How to install an appx application on Windows 10

There are two types of apps that can be installed on Windows 10; executables which have been around for years, and APPX apps which were introduced in Windows 8/8.1 and also work on Windows 10. The APPX type app is normally downloaded from the Microsoft Store. The Microsoft Store not only downloads the app but also installs it and the average user is unlikely to see an APPX bundle file but they do exist.

Install APPX application

An APPX application can be installed in one of two ways; via the App Installer, or from PowerShell. Neither of the two options is complicated. All you need to do is make sure the app is safe and that you’ve downloaded it from a reliable source.

1. App Installer

App Installer is a free Microsoft app that is built for the specific purpose of installing APPX apps on Windows 10.

1. Visit the App Installer page in the Microsoft Store.
2. Click Get, and then Install.
3. Once the app has been installed open File Explorer.
4. Navigate to the APPX file, and double-click it.
5. You will see a window showing information about the package. Click Install (or Update if you’re updating an app), and it will be installed.

2. PowerShell

An APPX app can be installed from PowerShell but the installation might be missing components i.e., dependencies that the app has. You will have to figure them out yourself and install them since PowerShell can’t do it for you. The alternative is to use the App Installer method.

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the APPX file.
2. Hold the Shift key and right-click the APPX file.
3. Select Copy as path from the context menu.
4. Open PowerShell with admin rights.
5. Run the following command but replace the path with the path to the APPX file you copied.

Add-AppxPackage -Path "Path to APPX file"

Example

Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Users\fatiw\Desktop\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe.appxbundle"

Conclusion

If you install the App Installer app from the Microsoft Store, installing an APPX app/file will be as easy as installing an executable. You will only have to double-click it to begin the installation. If you’re unable to get the App Installer, or it is unable to install an app for any reason, the PowerShell option is there for you to fall back on.

If you’re having trouble installing apps from the Microsoft Store, you can download the APPX file for an app, and use one of the listed methods here to install it. It’s a little complicated but it’s also a good way to stick to an older version of an app that comes from the Microsoft Store.

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Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

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