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AppxBackup PowerShell Module v2.0.1

Windows Application Package Backup & Restoration Toolkit

Version: 2.0.1
Release Date: January 15, 2026
PowerShell: 5.1+ (7.5+ Recommended)

Table of Contents

Overview

AppxBackup is a complete 2026 rewrite of the 2016 original APPX backup script, transformed into a production-grade PowerShell module. This toolkit provides end-to-end Windows Store/MSIX application backup and restoration.

Key Capabilities

Complete Backup-to-Installation Pipeline - One-command backup, one-command restore
Automatic Certificate Management - Self-signed cert creation and system trust
Native Windows SDK Integration - MakeAppx and SignTool automation with tool-specific optimization
Modern MSIX Support - Full support for MSIX + legacy APPX formats
Externalized Configuration - Configuration values in JSON for easy customization

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

  • PowerShell: 5.1+
  • OS: Windows 10 1809 / Windows Server 2019
  • Windows SDK: 10.0.26100.0+ (includes MakeAppx, SignTool)
  • Disk Space: 100 MB temporary storage
  • Memory: 512 MB available RAM

Recommended Configuration

  • PowerShell: 7.5+
  • OS: Windows 11 24H2 / Windows Server 2022
  • Windows SDK: 10.0.26100.0+ (includes MakeAppx, SignTool)
  • Disk Space: 1 GB+ for large packages
  • Memory: 2 GB+ available RAM

Administrator Privileges

Required for:

  • Installing certificates to LocalMachine store
  • Accessing WindowsApps folder on some systems

Not required for:

  • Basic backup operations (CurrentUser cert store)
  • Package creation
  • Most module functions

Installation

Quick Start (Developer Mode)

# 1. Clone or extract the module
cd "C:\Path\To\AppxBackup.Module"

# 2. Import the module
.\Import-AppxBackup.ps1

# 3. Verify installation
Get-Command -Module AppxBackup

Production Installation

# Install to PowerShell Modules directory
$modulePath = "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents\PowerShell\Modules\AppxBackup"
Copy-Item -Path ".\AppxBackup.Module" -Destination $modulePath -Recurse -Force

# Import globally
Import-Module AppxBackup -Force

# Verify
Get-Module AppxBackup

Workflow Example

Scenario: Backup and Restore WorkMate App

Step 1: Backup the Application

# Find the installed app
$app = Get-AppxPackage -Name "*WorkMate*"

# Create complete backup (package + certificate)
Backup-AppxPackage -PackagePath $app.InstallLocation -OutputPath "D:\Backups"

Output:

=== Backup-AppxPackage v2.0 ===
Package: 2242AppsTeam.WorkMate v7.5.4.0

[Stage 1/6] Validating inputs...                         ✓
[Stage 2/6] Creating package...                          ✓ (6.4s, 47.95 MB)
[Stage 3/6] Creating certificate...                      ✓
[Stage 4/6] Installing certificate to Trusted Root...    ✓
[Stage 5/6] Signing package...                           ✓

✓ Certificate installed successfully - package is ready to install

To install the package, run:
  Install-AppxBackup -PackagePath 'D:\Backups\WorkMate_7.5.4.0_x64.appx'

Files Created:

D:\Backups\
├── 2242AppsTeam.WorkMate_7.5.4.0_x64__v313ts49xh8we.appx  (47.95 MB, signed)
└── 2242AppsTeam.WorkMate_7.5.4.0_x64__v313ts49xh8we.cer  (certificate)

Step 2: Install on Another Machine

# Single command - auto-detects certificate
Install-AppxBackup -PackagePath "D:\Backups\WorkMate_7.5.4.0_x64.appx"

Output:

=== APPX Package Installation Script ===

[1/3] Package Analysis
  Package: WorkMate_7.5.4.0_x64.appx
  Certificate: Auto-detected (WorkMate_7.5.4.0_x64.cer)

[2/3] Certificate Installation
  Target Store: Cert:\LocalMachine\Root
  Status: Installed successfully
  Thumbprint: 439F89C615A7468BF196D8951BBA4640C10D7D3F

[3/3] Package Installation
  Installing package...
  Status: Installed successfully
  Name: 2242AppsTeam.WorkMate
  Version: 7.5.4.0

=== Installation Complete ===

Available Commands

Public Functions

Function Description
Backup-AppxPackage Complete backup with cert creation and signing
Install-AppxBackup Installation with auto-cert handling and dependency orchestration
New-AppxBackupCertificate Create self-signed certificates (4096-bit RSA)
Get-AppxBackupInfo Analyze backup packages without installing
Export-AppxDependencies Extract and document package dependencies
Test-AppxPackageIntegrity Validate package structure and signatures
Test-AppxBackupCompatibility Check system compatibility before restore
Get-AppxToolPath Locate Windows SDK tools (MakeAppx, SignTool)

