Unable to install any V2 app

[thegary]

WE WANT THE OLD INSTALLER BACK

Damm this make me mad. Why did you break it. Can't install where i want. The directory structure is like that of a MAD person.

Your software is all about control BUT YOU MUST INSTALL HERE>

2016 -2022 nothing but good things to say about Affinity software. 2022 on, wish i never purchased ti.

Gary

 

[VectorWhiz]

msix files downloaded from the forum give a message: 'Error parsing' for all apps in the suite. This is bad. Users should not be confronted with this.

[Leigh]

28 minutes ago, VectorWhiz said:

msix files downloaded from the forum give a message: 'Error parsing' for all apps in the suite. This is bad. Users should not be confronted with this.

This isn't happening for everyone but the users that have had this issue were able to resolve it by using the PowerShell method listed here: 

[eddyviv]

41 minutes ago, Leigh said:

This isn't happening for everyone but the users that have had this issue were able to resolve it by using the PowerShell method listed here: 

The fact this didn't work for me either and normal Windows users don't even use this means its been a bad choice to package it this way!

[clandestine]

Hey guys, been an Affinity user since the beginning (jumped ship from adobe and NEVER looked back)... I have removed lots of windows features including the app installer and cant install V2. Opened the .msix with 7zip and extracted the files. Designer asked me for my registration and everything looks fine, but i put them in 'Program Files' and they cant find each other ('edit in Photo...' is greyed out). 

If i put them in the supposed install location would they see each other? and where exactly does the installer places the folders, files, exes, etc?

I too think that you should consider exe (or maybe both)... this .msix thing is not cool

Thanks!

[VectorWhiz]

Serif should make sure that the apps work for all users that bought the app and not ignore those that are having trouble with it or offer workarounds that don't work. After downloading Publisher and Designer from the Microsoft store, I can only open them from the WindowsApps directory in Windows filemanager and I must run them as Administrator to open the programs. Then I am presented two dialogue windows if I am sure I want to do that and after that the apps open. They do not open from the start menu or when I pin them to the taskbar.

Above is the message I get when trying to open them with the Open command from the WindowsApps in Windows filemanager while not using As administrator option. And by the way my Windows 10 system is up to date and the suggested Powershell commands while the msix files were in the User Download directory did not work as well. These things should have been tested before release, in my opinion, to avoid users running in to such problems. When users new to Affinity run into such weirdness, they'll be tempted to stay away from the suit and never return to it again. The msix files are presented as modern and secure, but in view of the problems occurring, they apparently are not.

[TinoSys]

None of the MSIX-files starts the installation (I bought the complete package of designer/photo/publisher).

No, the downloaded msix-files are not corrupted, the certificates are ok and the files have the correct sizes.

Yes, I do have the ms installer on my system (win10).

and

No, I will not manually fumble further around in my systems registry (though I tried the trick with value "2" as described in this thread which did not work for me).

No, I will/cannot dowload the designer/photo/publisher apps from microsoft store as I am sitting behind a company firewall that blocks exactly that.

So if there is no solution to not being able to install the apps without a major hassle I will return them for refund on monday. Pitty, as I do not like adobe and changed to affinity for that reason - happily using the apps' versions 1 for more than 1.5 years until thinking switching to the new versions would be a good idea. Obviously it was not.

Just tried the powershell thing - did not work...

Edited November 11, 2022 by TinoSys

[VectorWhiz]

When looking at the properties of the Affinity directories in the WindowsApp directory I got a message (in bold red type) that the Permission file was corrupted. After resetting the permissions to full control for myself I was able to open the files without using the As an Administrator option.

The programs now open from the Start menu and from the icons in the Taskbar, which they didn't do previously. Before figuring this out I was unable to drop files from the Filemanager into the Publisher and Designer Desktops - they would not open, but after resetting the permissions this was possible again. This makes me guess that in some cases the msix files somehow interfere with user permissions of the directories.

Later downloaded and installed Photo, applying the same workaround as described above and the program works properly. I wrote a short blog on the work around on how to get the version 2 programs to work properly here: https://communicats.blogspot.com/2022/11/serif-released-version-2-of-affinity.html, which could be useful for those who ran into trouble in attempts to get them installed until an official solution will be presented.

By the way - kudos to the devs for the functionality increase of the version 2 programs.

[wilson66]

On 11/11/2022 at 3:14 PM, TinoSys said:

No, I will not manually fumble further around in my systems registry

When I read about these problems of the apps not even installing (I will not mess with the system registry either or look for workarounds, when other developers can create applications without the necessity to do this), and all the bugs/ instabilities ect. listed in the forum and elsewhere, there is no way I'm getting version 2 right now. Too bad, was looking forward to the new version. 

