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Enable admin-writable $PSHOME for MSIX installs via MutablePackageDirectory #27553

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Justin Chung (jshigetomi) wants to merge 3 commits into from
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Enable admin-writable $PSHOME for MSIX installs via MutablePackageDirectory #27553

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de9429c
Make MSIX install files mutable
Jun 1, 2026
3a398cb
Keep windows 10 compatibility but mutable directories will not work
Jun 1, 2026
c2486ad
Merge branch 'master' into mutablePackageConfig
jshigetomi Jun 2, 2026
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14 changes: 12 additions & 2 deletions assets/AppxManifest.xml
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<Package IgnorableNamespaces="uap mp rescap desktop6"
<Package IgnorableNamespaces="uap mp rescap desktop6 desktop8"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10"
xmlns:mp="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/2014/phone/manifest"
xmlns:uap="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10"
xmlns:uap3="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10/3"
xmlns:desktop="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/desktop/windows10"
xmlns:desktop6="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/desktop/windows10/6"
xmlns:desktop8="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/desktop/windows10/8"
xmlns:rescap="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities">

<Identity Name="Microsoft.$PRODUCTNAME$" ProcessorArchitecture="$ARCH$" Publisher="$PUBLISHER$" Version="$VERSION$" />
Expand All @@ -20,7 +21,7 @@
</Properties>

<Dependencies>
<TargetDeviceFamily Name="Windows.Universal" MinVersion="10.0.17763.0" MaxVersionTested="10.0.18362.0" />
<TargetDeviceFamily Name="Windows.Universal" MinVersion="10.0.17763.0" MaxVersionTested="10.0.26100.0" />

@jshigetomi Justin Chung (jshigetomi) Jun 1, 2026

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Win11 21H2 compatible. Will still run on Win10 but not get mutable directories.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/uwp/schemas/appxpackage/uapmanifestschema/element-desktop8-mutablepackagedirectory#requirements

</Dependencies>

<Resources>
Expand All @@ -41,13 +42,22 @@
</Application>
</Applications>

<Extensions>
<desktop8:Extension Category="windows.mutablePackageDirectories">
<desktop8:MutablePackageDirectories>
<desktop8:MutablePackageDirectory Target="$(package.mutableroot)\$PRODUCTNAME$" />

@jshigetomi Justin Chung (jshigetomi) Jun 1, 2026 •
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To prevent collision Preview, Stable, and LTS installs will have different folders in the mutable directory.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/msix/manage/create-directory#considerations-for-projection

@jshigetomi Justin Chung (jshigetomi) Jun 1, 2026 •
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Any changes in the mutable files persist after updates, not documented but from local testing.

</desktop8:MutablePackageDirectories>
</desktop8:Extension>
</Extensions>

<Capabilities>
<Capability Name="internetClient" />
<rescap:Capability Name="appLicensing" />
<rescap:Capability Name="runFullTrust" />
<rescap:Capability Name="unvirtualizedResources" />
<rescap:Capability Name="packageManagement" />
<rescap:Capability Name="packageQuery" />
<rescap:Capability Name="modifiableApp" />
</Capabilities>
<mp:PhoneIdentity PhoneProductId="$PHONEPRODUCTID$" PhonePublisherId="95d94207-0c7c-47ed-82db-d75c81153c35" />
</Package>
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