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What are the various options to distribute a Windows 10 application? The application will be built using the Metro UI. Are there advantages or restrictions involved with the various options? I'm new to Windows development and haven't been able to find a definitive answer to this question.

Our application may end up being a Universal Windows Platform application. Does that decision imply things with regard to distribution?

I've read some things that imply distribution through the Windows Store means you are limited to a smaller set of APIs.

Our client has Microsoft SCCM set up. How is SCCM different from the Windows Store?

Chris Williams
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  • I suspected this question might get down-voted and it has. I posted it anyway because this sounds like a legit question to me. If you're down-voting this question, please provide some feedback as to why. – Chris Williams Mar 09 '16 at 21:07
  • SCCM is an automated software distribution system. There is a possibility to use some sort of company store that would allow distribution of your app without enabling developer mode or the public windows store. However iirc there are several additional features needed that might even require additional licenses like intune for sccm to make this possible and I doubt many companies have that. So imo if this really has to be appx then they should enable devloper mode and install it via powershell and Add-AppxPackage. Downvotes are probably because this is considered a programming only site – Syberdoor Mar 10 '16 at 07:50

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In order to run Windows apps you only have the option of publishing them on the Store or enable developer mode on all machines you install it on and sideload the app.

The usable API and its limitations are in both cases the same.

See also: Sideload your app package

Fozi
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  • You mean Windows 10 apps with the Metro UI? I was under the impression that you could still write traditional apps that would be able to be distributed as .exe files and run on Windows 10. – Chris Williams Mar 09 '16 at 21:55
  • @ChrisWilliams Yes, but those are not "Windows apps" (formerly known as "Metro apps"), but "Windows desktop apps", which are completely different as they use different APIs (Win32 vs WinRT). I know it's kind of confusing with the name. – Fozi Mar 09 '16 at 22:03