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Extremely disappointed that this installs as an "App" and not regular software program


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Just bought the Suite and could not find the installation files so was unable to create shortcuts and worse unable to find a way to run the software! The only way I could launch the software was to double-click on the downloaded installation files which gave me the option to Launch from there. Total irritation and confusion.

However in the meantime after much faffing about through the Forum I discovered to my dismay that these are "App" files and do not install into the Program folder of my C drive and do not appear in my Programs & Features... How do I uninstall them?

I absolutely hate this unexplained change to installing/removing software and am not happy with the way this has been implemented, particularly as no advanced notification (as far as I could tell) was given.

I very much like what Serif is doing with Affinity and love the software but cannot stand this insane change to the standard installation procedure.

Please Serif fix this unwanted installation mess asap. and please retain some independence from the dumbing-down that Micro$oft continually applies to Windows in the so-called attempt to make it better.

I sincerely hope you listen.

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28 minutes ago, Zero Zero said:

Just bought the Suite and could not find the installation files so was unable to create shortcuts

You should find the Apps in the Windows Start menu. If you want shortcuts somewhere else, please see: 

 

30 minutes ago, Zero Zero said:

and do not appear in my Programs & Features... How do I uninstall them?

Start > Settings then look in Apps & Features. 

 

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
PC:
    Desktop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 64GB memory, AMD Ryzen 9 5900 12-Core @ 3.00 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 

    Laptop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 32GB memory, Intel Core i7-10750H @ 2.60GHz, Intel UHD Graphics Comet Lake GT2 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU.
iPad:  iPad Pro M1, 12.9": iPadOS 17.4.1, Apple Pencil 2, Magic Keyboard 
Mac:  2023 M2 MacBook Air 15", 16GB memory, macOS Sonoma 14.4.1

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1 hour ago, walt.farrell said:

Start > Settings then look in Apps & Features. 

Yeah running appwiz.cpl won't show you Photo 2, since it's a Windows Store app now.

image.png.73251422e6f8c2363f5e3e3528f8b4da.png

image.png.61a8fb3cece87dcb4c7bcc4b18293517.png

Little by little by agonizingly little MS is moving functionality off Control Panel and into Settings. They're just never getting there entirely.

The C:\Program Files\WindowsApps folder is owned by TrustedInstaller and (not surprisingly) doesn't grant regular users much in the way of access:

image.png.d557a2a535e1d575bbffbab5d660b098.png

Once in the application folder (..\SerifEuropeLtd.AffinityPhoto2_2.0.0.1640_x64__3cqzy0nppv2rt on my system) I can move around but getting there via Explorer isn't possible without modifying parent folder permissions. I used Task Manager | Details view, selected photo.exe, right-clicked and chose "Open File Location" to take a look. I could change the parent folder security but TBH it's been long enough (but not long enough, if you know what I mean) since I've messed with Windows folder rights that I'd have to research what not to do, to avoid issues. And I don't feel like doing that.  🙃  Give me Linux filesystem permissions any day...

I guess the decision to install as a Windows Store App was made for auto-update purposes (I'll be charitable and not say it was made to further get in bed with MS), but I wish it had installed into the standard location. Would've been much easier to manage.

Len
Affinity Photo 2 | QCAD 3 | FastStone | SpyderX Pro | FOSS:  ART darktable  XnView  RawTherapee  Inkscape  G'MIC  LibreOffice
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This is a stupid move by the developers. I own my PC, it is not a phone or a tablet and I want to control what goes on the PC and where it goes. I didn't spend time setting up partitions and drivers for fun. I have a particular drive for programs and that is where they go or they don't get installed - end of!

Version 2 is now uninstalled and I will never buy another Serif product until they fix this. The reason I went to Affinity suite in the first place was because Adobe ruined photoshop by their subscription/online nonsense.

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3 hours ago, rayhal said:

This is a stupid move by the developers. I own my PC, it is not a phone or a tablet and I want to control what goes on the PC and where it goes. I didn't spend time setting up partitions and drivers for fun. I have a particular drive for programs and that is where they go or they don't get installed - end of!

Version 2 is now uninstalled and I will never buy another Serif product until they fix this. The reason I went to Affinity suite in the first place was because Adobe ruined photoshop by their subscription/online nonsense.

