AppxBackup PowerShell Module v2.0.0

Windows Application Package Backup & Restoration Toolkit

Version: 2.0.0
Release Date: January 15, 2026
PowerShell: 5.1+ (7.5+ Recommended)

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Overview

AppxBackup is a complete 2026 rewrite of the 2016 original APPX backup script, transformed into a production-grade PowerShell module. This toolkit provides zero-dependency, 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
✅ Modern MSIX Support - Full support for MSIX + legacy APPX formats

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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

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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

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Complete 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 ===

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Available Commands

Public Functions

Function	Description
Backup-AppxPackage	Complete backup with cert creation and signing
Install-AppxBackup	Standalone installation with auto-cert handling
New-AppxBackupCertificate	Create self-signed certificates (4096-bit RSA)
Restore-AppxPackage	Restore from backup with dependency resolution
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)

• 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

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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

Batch Operations

4. Backup All Apps from a Publisher

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

5. Backup with Dependency Analysis

$result = Backup-AppxPackage -PackagePath $app.InstallLocation `
    -OutputPath "C:\Backups" `
    -IncludeDependencies

# Export dependency report
$result.DependencyInfo | Export-Csv "dependencies.csv"

Installation Operations

6. Basic Installation

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

7. Install for Current User Only (No Admin)

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

8. Force Reinstall

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

9. Manual Certificate Specification

Install-AppxBackup -PackagePath "C:\Backups\MyApp.appx" `
    -CertificatePath "C:\Certs\MyCompanyCert.cer"

10. Skip Certificate (Already Trusted)

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

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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

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Module Architecture

AppxBackup.Module/
├── AppxBackup.psd1           # Module manifest
├── AppxBackup.psm1           # Module loader
├── Import-AppxBackup.ps1     # Quick import helper
│
├── Public/                   # Exported functions (9 total)
│   ├── Backup-AppxPackage.ps1          # Main backup function
│   ├── Install-AppxBackup.ps1          # Standalone installer
│   ├── New-AppxBackupCertificate.ps1   # Certificate creation
│   ├── Restore-AppxPackage.ps1         # Package restoration
│   ├── 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 (7 total)
│   ├── 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
│
└── Examples/                 # Usage examples
    └── UsageExamples.md

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Support & Contributing

Getting Help

• 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

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