Installing Windows 10 Appx Packages for Offline Win10 Installation?

Question

Installing Windows 10 Appx Packages for Offline Win10 Installation?

HarmonyBliss02 0

Hello Microsoft Community,

I have been wondering about Windows UWP Apps that are updated and distributed through the Microsoft Store after Windows 10's End of Support. I would still like to use the newer versions of apps like Calculator and the Photos App, that have had updates released since the final version of Windows 10 came out (Version 22H2), on my Windows 10 PC that I keep offline. But I don't want to keep connecting to the internet to receive updates for them as having the OS online without ESUs is a security risk. And as I don't want to enroll my PC in Windows 10 ESUs, and it isn't a system that I use very much. Is there a way that I can get the installers for these programs to install offline on Windows 10? I just want to know if it is possible or not.

1 answer

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Answer 1

Francisco Montilla 24,535 Independent Advisor

Hello,

Yes that's possible. You can update Microsoft Store apps for an offline Windows 10 PC by exporting their MSIX or APPX bundles from a different Windows 10 device that is allowed online, then sideloading those packages on the offline PC.

On a separate Windows 10 device that you can take online, sign in to the Microsoft Store, install or update the apps you want, then open Windows PowerShell as Administrator and export each app with its dependencies. For Calculator run:

$pkg = Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.WindowsCalculator -AllUsers
Save-AppxPackage -Package $pkg -Path C:\Appx\Calculator -IncludeDependencies

For Photos run:

$pkg = Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Photos -AllUsers
Save-AppxPackage -Package $pkg -Path C:\Appx\Photos -IncludeDependencies

This creates folders containing the app bundle and any required frameworks. Copy those folders to the offline PC. On the offline PC, enable app sideloading in Settings > Update and Security > For developers > Sideload apps. Then open PowerShell as Administrator in each folder and install the bundle along with its dependencies. For example, if the folder contains one .msixbundle and a Dependencies subfolder, you can run:

Add-AppxPackage -Path .\Microsoft.WindowsCalculator*.msixbundle -DependencyPath (Get-ChildItem .\Dependencies\*.appx, .\Dependencies\*.msixbundle).FullName

Repeat for Photos using its folder.

If you see an error about missing frameworks, install the items inside the Dependencies folder first using Add-AppxPackage, then install the main bundle.
If you see an error that your OS version is too low, that package requires a newer Windows build than Windows 10 22H2 and it will not install on Windows 10. In that case only a previously saved version that still targets Windows 10 would work.

HarmonyBliss02 0 Reputation points

2025-12-14T18:19:14.7533333+00:00

Thank you Francisco Montilla, just a quick question. Can you specify when creating the APPX or MSIX Packages which version of the app you wish to install, before a version after Win10's EOS on October 14th, 2025? How can I find out which apps I can use with the commands in PowerShell and what those commands would be for those apps? And if I want to use an older version of an app, would it be possible to go and get them?
Francisco Montilla 24,535 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-12-15T15:50:00.0366667+00:00
You cannot pick a version when you export. Save-AppxPackage always exports exactly the version that is installed on the online PC. If you need a specific older version, you must have that exact version already installed on some PC or saved from a backup, then export from there. The Microsoft Store does not offer a version picker, and Microsoft no longer provides an official way for consumers to download old Store app versions. If you do not already have the older build, there is no supported Microsoft source to get it. Avoid third party downloaders.

Here is the reliable way to control what you export. On the online Windows 10 PC, first turn off Store auto-updates so your working version does not change. Open Microsoft Store, open your profile menu, open App settings, then turn off Update apps automatically. Install or update the app to the version you want to keep.

Confirm what is installed with PowerShell. For Calculator you can run:

Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.WindowsCalculator -AllUsers | Select Name, PackageFullName, Version

For Photos use:

Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Photos -AllUsers | Select Name, PackageFullName, Version

Export exactly what you have installed. For Calculator:

$pkg = Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.WindowsCalculator -AllUsers Save-AppxPackage -Package $pkg -Path C:\Appx\Calculator -IncludeDependencies

For Photos:

$pkg = Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Photos -AllUsers Save-AppxPackage -Package $pkg -Path C:\Appx\Photos -IncludeDependencies

If you need to discover the exact package names for other Microsoft apps, list them with:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.* | Sort-Object Name | Select Name, Version

Use the Name value you see in that list with Get-AppxPackage and Save-AppxPackage just like the examples above.

On the offline Windows 10 PC, install the exported bundle and its dependencies from each folder. If your export created a Dependencies subfolder, install with:

Add-AppxPackage -Path .\*.msixbundle -DependencyPath (Get-ChildItem .\Dependencies\*.appx, .\Dependencies\*.msixbundle).FullName

If Add-AppxPackage reports that your OS version is too low, that package targets a newer Windows build and will not install on Windows 10. In that case only a previously saved version that still targets Windows 10 will work.

If you must stay on a pre-October 14, 2025 build of an app, the practical approach is to keep one online PC with Store auto-updates turned off, install that build while it is still offered for Windows 10, export it, and archive the export for future offline installs.

If you want, tell me the exact apps you care about and I will give you the precise one-line Get-AppxPackage and Save-AppxPackage commands for each.
HarmonyBliss02 0 Reputation points

2025-12-16T20:15:48.0233333+00:00
Thank you Francisco. I am interested in getting most of the built-in applications from Windows 10 in APPX or MSIX Packages. These include:

3D Viewer

Calculator

Camera

Feedback Hub

Films & TV

Mail & Calendar

Maps

Media Player

Microsoft 365 Copilot (Office)

OneNote for Windows 10

Paint 3D

People

Photos

Snip & Sketch

Solitaire & Casual Games

Sticky Notes

Voice Recorder

Weather

Windows Clock

Xbox

Xbox Console Companion

And these are the applications that I wish to create packages for that I got from the Microsoft Store.

Outlook for Windows

Photos Legacy

I attempted to run the commands that you posted in a reply to my comment, but I keep receiving an "Access is denied" error and the system doesn't recognise the commands. I have also attempted this as an administrator too.

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Installing Windows 10 Appx Packages for Offline Win10 Installation?

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