[Leigh]

On 11/11/2022 at 12:15 PM, eddyviv said:

The fact this didn't work for me either and normal Windows users don't even use this means its been a bad choice to package it this way!

@eddyvivIf you've not already read this FAQ, please do so. It explains the developers decision to go with MSIX.

Have you still been unable to install the app? 

[Leigh]

On 11/11/2022 at 1:37 PM, clandestine said:

Hey guys, been an Affinity user since the beginning (jumped ship from adobe and NEVER looked back)... I have removed lots of windows features including the app installer and cant install V2. Opened the .msix with 7zip and extracted the files. Designer asked me for my registration and everything looks fine, but i put them in 'Program Files' and they cant find each other ('edit in Photo...' is greyed out). 

If i put them in the supposed install location would they see each other? and where exactly does the installer places the folders, files, exes, etc?

I too think that you should consider exe (or maybe both)... this .msix thing is not cool

Thanks!

@clandestineWhat's happening when you try and install the MSIX files? Have you read the troubleshooting FAQ?

[Leigh]

On 11/11/2022 at 2:02 PM, VectorWhiz said:

Serif should make sure that the apps work for all users that bought the app and not ignore those that are having trouble with it or offer workarounds that don't work. After downloading Publisher and Designer from the Microsoft store, I can only open them from the WindowsApps directory in Windows filemanager and I must run them as Administrator to open the programs. Then I am presented two dialogue windows if I am sure I want to do that and after that the apps open. They do not open from the start menu or when I pin them to the taskbar.

Above is the message I get when trying to open them with the Open command from the WindowsApps in Windows filemanager while not using As administrator option. And by the way my Windows 10 system is up to date and the suggested Powershell commands while the msix files were in the User Download directory did not work as well. These things should have been tested before release, in my opinion, to avoid users running in to such problems. When users new to Affinity run into such weirdness, they'll be tempted to stay away from the suit and never return to it again. The msix files are presented as modern and secure, but in view of the problems occurring, they apparently are not.

@VectorWhiz What happens if you try and open the app from the Start menu, do you get the same error? Just read the updated post. Did you change permissions on the WindowsApps folder before trying to the launch V2 for the first time?

[VectorWhiz]

No, I did it as I explained in my blog. Before changing the permissions I could only open the programs when running them as admin from the WindowsApps directory. Running the programs from the Start menu didn't work until I changed the permissions. It was impossible to drop files on the programs' desktops to open them. After changing the permissions the programs worked properly.

[VectorWhiz]

3 hours ago, Leigh said:

@eddyvivIf you've not already read this FAQ, please do so. It explains the developers decision to go with MSIX.

Have you still been unable to install the app? 

On paper theoretically the .msix-file installation should be an improvement over the traditional .exe-files installation. On paper theoretically Word can do (almost) the same as InDesign. The .msix pros and cons mentioned on the list isn't the first time Microsoft makes such claims that later appear to be hot air, as a result of which partners and clients are manoeuvred into trouble after gullably believing Microsoft's claims.

In the start up screen I see something like 'checking the Microsoft store registration' flash by. So apart from being registered at Serif (which makes sense), users are now registered at Microsoft as well? Which makes less sense. What does that mean for the independence of Serif and its users?

[TinoSys]

On 11/11/2022 at 3:14 PM, TinoSys said:

None of the MSIX-files starts the installation (I bought the complete package of designer/photo/publisher).

No, the downloaded msix-files are not corrupted, the certificates are ok and the files have the correct sizes.

Yes, I do have the ms installer on my system (win10).

and

No, I will not manually fumble further around in my systems registry (though I tried the trick with value "2" as described in this thread which did not work for me).

No, I will/cannot dowload the designer/photo/publisher apps from microsoft store as I am sitting behind a company firewall that blocks exactly that.

So if there is no solution to not being able to install the apps without a major hassle I will return them for refund on monday. Pitty, as I do not like adobe and changed to affinity for that reason - happily using the apps' versions 1 for more than 1.5 years until thinking switching to the new versions would be a good idea. Obviously it was not.

Just tried the powershell thing - did not work...

Woah, what a hassle. I finally managed it (hey to the developer team: We would like to USE and work with your apps - not being forced to dig deep into a bunch of "how to" tips on system level to make them work). What did it for me was to allow the win10 system to install apps from any source...

[clandestine]

18 hours ago, Leigh said:

@clandestineWhat's happening when you try and install the MSIX files? Have you read the troubleshooting FAQ?

