MSIX post Uninstallation event to revert system configuration

[mike7ang1rdz]

Hello

Need help with MSIX post-uninstallation tasks

After uninstalling an MSIX package, I need to revert some registry changes and clear temporary files in the user's temp folder.

Are there some examples to do these operations after uninstallation? :

• uninstallation events to revert specific registry keys
• Methods to clear temporary files in the temp folder

Thanks!

[DrusTheAxe]

What registry changes? Does ApplicationData.LocalSettings meet your needs?

By "user's temp folder" I assume you mean %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp? Why not ApplicationData.TemporaryFolder?

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Are you a DesktopBridge app? (aka RuntimeBehavior=packagedClassicApp aka EntryPoint=windows.fullTrustApplication or windows.partialTrustApplication). DesktopBridge apps get i/o virtualization for some registry and filesystem locations (usually HKCU + %USERPROFILE%). If you're writing to these locations the changes will be automagically removed when the package is removed for a user. See Flexible virtualization.

You can also use ApplicationData.TemporaryFolder to get a temp file location or ApplicationData.LocalSettings for structured data (registry-like, but not Registry APIs). There's also ApplicationData.LocalFolder and ApplicationData.LocalCacheFolder for not-so-temporary filesystem locations for your package family per-user which are equally auto-removed when the package family is removed for a user.

(.TemporaryFolder can be emptied by Disk Cleanup Wizard and like mechanisms, whereas .Local[Cache]Folder doesn't)

P.S. WinAppSDK's Microsoft.Windows.Storage.ApplicationData provides an enhanced experience over the OS API, e.g. ApplicationData.Current.TemporaryPath is equivalent to ApplicationData.Current.TemporaryFolder.Path but more efficient and convenient :-)

Generally if you're a packaged app the recommended API for data storage is ApplicationData, not RegOpenKeyEx(), GetTempPath() or other APIs. Or if you're a DesktopBridge app such classic Win32 APIs partying on per-user locations are redirected to managed storaged associated with the user+packagefamily (unless you disable the i/o virtualization) and thus automagically deleted when the package is removed for a user.

If you find yourself needing to write outside ApplicationData and virtualized data locations then no, there's currently no mechanism to 'delete other data on uninstall'. This enhancement request is in our backlog and being tracked via Issue #2779: Uninstall/Reset/Repair Tasks #2779. If this interests you please share your feedback in the issue with details about your scenario to help us take into account in our planning and design efforts.