 

To save time I am currently using an automated AI to reply to some posts on this forum. If any of "my" posts are wrong or appear to be total b*ll*cks they are the ones generated by the AI. If correct they were probably mine. I apologise for any mistakes made by my AI - I'm sure it will improve with time.

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I imagine there were maybe advantages to switching to the Microsoft App Installer (.msix files).
However, for the user, the problems have increased:
There are many who have problems being able to install the packages. For example, it took me hours because the packages from Serif did not run for me. Only after downloading them directly from the Microsoft Store was I able to install them.
The next problem is the integration of the new programs in others. Now you can't find an .exe file which is accepted by other programs.

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It is a big problem for a lot of comany pc. In big company often the app store is disable by policy. In that case this package is not installable.

Please make a normal installation file for alla people that has problem like this otherwise you'll loose a lot of guest that cannot install this kind of package....one of this is me

my intention was to buy the entire suite but i will move to other graphic package.

 

bye bye

 

 

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Agree with all the comments on this decision. Back in 2020 I had a very serious look at APV1 but after a great deal of investigation I decided not to switch for three reasons.

1) - insufficient luminosity/zone/colour/saturation/vibrance masks

2) - not convinced about the Raw Editor

3) - a lack of Affinity DAM and the lack of adequate .asphoto support in other DAM applications including Bridge.

Number 1 has been largely resolved and is in fact very good at first glance. Number 2 I'm still unconvinced. 

Number 3 though is now even more of a problem as the lack of support for the affinity file format is compounded by the fact that I cannot now even point Bridge at the .exe to get it to use it at the editor due to it not being visible. Add the fact that, unless there have been substantial changes since 2020 which of course may well be the case, I cannot find a DAM which meets my needs and it amounts to a deal breaker for me.

So, inspite of really liking AP V2 and thinking it is better in a whole range of ways than PS, I am probably going to uninstall my trial version of V2 as it is clumsy to use in the real, day to day, world, especially if, like me , you have grown use to the high level of integration I enjoy with the LRc/PS combination. This is such a shame as I really do want to make the change but slowing down my workflow from it's current position is not a positive step forward.

Please, please Serif. Get a DAM sorted either inhouse or by working with another software house. At the very least sort this Windows App v programme file silliness out. In the absence of either action I will abandon any thought of switching.

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13 minutes ago, Grumpy Hec said:

Number 3 though is now even more of a problem as the lack of support for the affinity file format is compounded by the fact that I cannot now even point Bridge at the .exe

Does this help (Windows)

 

To save time I am currently using an automated AI to reply to some posts on this forum. If any of "my" posts are wrong or appear to be total b*ll*cks they are the ones generated by the AI. If correct they were probably mine. I apologise for any mistakes made by my AI - I'm sure it will improve with time.

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9 minutes ago, carl123 said:

Does this help (Windows)

 

Not for me, it's not. I gave myself access to the WindowsApps directory and tried pointing HoneyView to Photo 2 as its default image editor, and no dice... nothing happens when I try to send an image to the editor. Not sure why they felt the need to lock down v2 down like this, but it's really annoying... it should just install like a normal windows program that goes in the regular Program Files directory

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13 minutes ago, yaywalter said:

Not for me, it's not. I gave myself access to the WindowsApps directory and tried pointing HoneyView to Photo 2 as its default image editor, and no dice... nothing happens when I try to send an image to the editor.

I just downloaded HoneyView, configured it to open images in Photo 2 and it works fine here (Windows 11)

To save time I am currently using an automated AI to reply to some posts on this forum. If any of "my" posts are wrong or appear to be total b*ll*cks they are the ones generated by the AI. If correct they were probably mine. I apologise for any mistakes made by my AI - I'm sure it will improve with time.

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5 minutes ago, carl123 said:

I just downloaded HoneyView, configured it to open images in Photo 2 and it works fine here (Windows 11)

Great for you. Windows Apps have always been a hot mess permissions-wise, so there's probably something borked for me. I also tried pointing it at C:\Users\[MyUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\AffinityPhoto2.exe and get an error saying "The file cannot be accessed by the system" even though it looks like the permissions are in check. Also using Win 11.

 

So again... should've just been a regular windows program and we wouldn't have had any of this headache.

Edited by yaywalter
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3 minutes ago, yaywalter said:

Great for you. Windows Apps have always been a hot mess permissions-wise, so there's probably something borked for me.