I don't have windows app installer and no other associated program to install MISX, the file is not recognized. Windows is 21H2.

Thank you!

[Leigh]

2 hours ago, clandestine said:

I don't have windows app installer and no other associated program to install MISX, the file is not recognized. Windows is 21H2.

Thank you!

Can you try installing the App Installer from here to see if that helps!

[eddyviv]

20 hours ago, Leigh said:

@eddyvivIf you've not already read this FAQ, please do so. It explains the developers decision to go with MSIX.

Have you still been unable to install the app? 

99.9% success rate I doubt that. 

It took me 2 hours to get it finally installed. And no the FAQ was not doing it for me. 

[AlainP]

On 11/11/2022 at 8:37 AM, clandestine said:

Hey guys, been an Affinity user since the beginning (jumped ship from adobe and NEVER looked back)... I have removed lots of windows features including the app installer and cant install V2. Opened the .msix with 7zip and extracted the files. Designer asked me for my registration and everything looks fine, but i put them in 'Program Files' and they cant find each other ('edit in Photo...' is greyed out). 

If i put them in the supposed install location would they see each other? and where exactly does the installer places the folders, files, exes, etc?

I too think that you should consider exe (or maybe both)... this .msix thing is not cool

Thanks!

You say that you "removed lots of Windows features, including the app installer..." Now.... you have a hard time installing msix apps.

I have been a consultant for years, I can't say how many times people had "crippled" their computer by disabling (or removing) Windows features that were "using too much memory" or were "useless"  according to some people, or for many other reasons. Very often their system was "broken" because of software like System Mechanic, CC Cleaner, and so many others. Sometimes illegal copies of Windows were also the culprit. 

It's a bit unpleasant, but a clean install of the OS is often the only working cure, but if you go that way, make sure you have a backup of your important files. It's often less time consuming than trying to make something work for days.

Yes I know msix packages come with some drawbacks, but I think it's there to stay anyway.

[clandestine]

4 hours ago, AlainP said:

You say that you "removed lots of Windows features, including the app installer..." Now.... you have a hard time installing msix apps.

I have been a consultant for years, I can't say how many times people had "crippled" their computer by disabling (or removing) Windows features that were "using too much memory" or were "useless"  according to some people, or for many other reasons. Very often their system was "broken" because of software like System Mechanic, CC Cleaner, and so many others. Sometimes illegal copies of Windows were also the culprit. 

It's a bit unpleasant, but a clean install of the OS is often the only working cure, but if you go that way, make sure you have a backup of your important files. It's often less time consuming than trying to make something work for days.

Yes I know msix packages come with some drawbacks, but I think it's there to stay anyway.

Thanks for the response, although I'm a graphic designer i worked a couple of years in IT maintaining and administrating workgroups in a couple of companies and know what you're saying. My windows 10 is working stable enough with all my software (graphic design, 3d modeling, rendering, game engines) that i wont be reinstalling unless it breaks for some reason. The msix policy from a customer point of view seems exclusive and its not ok.

Please Team, consider exe or msi

Thanks

[Leigh]

1 hour ago, clandestine said:

Thanks for the response, although I'm a graphic designer i worked a couple of years in IT maintaining and administrating workgroups in a couple of companies and know what you're saying. My windows 10 is working stable enough with all my software (graphic design, 3d modeling, rendering, game engines) that i wont be reinstalling unless it breaks for some reason. The msix policy from an customer point of view seems exclusive and its not ok.

Please Team, consider exe or msi

Thanks

Goodnews: 

 

[clandestine]

2 hours ago, Leigh said:

Goodnews: 

 

Never lost faith, thank you guys!!

[Leigh]

On 11/13/2022 at 8:09 PM, VectorWhiz said:

In the start up screen I see something like 'checking the Microsoft store registration' flash by. So apart from being registered at Serif (which makes sense), users are now registered at Microsoft as well? Which makes less sense. What does that mean for the independence of Serif and its users?

I've been unable to see this message on the start up screen but I'm guessing it's just a check to see if there's MS Store licence on the machine. We won't be sharing any data with the MS Store if you've downloaded and installed the MSIX version from our website.

[Vixi]

On 11/10/2022 at 11:54 AM, udi9 said:

I Had the same issue.

I installed the apps directly from the Microsoft Store and that solved the problem.
 

1. Open the Microsoft Store.

2. Search for Affinity Designer (or Photo or Publisher).

3. Click GET.

4. Once the app is installed, open it and activate it using your Serif account username and password.

Thank you! I tried everything mentioned and nothing worked but this did!