Private Functions (Internal)

  • Get-AppxConfiguration - Configuration loader from JSON files
  • Get-AppxDefault - Configuration value accessor with hierarchical fallback
  • Invoke-ProcessSafely - Robust external process execution with timeout
  • Get-AppxManifestData - XML manifest parsing with namespace handling
  • New-AppxPackageInternal - Core packaging logic with multi-tier fallback
  • Test-AppxToolAvailability - SDK tool validation and caching
  • Resolve-AppxDependencies - Recursive dependency graph analysis
  • ConvertTo-SecureFilePath - Path validation and sanitization
  • Write-AppxLog - Structured logging with level filtering
  • New-AppxBackupZipArchive - ZIP archive creation for dependency packages
  • New-AppxBackupManifest - Installation manifest generation
  • New-AppxDependencyCertificate - Dependency-specific certificate creation

Usage Examples

Basic Operations

1. Simple Backup

$app = Get-AppxPackage -Name "Microsoft.WindowsCalculator"
Backup-AppxPackage -PackagePath $app.InstallLocation -OutputPath "C:\Backups"

2. Backup with Custom Certificate

Backup-AppxPackage -PackagePath $app.InstallLocation `
    -OutputPath "C:\Backups" `
    -CertificateSubject "CN=MyCompany Code Signing" `
    -CertificatePassword (ConvertTo-SecureString "MyPassword" -AsPlainText -Force)

3. Skip Certificate (Use Existing)

Backup-AppxPackage -PackagePath $app.InstallLocation `
    -OutputPath "C:\Backups" `
    -NoCertificate

Dependency Operations

4. Backup with Dependencies (ZIP Archive)

# Creates .appxpack file with main package and all dependencies
Backup-AppxPackage -PackagePath $app.InstallLocation `
    -OutputPath "C:\Backups" `
    -IncludeDependencies

5. Dependency Analysis Only (No Backup)

# Creates PackageName_Dependencies.json without creating backup
Backup-AppxPackage -PackagePath $app.InstallLocation `
    -OutputPath "C:\Backups" `
    -DependencyReportOnly

Batch Operations

6. Backup All Apps from a Publisher

Get-AppxPackage -Publisher "*Microsoft*" | 
    ForEach-Object {
        Backup-AppxPackage -PackagePath $_.InstallLocation `
            -OutputPath "D:\Backups\Microsoft" `
            -Verbose
    }

Installation Operations

7. Install Standalone Package

Install-AppxBackup -PackagePath "C:\Backups\MyApp.appx"

8. Install ZIP Archive with Dependencies

Install-AppxBackup -PackagePath "C:\Backups\MyApp.appxpack"

9. Install for Current User Only (No Admin)

Install-AppxBackup -PackagePath "C:\Backups\MyApp.appx" `
    -CertStoreLocation CurrentUser

10. Force Reinstall

Install-AppxBackup -PackagePath "C:\Backups\MyApp.appx" -Force

11. Skip Certificate (Already Trusted)

Install-AppxBackup -PackagePath "C:\Backups\MyApp.appx" -SkipCertificate

12. Allow Unsigned Packages (Developer Mode)

Install-AppxBackup -PackagePath "C:\Backups\MyApp.appx" -AllowUnsigned

Troubleshooting

Common Errors and Solutions

Error: 0x800B0109 (Certificate Not Trusted)

Cause: Certificate not in Trusted Root store
Solution:

# Run as Administrator
Import-Certificate -FilePath "path\to\cert.cer" `
    -CertStoreLocation "Cert:\LocalMachine\Root"

Error: 0x80073CF9 (Already Installed)

Cause: Package already installed
Solution:

Install-AppxBackup -PackagePath "package.appx" -Force

Error: MakeAppx Not Found

Cause: Windows SDK not installed
Solution:

  1. Install Windows SDK from Microsoft

Error: Access Denied (WindowsApps)

Cause: Insufficient permissions
Solution:

  • Module automatically uses multi-tier copy fallback
  • Robocopy → Copy-Item → .NET APIs
  • No manual intervention needed

Limitations

Dependency Repackaging Behavior

The -IncludeDependencies parameter repackages applications with their framework dependencies into a single .appxpack archive. Some applications cannot be successfully repackaged and restored. If a repackaged application fails to install, the application cannot be used from the backup. Reinstall from the Microsoft Store.

