Question Can't install .appx

[miha2]

Hello everybody, I can't install any .appx program - it's not associated to any program to open it with, and I tried to install it with Powershell, but it simply copies the file to C:\Windows\System32, without actually installing the files. And as mentioned above, I can't install it... However, later I learned that .appx is simply a .zip file... kind of... you can rename .appx to .zip and it'll open as zip archive, and you can do everything you want. And I tried it, and it works... But still, I want to do it the "usual" way, the... "right" way... I did run sfc /scannow, and I just updated my computer to 2004, so... It should have repaired anything may have been wrong with it, right? And yes, I did run dism /online/ cleanup-image /restorehealth, but still, no luck. I do NOT have Microsoft Store, as it's useless for me. I disabled/uninstalled as much Microsoft garbageware as possible. (To some extent, you have to agree, they have too many useless programs with Windows 10: tons of ads, Bing News, Maps... I don't think a lot of users use those programs. (There are much better alternatives to most programs, and if you show them to those who use them, I'm sure most will switch to the alternatives. Because they're easier/better/whatever.)) But I'm sure there is a way to install it. (I mean... What if I need to install some other .appx file (whatever) at some point later? So there has to be a good solution. I don't want to reinstall Store just to fix it... I also found there is some Microsoft App Installer, available in Store, but... Again, I don't want to have it on my computer. (Maybe there is some link to Microsoft website to download it?)

Oh, and the whole story behind it all is that I want to have Linux on my computer... This WSL thingy. There is a way to download it from the Web and install locally, and so I'm trying to achieve it.

 

[Alabalcho]

You can't have your cake (Microsoft Store), and eat it (side-load apps).

There're other ways to install Linux (or any other OS) on your computer as well.

BTW - where you see these "tons of ads"?

 

[miha2]

When you first install Windows, it comes with the links to some games, for example, clicking upon which installs the app. Isn't that considered an ad? I mean, not a ton, but... Enough to hate these ads...

I'm trying to install Linux by using WSL, and that's the part I can't complete. I mean, I did enable the feature (and all other features that require it to work) for WSL to work, but that's not the issue right now. The issue right now is that I can't install Linux by running the *.appx on my computer. Wait, you're saying I have to have Microsoft Store to sideload the apps? But there has to be another way, no? There is a way to download the App Installer, but it's available on the Microsoft Store for business, and I don't have the access there. In other words, I see it as there is another way. I just need to find a third one, the one that is good enough for me...

 

[miha2]

OK, bump on this one. I could finally install it. But with a caveat - I can run it "only" on my admin account and "only" as admin. It's installed into the C:\Program Files\WindowsApps folder, and I don't really have the access to it, unless I allow an explicit access to it, which... may ruin a lot of stuff... So, I don't want to risk.

So, when I try to run it from CMD or PowerShell, I get a message: Access Denied. Is there any way to run it at all?