How to prevent DesktopAppConverter from dropping non-executable files while creating AppX?

Question

I am trying to create a test AppX from DesktopAppConverter.exe by using a simple batch file as an installer. This is what the batch file does:

ECHO OFF

mkdir c:\target

copy c:\source\testfile.txt c:\target

copy c:\source\app.vhd c:\target

copy c:\windows\system32\kernel32.dll c:\target

copy c:\windows\system32\calc.exe c:\target

EXIT 0

Once the package is created, the "target" directory inside the VFS directory contains the "kernel32.dll" and "calc.exe" files but does not have the app.vhd or the testfile.txt.

Can someone help me with a way of getting these files in the package?

The DesktopAppConverter.exe commandline looks like below:

DesktopAppConverter.exe -Installer C:\source\dummyappxinstaller.bat ->Destination C:\appx\ -PackageName "DummyAppx" -Publisher "CN=AppVolumes" ->Version 0.0.0.1 -MakeAppx -Verbose -AppExecutable c:\target\calc.exe`

The creation process succeeds with the warning W_INSTALL_PATH_NOT_DISCOVERED.

Can you check if the app.vhd or the testfile.txt are inside the PackageFiles directory? I will try in my side to check if it is possbile to implement your requirement. — Amy Peng - MSFT
@FangPeng-MSFT: They are missing from the Package Files directory. i do see kernel32.dll and calc.exe in the 'target' folder under VFS. Any possible reason why the .vhd and.txt are being dropped during appx creation? — Dev28
It's also interesting to observe that when i create my own helloworld.exe and place it in the source folder mentioned in the batch file above, even that does not show up in the AppX!!! — Dev28

Amy Peng - MSFT Amy Peng - MSFT · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-15T11:28:54

This is a expected result. I will try to explain it clearly.

copy c:\source\testfile.txt c:\target

When you use the above commend during the process of the desktop converter, it will try to locate the testfile.txt in the VFS(Virtual File System), actually this file is not existed in the VFS, so you can not find this file in the target folder.

copy c:\windows\system32\kernel32.dll c:\target
copy c:\windows\system32\calc.exe c:\target

But for the kernel32.dll and calc.exe they are in the system folder and they are also existed in the VFS system, in this way you can not find these two files in the target folder inside the VFS folder.

If you want to include the testfile.txt when creating the Appx, please try to use some installer tool to pack it with your installer file.

How to prevent DesktopAppConverter from dropping non-executable files while creating AppX?

1 Answers