Cannot run any apps after installing Affinity 2- cannot access device error

[James Webb]

Getting a "Cannot access device error" when trying to run any v2 Affinity app after installing. See attached pic. Tried installing Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.Desktop.msix and it also errored out- pic attached. What is going on?

[Leigh]

Sorry to hear that you're having issues.

Can you try opening PowerShell as an Admin and run the following command: Add-AppxPackage -Path "https://aka.ms/Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.Desktop.appx"

Let me know how you get on.

[James Webb]

Ran Powershell as you requested and the command appeared to complete correctly "Deployment in progress" appeared on the screen. However, none of the Affinity apps will run (same error) nor can I add the runtime library (same error as above)

[Leigh]

Thanks for trying. Can you try restarting your machine and try again? if that fails, can you go into EventViewer and see if you have anything listed there relating to this issue:

Application and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > AppxDeployment-Server > Microsoft-Windows-AppXDeploymentServer/Operational

[James Webb]

Updated and restarted machine, apps still will not load. Opened Event Viewer, and there are a lot of messages about this install, many identical.

AppX Deployment operation failed for package Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.UWPDesktop_14.0.30704.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe with error 0x80073D02. The specific error text for this failure is: error 0x80073D02: Unable to install because the following apps need to be closed Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_1.18.2691.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe.

Finished servicing package SerifEuropeLtd.AffinityDesigner2_2.0.0.1640_x64__3cqzy0nppv2rt. Setting the package state to enabled returned with 0x0.

Finished servicing package SerifEuropeLtd.AffinityPublisher2_2.0.0.1640_x64__3cqzy0nppv2rt. Setting the package state to enabled returned with 0x0.

Finished servicing package SerifEuropeLtd.AffinityPhoto2_2.0.0.1640_x64__3cqzy0nppv2rt. Setting the package state to enabled returned with 0x0.

I have attached 256 events in the log beginning with me installing the apps

affinityinstall.evtx

[James Webb]

Also I cannot find Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller running anywhere, to stop it.

[Leigh]

It will actually be called App Installer in Task Manager. Can you try Terminating this process and try again?

[James Webb]

No such process is running on my computer

[Leigh]

Ok, thanks for trying. What's strange is that Microsoft Desktop App Installer would have been used to install V2. According to this thread on SuperUser someone had the same issue but using Powershell fixed it. What version of Windows are you on?

[James Webb]

7 minutes ago, Leigh said:

Ok, thanks for trying. What's strange is that Microsoft Desktop App Installer would have been used to install V2. According to this thread on SuperUser someone had the same issue but using Powershell fixed it. What version of Windows are you on?

Version 22H2 (OS Build 19045.2251). I know I HAVE the installer- it's just not running in the background. All 3 Affinities installed after all. The error comes when I try to instal the C++ runtime, but per that Powershell command you gave me I've installed it. The Affinity apps themselves are throwing a permissions error. Diti you get the log I sent?

[Leigh]

I didn't spot anything obvious in the log file unfortunately. I will have to speak with our developers to see if they have any idea what's causing the issues. Will get back to you ASAP.

[James Webb]

19 hours ago, Leigh said:

I didn't spot anything obvious in the log file unfortunately. I will have to speak with our developers to see if they have any idea what's causing the issues. Will get back to you ASAP.

Just as a belt-and-suspenders approach, I decided to try to install the VC++ runtime again from the command line using Powershell (the 

Add-AppxPackage Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.appx command)

. I got this error:

Add-AppxPackage : Cannot find path 'C:\Users\jay-d\Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.appx' because it does not exist.
At line:1 char:1
+ Add-AppxPackage Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.appx
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (C:\Users\jay-d\....x64.14.00.appx:String) [Add-AppxPackage], ItemNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.AddAppxPackageCommand

 

Now I'm really confused

[Leigh]

2 hours ago, James Webb said:

Just as a belt-and-suspenders approach, I decided to try to install the VC++ runtime again from the command line using Powershell (the 

Add-AppxPackage Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.appx command)

. I got this error:

Add-AppxPackage : Cannot find path 'C:\Users\jay-d\Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.appx' because it does not exist.
At line:1 char:1
+ Add-AppxPackage Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.appx
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (C:\Users\jay-d\....x64.14.00.appx:String) [Add-AppxPackage], ItemNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.AddAppxPackageCommand

 

Now I'm really confused

Can you try this command instead: Add-AppxPackage -Path "https://aka.ms/Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.Desktop.appx"

[James Webb]

Sorry, I figured that out on my own, and the package seems to install. Is there some way to verify that?

I have also rebooted into safe mode, shut down completely, uninstalled and reinstalled all three Affinity apps, all to no avail. I did a capture during the install, it is attached. Do I have the correct AppInstaller?

[James Webb]

Did the developers have anything to say? Am I just out of luck? I've never had an issue like this before but I've never had an app use this installation method before either. I've been using Affinity Photo for a long time, is this where it ends?

[Leigh]

Still trying to figure this out but have you made any changes to the permissions to the WindowsApps folder in Program Files?

[Leigh]

You could also try this suggestion here: 

 

[James Webb]

4 hours ago, Leigh said:

Still trying to figure this out but have you made any changes to the permissions to the WindowsApps folder in Program Files?

None. All other Windows apps run fine.

[James Webb]

2 hours ago, Leigh said:

You could also try this suggestion here: 

 

There are no "three dots" next to my entries in Apps & Features- just Repair and install (*SORRY, MOVE and UNINSTALL). I cannot find the Apps|Installed Apps|Affinity 2 on my machine- I'm on Win10, he's on 11, maybe that's it, but it doesn't help me. I do agree with the 'gamazon' guy though- this is the worst install I've seen in a long time.

[James Webb]

There is no "Settings|Apps|Apps and Features" on my Windows setup! Just "Settings|Apps & Features". No 3 dots!

[James Webb]

OK- found, by poking around, the Reset and Repair options. Rest all three apps, repaired all 3 apps. If I try to run them from the start menu, a white line appears under the entry, then nothing happens. If I try to run them in Admin mode, I get the permissions error. Why oh why did ya'll not just use a regular Windows install? This is a freaking nightmare!

[Leigh]

Can you try uninstalling one of the apps and then download it from the Microsoft Store to see if that works?

[James Webb]

1 hour ago, Leigh said:

Can you try uninstalling one of the apps and then download it from the Microsoft Store to see if that works?

Already did. No joy- same exact error. Tried all 3.

[Smaxx]

Sounds as there might be some package storage corruption on your disk.

Right click your start menu and open "Windows Terminal" (or "Powershell" or "Command Prompt") with Administrator permissions/elevated.

Then try to run this command:

sfc /scannow

If it repaired issues, rerun it. If it found no issues, do the same with the next command:

dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Repeat it until it reports no issues (or unfixable issues). If you get the later, there are other options to try, but this would definitely be a potential reason here.

[James Webb]

10 minutes ago, Smaxx said:

Sounds as there might be some package storage corruption on your disk.

Right click your start menu and open "Windows Terminal" (or "Powershell" or "Command Prompt") with Administrator permissions/elevated.

Then try to run this command:

sfc /scannow

If it repaired issues, rerun it. If it found no issues, do the same with the next command:

dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Repeat it until it reports no issues (or unfixable issues). If you get the later, there are other options to try, but this would definitely be a potential reason here.

Yes, I run both of those weekly. Just ran them again, no errors found with either one.