How to download and install Windows 8 applications from anywhere

We can install various applications on this machine through the new app store of Windows 8, but the installation of Windows 8 apps is limited and can only be downloaded online in the app store. Is there a way to download it from anywhere like the traditional Windows software, and then install it offline?

[Solutions]

This challenge is a bit difficult.

Downloading and installing apps in the Windows 8 app store is convenient, but sometimes it's too much trouble. For example, many people have encountered problems with the app store, or the download speed is slow, and they can't be switched when downloading. Go to another app (because the download will be suspended once the app store is in the background). So we can package the application ourselves and then install it offline. This makes it easy to install on other computers and to share apps with friends. Offline applications require a Windows 8 trusted certificate to install, which requires some tools to break through the limitations of the certificate.

[Solutions]

Installation License Breakthrough Limits

Since offline applications require a Windows 8 trusted certificate to install, we must first install the certificate locally. . For beginners, a certificate can be obtained by installing a Windows 8 Developer license.

First download Win8 Metro Developer from http://www.dwz.cn/cfan201312 (Note: The program needs NET Framework 3.5 support, the operation will automatically prompt to download and install and restart). After launching the program, click “Register Developer License", and enter your own Microsoft account application as prompted.

Because the license contains a root certificate trusted by Windows 8, after the license is installed, it is equivalent to the APP developer, so you have the right to install the APPX application locally, and you can install the offline application directly later. It is.

Encapsulating your offline app

The Windows 8 Developer license is currently free, but its certificate is only valid for 3 months and will soon enter the charging phase. So for system experts, we can manually remove the Windows 8 application online installation restrictions. Download the required tools to http://dwz/cfan2019, download them and unzip them all to the H drive.

Windows 8 applications are all installed in C:\\Program Files\\windowsapps by default. The current users cannot access them by default. We need to set the folder view mode to “Show all files” and “by the system”. Protect the file & rdquo;, then right click on the directory and select “Attribute → Security & Rarr; Advanced & Rarr; Change Owner & rdquo;, set the current directory owner as the current user. Then return to the property settings window, click “Add”, add the current user to the group and user list, and set its permissions to “full control", this will open the above directory.

After completing the above, open C:\\Program Files\\windowsapps in the Explorer, each of which corresponds to an installed app.

Now we can extract the app installed here and repackage it as an offline app. For example, when we go to work, we can use the company's high-speed network to download and install the application in the app store, and then repackage it in the following way, so that you can take it home to install it or share it with friends.

Here, for example, to download a game from an app store, first install the game through the app store on the company computer. Open the C:\\Program Files\\windowsapps directory, extract the game directory to the H drive and name it youxi, then open H:\\youxi and delete the microsoft.system.package.metadata directory in the folder. This is the system. With verification file.

Then return to the desktop, press Win+X, select “command prompt (administrator)”, start the command prompt as administrator, and re-encapsulate the game by entering the following command:

H:\\MakeAppx.exe pack /dh:\\youxi /p my.appx

After completing the encapsulation of the application, an application package named my.appx will be added under h:\\youyxi. This is our offline installation package, and we will sign this package.

Installation of Offline Applications

Because Windows 8 must be signed by a trusted certificate in the Modern environment of the Start menu, Windows 8 allows it to be installed on your computer. Therefore, you need to install the certificate first, double-click the downloaded certificate to install, and then select "Local Computer" in the wizard that opens.

The remaining operations follow the on-screen prompts and click “ Next → Yes → Confirm import certificate as H:\\Certificate.pfx→ Next → Enter the private key password (default is pcbeta) &rarr Next step → put all the certificates in the following storage → browse → select “ trusted root certificate authority & rdquo;, finally click to complete the installation of the certificate.

After completing the installation of the certificate, open IE, click <; Tools & Rarr; internet option → Content & Rarr; Certificate & Rarr; Trusted Root Certification Authority & rdquo;, ensure that the Hadesy certificate is installed.

Select the hadesy certificate click “export → next → Yes, export the private key → next → set the private key password → next → set the private key name save location such as my .pfx→Complete“, save the exported private key in the H disk for backup.

Finally, we can use signtool to sign the offline application, and continue to sign the following command at the command prompt (****** is the private key password set above).

signtool sign /a /v /fd SHA256 /p ****** /fh:\\my.PFX h:\\my.appx

But pay attention The .appx file is not an executable file, we can't double-click to install it. Start powershell as an administrative and install it by entering the following command:

add-appxpacke h:\\my.appx