kelement

I have removed the MS spyware store from my system. To install, upgrade, or uninstall an "app", I have to reboot into safe mode, enable those services, rename several directories, reboot again, install/uninstall/upgrade, then reboot into safe mode again to disable the spyware, then reboot again. By using the MS spyware store, your product now has dependencies stretching into every tiny corner of the Windows system. If one little firewall or antivirus or update service isn't running, the install (or upgrade or uninstall) will fail. It is insane that I had to troubleshoot a firewall to install a photo editor. This is like if I had to mow my lawn to change the oil in a car.

Right. You're running a spyware riddled system. Apps don't work when you remove that stuff.

Read the thread. It doesn't install. I had to troubleshoot a firewall service for two hours to get it to install. Even after that I am having issues that render the app useless. I have requested a refund, but now I can't even uninstall. My system is hardened and all MS spyware services are disabled. This is pretty common among users of Affinity products who intentionally left Adobe for exactly this reason. In order to install, uninstall, or upgrade an app, I have to reboot in safe mode, disable/enable services, rename certain system directories, reboot again, perform the install/uninstall operation, then reboot into safe mode again to put everything back, then reboot yet again. I am an expert in performing these operations with 15 years IT experience.

This tells me all I need to know. "You don't like change. It's all in your head." Requesting a refund.

I'm having many problems with the app install, but one I'm not having is accessing the .exe via other applications. I believe this is because I used Take Ownership (reg file at the end) on my entire Windows apps folder (to get rid of some other apps). If you can't access the .exe, maybe give this a shot. This is a tool that solves almost all Windows permission issues in a click, so you should have it anyway.

Never mind, I'm getting a refund.

The crash happens only after I open the file. There is no crash report. There isn't even a "CrashReports" folder.

I have tested this with several .afphoto files and a .jpg. Open the file, click the file menu, instant crash. Two lines are generated in the log when the menu is clicked: ExternalApp: *** starting Edit In... app search for Designer *** ExternalApp: looking for compatible version of Designer... The log ends there.

I just reinstalled Windows 11 a few days ago. As usual, I nuked the app store. I do not use apps. Purchased without knowing I'd be sent an app. After seeing this, I decided to give it a shot anyway instead of immediately asking for a refund. Install fails, of course. The problem was that the installer would halt because updating firewall rules wouldn't work while my Windows Defender Firewall service wasn't functioning. Why in god's name do I have to troubleshoot a firewall service to install a photo editor? Because app. Of course the solution was to add permissions to the registry key for the BFE service. When you are changing registry key permissions, something is not right in the world. You have taken a wrong turn. So then everything appears to be running fine. But I run into another issue. If I have an .afphoto file open (not a raw) and I click the File menu, the "app" immediately crashes. That's where I am now. The one and only reason I switched from Adobe to Affinity is that I deeply resent Adobe's abuse of my property. I do not want ridiculous spyware that reaches its tentacles into every corner of my systems and constantly phones home. It looks like Affinity will be adopting the same model that places user needs last.