I certainly did not have to change any permissions.

I just used that thread I linked to to get the folder name, copied it, added \photo.exe to the end and copied the entire path+exe name into HoneyView

 

If you copy the path and executable and put it in the Windows Run dialog does Photo 2 start up (if closed) for you?

To save time I am currently using an automated AI to reply to some posts on this forum. If any of "my" posts are wrong or appear to be total b*ll*cks they are the ones generated by the AI. If correct they were probably mine. I apologise for any mistakes made by my AI - I'm sure it will improve with time.

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14 minutes ago, carl123 said:

I certainly did not have to change any permissions.

I just used that thread I linked to to get the folder name, copied it, added \photo.exe to the end and copied the entire path+exe name into HoneyView

 

If you copy the path and executable and put it in the Windows Run dialog does Photo 2 start up (if closed) for you?

It does not launch. But I know I have the path right, because if I paste it into Windows Explorer and delete "photo.exe" it goes to the right path. Can't launch it by double-clicking or right-clicking and running as admin either.

Looking at the permissions of Photo.exe, it looks like something's corrupt with the permissions as expected. Even considering the possibility that I borked the permissions when I gave myself access to the WindowsApps folder by changing the owner of the folder to Admin instead of SYSTEM, I've even now tried completely uninstalling Photo 2 and re-installing it. Still no good. I can launch the program from the taskbar and start menu, but anything else still won't work.

Edited by yaywalter
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If l browse to C:\Users\[MyUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps and double click AffinityPhoto2.exe then AP starts OK. However if l browse to that file via DXO Photolab l get the "The file cannot be accessed by the system" error. Same problem runing PL as administrator. This, as yaywalter suggests, sounds like a permissions problem even though permissions on the file show as my user id and Adminstrators (which my id is) have full control.

Chris

 

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I found a solution... forget about specifying any paths, just running "affinityphoto2.exe" works.

Still rather annoying and disappointing that they've decided to go about it this way.

  

3 minutes ago, Danel said:

I have the same problem: I can't switch a raw from Faststone to affinity 2.
This is a very big problem for my workflow.
I will now advise my club not to migrate to this version until we have an exe.

Is it possible to cancel this sale and get a refund?

You can email affinityreturns@serif.com with your name and order number to initiate a refund if you'd like.

Edited by yaywalter
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Wow glad I saw this. Big disappointment with this route.

Not only do I have to buy it again but it installs as an app! No one wants apps on a PC, we want software that we can choose what to do with it on our systems.

I spend all my time deleting and shutting down the App infrastructure in Windows.

Corporations just love taking away any control the consumer has.

 

I think I'll pass.

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59 minutes ago, 00maxx00 said:

Same problem with RawTherapee. I know where the "new" exe is, I can create working shortcuts, but there's no way to export from RawTherapee to Affinity Photo v.2.

I correct myself.

Setting the path to Photo.exe in RawTherapee to export to Affinity Photo v.2 works:

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\SerifEuropeLtd.AffinityPhoto2_2.0.0.1640_x64__3cqzy0nppv2rt\App\Photo.exe

 

Maybe I copied it wrong, before.

Edited by 00maxx00
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11 minutes ago, Danel said:

Is it possible to cancel this sale and get a refund?

You can do that anytime from 14 days of purchase

Or you can stick around and possibly get your issue sorted like @yaywalter and @00maxx00 have

To save time I am currently using an automated AI to reply to some posts on this forum. If any of "my" posts are wrong or appear to be total b*ll*cks they are the ones generated by the AI. If correct they were probably mine. I apologise for any mistakes made by my AI - I'm sure it will improve with time.

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44 minutes ago, yaywalter said:

I found a solution... forget about specifying any paths, just running "affinityphoto2.exe" works.

Still rather annoying and disappointing that they've decided to go about it this way.

  

You can email affinityreturns@serif.com with your name and order number to initiate a refund if you'd like.

That doesn't work for DXO - you have to specify a path to the .exe. I don't want to use Affinity's raw developer because DXO has much better noise reduction and lens correction.

This is so frustrating - I intend to report this as a bug: unless someone already has? I don't really want to go down the refund path as l really do like Affinity Photo and have no desire to return to Adobe's subscription system.

Chris

 

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