XBox App Advanced Installation and Management Features

[federicosammartin]

Hi, i recently enabled the new Advanced Installation of the XBox App, joining the insiders program

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/11/18/advanced-installation-and-management-features-available-for-insiders-through-the-xbox-app-for-windows/

i know it's in beta, but i think as soon as it's released everyone is going to use it because it allows you to backup/restore and move games between drives

the "problem" is that a lot of games that i tried go through a new launcher (GameLaunchHelper.exe) that i guess bridges UWP with the outside content

so the HDR starts and stops when the process stops to launch the actual exe

here some info and ideas

for example Forza Horizon 5 creates this profile when adding it

{ "$type": "AutoHDR.ApplicationProfileAssignment, AutoHDR", "Application": { "$type": "AutoHDR.ApplicationItem, AutoHDR", "DisplayName": "Forza Horizon 5", "ApplicationName": "GameLaunchHelper", "ApplicationFilePath": "C:\\Program Files\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.624F8B84B80_3.417.812.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\\GameLaunchHelper.exe", "IsUWP": true, "IsUWPWepApp": true, "UWPFamilyPackageName": "Microsoft.624F8B84B80_8wekyb3d8bbwe", "UWPApplicationID": "Forzahorizon5", "UWPIconPath": "C:\\Program Files\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.624F8B84B80_3.417.812.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\\Storelogo.png", "UWPIdentity": "Microsoft.624F8B84B80" }, "ProfileGUID": "ff88a11e-9764-447c-a01c-9a1c7f8e8933", "Position": 6 },

i managed to get it working for master chief collection changing the path in the settings file

{ "$type": "AutoHDR.ApplicationProfileAssignment, AutoHDR", "Application": { "$type": "AutoHDR.ApplicationItem, AutoHDR", "DisplayName": "Halo: The Master Chief Collection", "ApplicationName": "MCCWinStore-Win64-Shipping", "ApplicationFilePath": "C:\\Program Files\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.Chelan_1.2645.0.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\\MCCWinStore-Win64-Shipping.exe", "IsUWP": true, "IsUWPWepApp": true, "UWPFamilyPackageName": "Microsoft.Chelan_8wekyb3d8bbwe", "UWPApplicationID": "HaloMCCShipping", "UWPIconPath": "C:\\Program Files\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.Chelan_1.2645.0.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\\StoreLogo.png", "UWPIdentity": "Microsoft.Chelan" },

instead of the autogenerated

{ "$type": "AutoHDR.ApplicationProfileAssignment, AutoHDR", "Application": { "$type": "AutoHDR.ApplicationItem, AutoHDR", "DisplayName": "Halo: The Master Chief Collection", "ApplicationName": "GameLaunchHelper", "ApplicationFilePath": "C:\\Program Files\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.Chelan_1.2645.0.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\\GameLaunchHelper.exe", "IsUWP": true, "IsUWPWepApp": true, "UWPFamilyPackageName": "Microsoft.Chelan_8wekyb3d8bbwe", "UWPApplicationID": "HaloMCCShipping", "UWPIconPath": "C:\\Program Files\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.Chelan_1.2645.0.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\\StoreLogo.png", "UWPIdentity": "Microsoft.Chelan" }, "ProfileGUID": "ff88a11e-9764-447c-a01c-9a1c7f8e8933", "Position": 8 } ]

so, it would be great if the app could find the correct exe, i don't know if it's stored somewhere in the manifest file, i don't know how to read it

if it's hard to implement i would wait for microsoft to release it, maybe they will change the system and it won't be necessary

an easy "fix" would be to be able to edit the path of the application without accessing the json file

maybe if possibile, with a file picker the user could navigate to E:\Xbox\Halo- The Master Chief Collection\Content\mcc\binaries\win64\
and select
MCCWinStore-Win64-Shipping.exe
and recognize the path given the name of the folder, and override the file

one of the problem is that Windows gives me a permission error selecting the file, so i don't know if there is a workaround for that

[AuThomasPrime]

Same issue here with Halo Infinite through Xbox Game Pass. UWP launcher redirects to the true advanced installation *.exe. Windows gives me the same permission error when trying to add the true *.exe manually. I'm going to try and work around the permission error, let me know if you have found a fix since your original post.

[FatheredPuma81]

Drag game EXE to Desktop>Right Click>Take Ownership (Winaero Tool)>Drag EXE back into game folder>Select EXE Manually>Done