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Create Launching the command line programs with the Microsoft Store variant

Moritz Bunkus 2021-04-02 16:30:18 +00:00
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# How do I launch the command-line applications when I've installed MKVToolNix from the Microsoft Store (as a Windows App)?
MKVToolNix can be [bought & installed](MKVToolNix-costs-money-in-stores) from the [Microsoft Store](https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9NS0Q4ZM8MW2) as a Windows App. In the Store all Apps are packaged differently than they've been for years now, e.g. like my own [installer for Windows](https://mkvtoolnix.download/downloads.html#windows). Unfortunately this means that it's currently not possible to run the command-line programs directly, even though they are present in the file system.
**If you know of a way to remedy this situation, please [contact me and let me know](https://mkvtoolnix.download/community.html)!** I'd very much like to improve the App variant so that it can be used to run the command-line tools as well. At this point my knowledge about the whole Store process & MSIX packaging is very new and very limited, though; hence no solution being available yet.
For the time being, please download the regular variants (portable or installer) for Windows if you want to use the command-line applications.
## Details
Windows Apps are installed into the directory `C:\Program Files\WindowsApps` (only talking about 64-bit systems here; paths are slightly different for 32-bit ones). Within that directory each App has its own sub-directory whose name consists of:
* package, identity & name: `53641MoritzBunkus.MKVToolNix`
* version number, e.g. `55.0.0.0`
* the processor architecture, e.g. `x64` for 64-bit
* the suffix of the package family name: `dzwm38c22apxe`
This is where the meta data such as the App manifest is stored as well as the program files themselves in the `mkvtoolnix` sub-directory.
However, the whole App installation directory tree `C:\Program Files\WindowsApps` is not accessible to users. Only when one runs the App via the start menu will part of the file system be made accessible, but only to the process started via the start menu. This means that the MKVToolNix GUI process started via the start menu can execute `mkvmerge.exe` from the same directory, but you cannot run it yourself, e.g. via Windows Explorer, `cmd.exe` or the PowerShell. Even though you can open `C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\53641MoritzBunkus.MKVToolNix_55.0.0.0_x64__dzwm38c22apxe\mkvtoolnix` in Windows Explorer, you cannot launch the programs from it.
Like I wrote above, I'd really like to enable access to the command-line applications for everyone.