Module Architecture

AppxBackup.Module/
├── AppxBackup.psd1           # Module manifest
├── AppxBackup.psm1           # Module loader
├── Import-AppxBackup.ps1     # Quick import helper
│
├── Config/                   # Externalized configuration
│   ├── ModuleDefaults.json           # Core module constants
│   ├── MimeTypes.json                # MIME type mappings
│   ├── ToolConfiguration.json        # Tool-specific settings
│   ├── WindowsReservedNames.json     # Reserved filenames
│   ├── PackageConfiguration.json     # Package-related constants
│   └── ZipPackagingConfiguration.json # ZIP archive settings
│
├── Public/                   # Exported functions
│   ├── Backup-AppxPackage.ps1          # Main backup function
│   ├── Install-AppxBackup.ps1          # Package installer (Restore-AppxPackage alias)
│   ├── New-AppxBackupCertificate.ps1   # Certificate creation
│   ├── Get-AppxBackupInfo.ps1          # Package analysis
│   ├── Export-AppxDependencies.ps1     # Dependency export
│   ├── Test-AppxPackageIntegrity.ps1   # Integrity validation
│   ├── Test-AppxBackupCompatibility.ps1 # Compatibility check
│   └── Get-AppxToolPath.ps1            # Tool locator
│
├── Private/                  # Internal functions
│   ├── Get-AppxConfiguration.ps1       # Configuration loader
│   ├── Get-AppxDefault.ps1             # Configuration value accessor
│   ├── Invoke-ProcessSafely.ps1        # Process execution
│   ├── Get-AppxManifestData.ps1        # Manifest parsing
│   ├── New-AppxPackageInternal.ps1     # Core packaging logic
│   ├── Test-AppxToolAvailability.ps1   # Tool validation
│   ├── Resolve-AppxDependencies.ps1    # Dependency resolution
│   ├── ConvertTo-SecureFilePath.ps1    # Path sanitization
│   ├── Write-AppxLog.ps1               # Logging system
│   ├── New-AppxBackupZipArchive.ps1    # ZIP archive creation
│   ├── New-AppxBackupManifest.ps1      # Installation manifest generation
│   └── New-AppxDependencyCertificate.ps1 # Dependency certificate creation
│
└── Examples/                 # Usage examples
    └── UsageExamples.md

Configuration System

All hardcoded values are externalized to JSON configuration files in the Config/ directory:

  • ModuleDefaults.json - Path limits, timeouts, buffer sizes, disk space thresholds, etc.
  • MimeTypes.json - Comprehensive MIME type database for Content_Types.xml generation
  • ToolConfiguration.json - Tool-specific timeouts, async wait times, exit code interpretation
  • WindowsReservedNames.json - Windows reserved filenames for validation
  • PackageConfiguration.json - Package extensions, signature files, compression levels, namespaces

Support

Getting Help

  • Documentation: Enter help Command (e. g. help Backup-AppxPackage)
  • Examples: See /Examples/UsageExamples.md
  • Issues: Check logs in $env:TEMP\AppxBackup_*.log

Reporting Issues

When reporting issues, include:

  1. PowerShell version ($PSVersionTable)
  2. Windows version (Get-ComputerInfo | Select OSName, OSVersion)
  3. Error message and stack trace
  4. Log file from $env:TEMP\AppxBackup_*.log

Changelog

Version 2.0.1 (January 20, 2026)

Dependency Packaging

  • Replaced bundle system with ZIP archives (.appxpack) containing packages, certificates, and metadata
  • Metadata-driven installation orchestration with ordered dependency resolution

Configuration System

  • Introduced external JSON-based configuration system for module extensibility

Manifest Parsing

  • Rewrote Get-AppxManifestData with multi-tier fallback strategies for namespace resolution
  • Handles malformed and non-standard manifests without hard dependency on Microsoft schemas

Certificate Management

  • Automatic installation to Trusted Root store immediately after creation
  • Privilege escalation fallback with intelligent warnings
  • Individual certificates for each dependency in ZIP archives

SDK Tool Validation

  • Test-AppxToolAvailability now returns tool path string instead of boolean
  • Mandatory validation in Backup-AppxPackage with installation diagnostics and PATH analysis

Process Execution

  • Unified process safety with tool-specific timeouts
  • Output buffer limit per stream to prevent memory exhaustion

Installation

  • Extended Install-AppxBackup to support ZIP archives with nested package handling
  • Improved progress reporting with separate extraction, validation, and installation stages

Future Changes (Planned)

  • Extend Get-AppxBackupInfo to analyze .appxpack files with full metadata extraction
  • Extend Test-AppxPackageIntegrity to validate .appxpack archive structure and signatures
  • Extend Test-AppxBackupCompatibility to assess system compatibility for .appxpack installation

Citations

Original Repository

mjmeans/Appx-Backup: PowerShell script to backup an installed Windows Store App to an installable Appx file. (2016). GitHub.

© 2026 DeltaGa. All rights reserved.

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Windows Application Package Backup & Restoration Toolkit

Topics

windows application backup windows-10 appx windows-store application-backup msix windows-11 microsoft-store windows-server-2019 windows-store-app microsoft-store-app

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Version 2.0.1 (January 20, 2026) Latest
Jan 21, 2026

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