Windows Store App Enterprise Deployment mini-guide

Here is a simplified guide for sideloading enterprise Windows Store Apps

1. The app should pass the WACK test

2. App must be signed by a Certificate Authority trusted by targeted PC’s

3. For sideloading the signed app package + dependencies are needed

4. Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 Enterprise edition PC’s must be domain joined and the group policy is set to ‘Allow trusted apps to install’ (managed PC’s)
Windows 8 PC’s that have enterprise sideloading disabled or aren’t managed by the IT department (unmanged PC’s) need to activate the product key for enterprise sideloading and as above have the group policy set to Allow trusted apps to install : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Appx\AllowAllTrustedApps = 1

5. To deploy an app at runtime use the PowerShell cmdlet: add-appxpackage C:\ContosoApp\ExpenseApp.appx (runtime makes the app available only to the current user). Deploying through Windows Image is done with the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command-line tool

Detailed information can be found here:
Enterprise developer checklist
Signing and app package
Windows App Certification Kit
Preparing and deploying apps to the enterprise

Comments

This is pretty much the reason I'm not writing apps. What I want to do is write a few apps for my own usage and to deploy them to my machine at home. As my confidence grows I may well share them through the store but, to start with, I want to use them on my own machine. And I can't. So, as a result, I write my apps as WinForms or WPF that I can deploy to my 'desktop'. I really wish MS would remember that many of the big applications we use today were started by people working out of their bedrooms and stop putting artificial barriers in place like this. 

Last modified on 2013-02-13