Last UpdatedMarch 2026
Applies ToWindows 10, Windows 11, SCCM/MECM, Microsoft Intune
DifficultyBeginner to Intermediate



Introduction

If you manage a corporate Windows environment using SCCM/MECM or Microsoft Intune, you’ve likely run into the challenge of deploying Microsoft Store applications at scale. The Store requires an active user session and license validation — which makes it impossible to install Store apps during OS deployment task sequences or in system context.

The solution? Download the Store application packages manually for offline use. In this guide, I’ll walk you through multiple methods to extract .appx, .appxbundle, and .msix files from the Microsoft Store — so you can deploy them via SCCM, Intune, or even a simple PowerShell script.

Why You Can’t Just Install Store Apps During OS Deployment

Microsoft Store applications have several dependencies that break in automated/system-context deployments:

  • License check requires an authenticated user session and internet connectivity
  • Store apps are provisioned per-user, not per-machine — the Store handles this automatically in interactive sessions
  • During SCCM task sequences, there is no active user profile yet — so Store license validation fails
  • Even with co-management (Intune + SCCM), deploying Store apps via task sequence is unreliable

The workaround is to use the offline package files (.appx / .appxbundle / .msix) and deploy them using Add-AppxPackage in PowerShell or as a Win32 app in Intune.

Method 1: Using store.rg-adguard.net (Easiest)

This is the most popular and reliable method. The website store.rg-adguard.net acts as a proxy that fetches the direct download links from Microsoft’s CDN.

Step 1: Get the Microsoft Store App URL

  1. Open the Microsoft Store in your browser: https://apps.microsoft.com
  2. Search for the application you need (e.g., Sticky Notes, PowerToys, Company Portal)
  3. Open the app page and copy the URL from the address bar

Example URL for Sticky Notes:

https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/microsoft-sticky-notes/9NBLGGH4QGHW

Step 2: Extract the Download Links

  1. Go to: https://store.rg-adguard.net/
  2. Paste the Store URL into the input field
  3. Select “Retail” from the dropdown (not RP or WIS)
  4. Click the checkmark button

The page will display a list of all available packages for that application, including:

  • Multiple architecture variants (x64, x86, ARM64)
  • The main .appxbundle or .msixbundle file
  • Required dependencies: Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime, Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework, Microsoft.VCLibs
Sticky Notes Search on the Generator

Step 3: Download the Right Files

You need to download:

  • The main bundle file (.appxbundle or .msixbundle) for your target architecture
  • All listed dependency packages (these must be installed BEFORE the main app)
TipFor enterprise deployments, always download the x64 version unless you specifically need to support x86 or ARM64 devices. Most modern corporate hardware is x64.

Method 2: Using winget to Export and Repackage

If you have winget available (Windows Package Manager, built into Windows 10 21H2+ and Windows 11), you can use it to identify Store app IDs and version information.

# List installed Store apps with their IDs
winget list --source msstore
# Search for an app
winget search "Sticky Notes" --source msstore

Note: winget itself doesn’t allow direct offline extraction of Store packages, but it’s useful to identify exact package IDs which you can then use with store.rg-adguard.net.

Method 3: Using Microsoft Store for Business (Deprecated — Legacy Environments)

If your organization still uses the legacy Microsoft Store for Business (deprecated in 2023), you may have access to offline licenses for certain apps. This method is no longer recommended for new setups, but if you have existing infrastructure relying on it, the offline packages were available directly from the Store for Business portal.

For modern deployments, use Method 1 or the WinGet approach combined with Intune Win32 app packaging.

Installing Offline .Appx / .Msix Packages

Prerequisites: Enable Sideloading

On Windows 10 (before version 2004), you need to enable sideloading or Developer Mode:

  • Settings > Update & Security > For developers > Sideload apps (or Developer mode)


On Windows 10 2004+ and Windows 11, sideloading is enabled by default. No additional configuration needed.

