Managing Windows 8 Metro Style Apps with DISM

As mentioned in my earlier post Windows 8 – What’s new in the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool (DISM) the DISM tool now also contains commands for managing metro style applications. When running dism.exe /online /? we find the following APPX servicing commands.

  • /Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage – Removes AppX packages from the image. AppX packages will not be installed when new user accounts are created.
  • /Add-ProvisionedAppxPackage – Adds AppX packages to the image and sets them to install for each new user.
  • /Get-ProvisionedAppxPackages – Displays information about AppX packages in an image that are set to install for each new user.

Listing Provisioned Metro Style Applications

When running the command DISM.EXE /Online /Get-ProvisionedAppxPackages we get a list of all metro style applications that are installed for each new user..

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.2.8102.0

Image Version: 6.2.8102.0

Getting the list of 3rd party AppX packages in this image…

DisplayName : microsoft.alarms
Version : 1.0.0.40
Architecture : neutral
ResourceId : neutral
PackageName : microsoft.alarms_1.0.0.40_neutral_neutral_8wekyb3d8bbwe

DisplayName : microsoft.audiotagpiano
Version : 1.2.1.8
Architecture : neutral
ResourceId : neutral
PackageName : microsoft.audiotagpiano_1.2.1.8_neutral_neutral_8wekyb3d8bbwe

DisplayName : microsoft.bitbox
Version : 1.0.0.11
Architecture : neutral
ResourceId : neutral
PackageName : microsoft.bitbox_1.0.0.11_neutral_neutral_8wekyb3d8bbwe

DisplayName : microsoft.build
Version : 1.0.1.4
Architecture : neutral
ResourceId : neutral
PackageName : microsoft.build_1.0.1.4_neutral_neutral_8wekyb3d8bbwe

DisplayName : microsoft.checkm8
Version : 1.0.60819.0
Architecture : neutral
ResourceId : neutral
PackageName : microsoft.checkm8_1.0.60819.0_neutral_neutral_8wekyb3d8bbwe

DisplayName : microsoft.copper
Version : 1.0.0.27
Architecture : x86
ResourceId : neutral
PackageName : microsoft.copper_1.0.0.27_x86_neutral_8wekyb3d8bbwe

To keep this blog post short, I have shortened the list

Removing Provisioned Metro Style Applications

To prevent a metro style application being installed for new users the command DISM.EXE /Online /Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage is used.

DISM.EXE /Online /Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage /PackageName:microsoft.bitbox_1.0.0.11_neutral_neutral_8wekyb3d8bbwe
DISM.EXE /Online /Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage /PackageName:microsoft.copper_1.0.0.27_x86_neutral_8wekyb3d8bbwe

image image

Adding Metro Style Applications

To add metro style application we use the command DISM.EXE /Online /Add-ProvisionedAppxPackage

DISM.EXE /Online /Add-ProvisionedAppxPackage /PackagePath:C:\data\MetroApp01_1.0.0.3_AnyCPU_Debug_Test\MetroApp01_1.0.0.3_AnyCPU_Debug.appx /SkipLicense

image

When running DISM.EXE /Online /Get-ProvisionedAppxPackages again, we see the entry for the new added metro style app.

DisplayName : anythingaboutit.meet.metro
Version : 1.0.0.3
Architecture : neutral
ResourceId : neutral
PackageName : anythingaboutit.meet.metro_1.0.0.3_neutral_neutral_5gyrq6psz227t

7 Replies to “Managing Windows 8 Metro Style Apps with DISM”

  1. Hello I tried dism /online /add…to add my appx file to my win 8 rp.
    It seems that all is successfull, but I can`t find the app in start menü. If I create an new user, than I can`t find the app?
    But if I try DISM.EXE /Online /Get-ProvisionedAppxPackages than the app is in the list?

    what`s wrong?

    Thank you for an tipp
    We are in an domain

  2. Do you know how to get rid of the ‘Store’ there is no Unpin, no Uninstall, option and it doesn’t come up in the application list.

    Thanks for this great post, it helped cleanup the Win8Machine we are currently deploying.

  3. Hi, nope haven’t looked at that, but…. there is GPO setting for the Store where you can prevent users from accessing the Windows Store. Hope that helps. If you find out any other approach, please let us know.
    Alex

  4. I have accidentally removed all provisioned apps from my machine. Is there a way to get them back? These apps are still installed for my account, but not for all users (which sysprep doesn’t like). So running Get-AppxPackage returns a lot of results, but Get-AppxProvisionedPackage doesn’t return anything.

    Add-AppxProvisionedPackage commands seems to require .appx file path, which I do not have.

  5. Restore Default Windows 10 Apps

    Get-AppxPackage -allusers | foreach {Add-AppxPackage -register “$($_.InstallLocation)\appxmanifest.xml” -DisableDevelopmentMode}

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