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Document that App Installer OnLaunch updates don't fire from desktop shortcuts or taskbar - #477

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Document that App Installer OnLaunch updates don't fire from desktop shortcuts or taskbar#477
RDMacLachlan wants to merge 7 commits into
MicrosoftDocs:mainfrom
RDMacLachlan:users/romaclac/docbug-24544290

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Resolves the doc gap behind Azure Boards work item AB#24544290 and GitHub issue #59.

Problem

App Installer automatic OnLaunch update checks are only triggered when an app is launched from the Start menu (including tiles). By design, they are not triggered when the app is launched from a desktop shortcut or a taskbar item, so those launches start the currently installed version without checking for updates. This behavior was confirmed by-design but undocumented, which caused confusion for developers using App Installer auto-update settings.

Changes

  • app-installer/update-settings.md — Added an [!IMPORTANT] note under OnLaunch describing the by-design limitation and pointing to the code-based update workaround.
  • app-installer/auto-update-and-repair--overview.md — Added a [!NOTE] in the Automatic updates section with the same limitation and workaround link.
  • non-store-developer-updates.md — Added a [!TIP] framing code-based updates as the workaround for the shortcut/taskbar limitation, linking back to the OnLaunch settings.
  • Bumped ms.date on the edited files.

…shortcuts or taskbar

App Installer automatic OnLaunch update checks are only triggered when an app is
launched from the Start menu (including tiles), not from a desktop shortcut or a
taskbar item. This is by design but was undocumented, leading to confusion
(GitHub issue MicrosoftDocs#59).

- update-settings.md: add an IMPORTANT note under OnLaunch explaining the
  by-design limitation and pointing to the code-based update workaround.
- auto-update-and-repair--overview.md: add a NOTE in Automatic updates with the
  same limitation and workaround link.
- non-store-developer-updates.md: add a TIP framing code-based updates as the
  workaround for the shortcut/taskbar limitation, linking back to OnLaunch.

Resolves AB#24544290

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
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Learn Build status updates of commit 86d78d3:

✅ Validation status: passed

File Status Preview URL Details
msix-src/app-installer/auto-update-and-repair--overview.md ✅Succeeded
msix-src/app-installer/update-settings.md ✅Succeeded
msix-src/non-store-developer-updates.md ✅Succeeded

For more details, please refer to the build report.

Comment thread msix-src/app-installer/auto-update-and-repair--overview.md Outdated
Comment thread msix-src/app-installer/update-settings.md Outdated
Comment thread msix-src/non-store-developer-updates.md Outdated
Comment thread msix-src/non-store-developer-updates.md Outdated
Addresses DrusTheAxe review: reword the HoursBetweenUpdateChecks description so it reads as the minimum number of hours between checks (a throttle) rather than a fixed cadence. On launch, a check occurs only if at least that many hours have passed since the last check.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot-Session: 3d27fb29-0162-474f-8e83-e7cc06dfe11c
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Learn Build status updates of commit 3612e68:

✅ Validation status: passed

File Status Preview URL Details
msix-src/app-installer/auto-update-and-repair--overview.md ✅Succeeded
msix-src/app-installer/update-settings.md ✅Succeeded
msix-src/non-store-developer-updates.md ✅Succeeded

For more details, please refer to the build report.

Addresses DrusTheAxe review: the TIP implied desktop shortcut and taskbar were the only launch entry points that skip OnLaunch update checks. Reword to say checks don't run from every entry point, using shortcut/taskbar only as examples, without asserting which entry points do trigger a check.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot-Session: 3d27fb29-0162-474f-8e83-e7cc06dfe11c
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Learn Build status updates of commit 84eb1d1:

✅ Validation status: passed

File Status Preview URL Details
msix-src/app-installer/auto-update-and-repair--overview.md ✅Succeeded
msix-src/app-installer/update-settings.md ✅Succeeded
msix-src/non-store-developer-updates.md ✅Succeeded

For more details, please refer to the build report.

…andler (PR 477 review)

Aligns the on-launch update note with the OnLaunch schema reference, which lists a menu item, Start menu tile, app execution alias, or protocol handler as the launches that take effect (desktop shortcut and taskbar do not).

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot-Session: 3f91f4ac-92c5-4012-bacf-5f63908b8716
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Learn Build status updates of commit e63f39e:

✅ Validation status: passed

File Status Preview URL Details
msix-src/app-installer/auto-update-and-repair--overview.md ✅Succeeded
msix-src/app-installer/update-settings.md ✅Succeeded
msix-src/non-store-developer-updates.md ✅Succeeded

For more details, please refer to the build report.

…ttings note (PR 477 review)

Answers reviewer comment MicrosoftDocs#3: Start menu is not the only trigger. Lists the activation-based launches (menu item, Start menu tile, app execution alias, protocol handler) that trigger OnLaunch checks, per the OnLaunch schema reference, and fixes the linked note so both pages agree.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot-Session: 3f91f4ac-92c5-4012-bacf-5f63908b8716
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Learn Build status updates of commit e5aa80c:

✅ Validation status: passed

File Status Preview URL Details
msix-src/app-installer/auto-update-and-repair--overview.md ✅Succeeded
msix-src/app-installer/update-settings.md ✅Succeeded
msix-src/non-store-developer-updates.md ✅Succeeded

For more details, please refer to the build report.

Addresses reviewer comment MicrosoftDocs#4: whether an OnLaunch check runs depends on whether the app is started through activation, not on the shortcut category. Ties the no-check case to launching the program directly rather than blanket-claiming desktop shortcuts never trigger.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot-Session: 3f91f4ac-92c5-4012-bacf-5f63908b8716
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Learn Build status updates of commit b24db78:

✅ Validation status: passed

File Status Preview URL Details
msix-src/app-installer/auto-update-and-repair--overview.md ✅Succeeded
msix-src/app-installer/update-settings.md ✅Succeeded
msix-src/non-store-developer-updates.md ✅Succeeded

For more details, please refer to the build report.

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