Application sideloading via App Installer GUI

Install via PowerShell (Recommended for Scripting)

Basic installation of a single .appx file:

Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Packages\MicrosoftStickyNotes.appxbundle"

Install with dependencies (required if the app has prerequisite packages):

# Install dependencies first
Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Packages\Dependencies\Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.appx"
Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Packages\Dependencies\Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.appx"
Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Packages\Dependencies\Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework.appx"

# Then install the main app
Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Packages\MicrosoftStickyNotes.appxbundle"

Install with dependencies using the -DependencyPath parameter (cleaner approach):

Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Packages\MicrosoftStickyNotes.appxbundle" -DependencyPath @("C:\Packages\Dependencies\Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.appx","C:\Packages\Dependencies\Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.appx")

Provision for All Users (System-Wide Deployment)

If you want the app to be available for all users on a machine (pre-provisioned), use Add-AppxProvisionedPackage instead. This is the correct approach for OS deployment:

# Provision the app for all current and future users
Add-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackagePath "C:\Packages\MicrosoftStickyNotes.appxbundle" -SkipLicense
ImportantAdd-AppxProvisionedPackage requires elevation (run as Administrator or SYSTEM). This is perfect for SCCM task sequences and Intune Win32 app deployments running in system context.

Deploying via SCCM/MECM

To deploy offline Store apps via SCCM as an Application:

  1. Create a folder structure with the main bundle and a Dependencies subfolder
  2. Create an install.ps1 script that installs dependencies first, then the main app
  3. In SCCM, create a new Application > Script Installer
  4. Set the Installation program to: powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File install.ps1
  5. Set the Detection Method to check for the AppX package name

Example install.ps1 for SCCM

$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
$scriptDir = Split-Path -Parent $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path

# Install dependencies
$deps = Get-ChildItem -Path "$scriptDir\Dependencies" -Filter "*.appx"foreach ($dep in $deps) {Write-Host "Installing dependency: $($dep.Name)"    
Add-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackagePath $dep.FullName -SkipLicense}

# Install main app
$bundle = Get-ChildItem -Path $scriptDir -Filter "*.appxbundle" | Select-Object -First 1if ($bundle) {Write-Host "Installing: $($bundle.Name)"    
Add-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackagePath $bundle.FullName -SkipLicense} else {Write-Error "No .appxbundle found in $scriptDir"    
exit 1}

Detection Method

Use a PowerShell detection script:

$package = Get-AppxPackage -Name "Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes" -AllUsersif ($package) { Write-Host "Installed"; exit 0 } else { exit 1 }

Deploying via Microsoft Intune

For Intune, you have two options:

Option A: Microsoft Store App (New) — Recommended

Intune now has native Microsoft Store integration (since 2022). In the Intune portal:

  1. Apps > Windows > Add > Microsoft Store app (new)
  2. Search for the app by name
  3. Assign to device or user groups

This method uses the WinGet source and handles updates automatically. Prefer this over manual offline packaging when possible.

Option B: Win32 App with Offline Package

Use this when the app isn’t available in the new Store integration, or when you need more control:

  1. Download the .appxbundle and dependencies using store.rg-adguard.net
  2. Create the install.ps1 script (same as SCCM example above)
  3. Package with Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool (IntuneWinAppUtil.exe)
  4. Upload to Intune as a Win32 app
  5. Set install command: powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File install.ps1
  6. Set detection rule using the PowerShell detection script
# Package the folder with IntuneWinAppUtil.exe.
\IntuneWinAppUtil.exe -c "C:\Packages\StickyNotes" -s install.ps1 -o "C:\Output"

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

ErrorSolution
0x80073CF3 — Package failed updateDependency mismatch. Check that all required VCLibs and .NET Native packages are installed and match the architecture (x64 vs x86).
0x80073D02 — Resources in useA newer version of the app is already running. Close the app or use -ForceApplicationShutdown parameter.
0x80073CFB — Package already existsUse Add-AppxPackage with the -ForceUpdateFromAnyVersion switch, or remove the existing package first.
Deployment fails silently in SCCMCheck AppXDeployment-Server event log: Event Viewer > Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > AppXDeploymentServer > Operational.

Verifying Installation

After deployment, verify the app is installed correctly:

# Check if app is installed for a specific user
Get-AppxPackage -Name "Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes" -AllUsers

# Check provisioned packages (available for all future users)
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like "*Sticky*" }

# Get full package details
Get-AppxPackage -Name "Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes" | Select-Object Name, Version, Architecture, InstallLocation

Summary

Deploying Microsoft Store apps in a managed enterprise environment doesn’t have to be painful. Here’s the quick reference:

  • Use store.rg-adguard.net to download .appxbundle/.msixbundle files and their dependencies
  • Always install dependencies before the main app package
  • Use Add-AppxProvisionedPackage for system-wide provisioning in SCCM task sequences
  • For Intune, prefer the native Microsoft Store app (new) integration where available
  • Fall back to Win32 app + offline package for full control over deployment