BTW: If you use my universal script , they all read from the file (you can check the code).
Also in attachment i improved the universal RUN script that now checks for appmanifest and if app is installed (with alternative one that autoinstalls when finds that app is not installed)
EDIT 2: added exe forms of the universal scripts (launcher v2 has the autoinstall included)

[prudislav]

Additional note , the above goes mainly for unpacked UWP files (also my launchers)

Packed ones (aka *.appx or *.eappx container) brings some issues, especially the encrypted ones (like forced use of C:\Program Files\WindowsApps folder)
When they are packed the install command should link to the the (e)appx instead ... and the AppManifest.xml file is inside that package.
No clue if the AppManifest.xml is reachable in *.eappx (encrypted one)

Also: UWP Redists .. aka Store, Xbox app and stuff (some people have Win10 without Storeapp)
http://www11.zippyshare.com/v/LjCBTvSq/file.html

[KaktoR]

Would like to know if installing using CIU works now or not?

If i understand correctly, UniUWP_Install.exe and UniUWP_Uninstall.exe should be executed from game directory?

UniUWP_Launcher V2.exe is for what exactly?

[GTX590]

I'm really confused!!
Why not only updating CIU to handle this type of games?
That would be very simple to everybody in FF!!!

[prudislav]

Would like to know if installing using CIU works now or not?

If i understand correctly, UniUWP_Install.exe and UniUWP_Uninstall.exe should be executed from game directory?

UniUWP_Launcher V2.exe is for what exactly?
as you see in the code attached ... the exes require to be in the same folder as appxmanifest.xml as it reads some info from it

Launcher v1 just executes the command o launch the game , base UWP game unsing register command only automatically creates desktop shotcut in start menu and UWP tiles cant be launched directly from exe
... so i just created exe that an launch it, where you can easily change icon and ;-)

Launcher v2(compared to v1) has some checks in place (aka if game is installed (then autoinstalls it) or if launcher is next to appxmanifrst.xml)


I'm really confused!!
Why not only updating CIU to handle this type of games?
That would be very simple to everybody in FF!!!
yeah but thing is for each game you need to to know the exact commands .. that must be executed for install/uninstall/run
Thats why i created the launchers as the simplify things a lot.

Also there is a problem that you can get three types of UWP apps
- extracted (where you can reach appxmanifest and for which launchers are for)
- appx containers ... basically renamed zips ... requires to modifiy the scrips. Cant be automatized but appxmanifest is reacheable to get needed info, cant be installed outside of the WindowsApps folder
- eappx ... encryped appx , scrables filenames , unreachableappxmanifest ... honestly have no clue how to deal with those

[GTX590]

eappx files can be extracted (decrypted) using a command in PowerShell.
Here is an example:
add-appxpackage "F:\Microsoft.SpartaUWP_9.1.0.2_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe. eappx"
In red is the exact path where the file to be decrypted or extracted is!!

[KaktoR]

as you see in the code attached ... the exes require to be in the same folder as appxmanifest.xml as it reads some info from it

This appxmanifest.xml is always on root folder? I ask because i don't have any UWP game (i'm just the script editor :D)

[prudislav]

This appxmanifest.xml is always on root folder? I ask because i don't have any UWP game (i'm just the script editor :D)
when extracted and decrypted , yes

[KaktoR]

Ok.

One last question: Can a game run from desktop shortcut? When target is Launcher V1 or Launcher V2?

[prudislav]

One last question: Can a game run from desktop shortcut? When target is Launcher V1 or Launcher V2?
yep (as long as its unpacked uwp app and that xml is in the folder)
.. difference between launcher V1 and V2 is just that V2 checks for installation and for the xml

[prudislav]

BTW: you can check redists by
get-appxpackage -Package "PackageFullName" |% {$_.Dependencies}
PackageFullName ... same thing as in OP

[mausschieber]

Question

1.
is the UWP_Tool only for windows 10
or also for other games that will install in windows 10

[pakrat2k2]

UWP is only for windows 10 games.

[prudislav]

i would say its only for game released in Windows10 store in UWP format