Users require .NET 8 to be downloaded separately to run WinUI app #19763
Description
Description
When building a packaged WinUI app on a pipeline, the artifacts including with Windows runtime dependency are given to the user/customer. The user/customer runs the install PowerShell scripts which I think should install dependencies, however, when they try to launch the app, they are prompted to install the .NET 8 runtime.
Sideloading:
Directly from Microsoft Store:
After installing the runtime, the app does start. But this is a very poor user experience and won't be acceptable for the Microsoft Store. My other attempts produced builds that also required .NET8/the app failed to start.
Steps to Reproduce
Attempt 1 (packaged, mostly defaults and where I first encountered the issue):
dotnet publish -f net8.0-windows10.0.19041.0 -c:Release -p:RuntimeIdentifierOverride=win10-x64 -p:PackageCertificateThumbprint=${{ secrets.WIN_CERT_THUMBPRINT }}
App requires .NET8 runtime but it does start successfully.
Generally, I had been following instructions/guidance from here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/maui/windows/deployment/publish-cli?view=net-maui-8.0
Attempt 2 (Packaged self-contained app):
dotnet publish -f net8.0-windows10.0.19041.0 -c:Release -p:RuntimeIdentifierOverride=win-x64 -p:Platform=x64 -p:PackageCertificateThumbprint=${{ secrets.WIN_CERT_THUMBPRINT }} -p:WindowsAppSDKSelfContained=true
Including all the workarounds described in: microsoft/WindowsAppSDK#4008
This produces a 49.2mb file (it actually got smaller than my previous builds of 104.4mb without WindowsAppSDKSelfContained). The same issue occurs and the app also crashes on startup.
Crash log from app center:
ctor
System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException: Class not registered (0x80040154 (REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG))
System.Runtime.InteropServices
Marshal.ThrowExceptionForHR (Int32 errorCode)
WinRT.BaseActivationFactory
WinRT.BaseActivationFactory..ctor(String typeNamespace, String typeFullName)
WinRT.ActivationFactory`1
WinRT.ActivationFactory`1..cctor()
WinRT
ActivationFactory`1.ActivateInstance[I] ()
Microsoft.Graphics.Canvas.UI.Xaml.CanvasControl
Microsoft.Graphics.Canvas.UI.Xaml.CanvasControl..ctor()
Microsoft.Maui.Graphics.Win2D
W2DGraphicsView.UserControl_Loaded (Object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
ABI.Microsoft.UI.Xaml
RoutedEventHandler.Do_Abi_Invoke (IntPtr thisPtr, IntPtr sender, IntPtr e)
WinRT
ExceptionHelpers.<ThrowExceptionForHR>g__Throw|39_0 (Int32 hr)
WinRT
ExceptionHelpers.ThrowExceptionForHR (Int32 hr)
ABI.Windows.ApplicationModel.Core
IUnhandledErrorMethods.Propagate (IObjectReference _obj)
Windows.ApplicationModel.Core
UnhandledError.Propagate ()
Microsoft.AppCenter.Utils
ApplicationLifecycleHelperWinUI.<ctor>b__0_3 (Object sender, UnhandledErrorDetectedEventArgs eventArgs)
Generally, I had been following instructions/guidance from here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/maui/windows/deployment/publish-unpackaged-cli?view=net-maui-8.0
Attempt 3 (Unpackaged self-contained app):
Update the csproj to have the below but kept all the changes made in Attempt 1.
<WindowsAppSDKSelfContained>True</WindowsAppSDKSelfContained>
<WindowsPackageType>None</WindowsPackageType>
<PublishSingleFile>true</PublishSingleFile>The folder full of files is roughly about 230mb in size (Which sounds promising). Its an unpackaged app but I think this will be fine for me as I do need to upload this to the Steam store. Strangely, the app isn't a single file?
Folder of files
Link to public reproduction project repository
No response
Version with bug
8.0.3
Is this a regression from previous behavior?
Not sure, did not test other versions
Last version that worked well
Unknown/Other
Affected platforms
Windows
Affected platform versions
Version 10.0.22621 Build 22621 - probably various versions
Did you find any workaround?
No
Relevant log output
No response