PowerShell · TravisEz13 · Apr 16, 2026 · Apr 8, 2026 · Apr 8, 2026 · Apr 9, 2026
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ To run the link-checker, follow these steps:
 1. Issues marked as [`First-Time-Issue`][first-time-issue],
  are identified as being easy and a great way to learn about this project and making
  contributions.
-  
+
 ### Finding or creating an issue

 1. Follow the instructions in [Contributing to Issues][contribute-issues] to find or open an issue.
@@ -264,18 +264,10 @@ Please see PowerShell [Testing Guidelines - Running Tests Outside of CI][running
 * Our CI contains automated spell checking and link checking for Markdown files. If there is any false-positive,
  [run the spell checker command-line tool in interactive mode](#spell-checking-documentation)
  to add words to the `.spelling` file.
-* Our packaging test may not pass and ask you to update `files.wxs` file if you add/remove/update nuget package references or add/remove assert files.
-
-  You could update the file manually in accordance with messages in the test log file. Or you can use automatically generated file. To get the file you should build the msi package locally:
-
-  ```powershell
-  Import-Module .\build.psm1
-  Start-PSBuild -Clean -CrossGen -PSModuleRestore -Runtime win7-x64 -Configuration Release -ReleaseTag <release tag>
-  Import-Module .\tools\packaging
-  Start-PSPackage -Type msi -ReleaseTag <release tag> -WindowsRuntime 'win7-x64' -SkipReleaseChecks
-  ```

-  Last command will report where new file is located.
+  You could update the `.spelling` file manually in accordance with messages in the test log file, or
+  [run the spell checker command-line tool in interactive mode](#spell-checking-documentation)
+  to add the false-positive words directly.

 #### Pull Request - Workflow


@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ PowerShell code in GitHub Actions YAML files should be kept minimal. Move code t

 **Examples**:
 - `Start-PSPackage` - Create packages
- `New-MSIPackage` - Create Windows MSI
+- `New-MSIXPackage` - Create Windows MSIX
 - `New-DotnetSdkContainerFxdPackage` - Create container packages

 **When NOT to use**:

@@ -161,9 +161,9 @@ jobs:
      }

      $packageTypes = switch ($runtime) {
-        'x64' { @('msi', 'zip', 'msix') }
-        'x86' { @('msi', 'zip', 'msix') }
-        'arm64' { @('msi', 'zip', 'msix') }
+        'x64' { @('zip', 'msix') }
+        'x86' { @('zip', 'msix') }
+        'arm64' { @('zip', 'msix') }
        'fxdependent' { 'fxdependent' }
        'fxdependentWinDesktop' { 'fxdependent-win-desktop' }
        'minsize' { 'min-size' }
@@ -193,9 +193,9 @@ jobs:
      Write-Verbose -Verbose "runtime = '$(Runtime)'"

      $packageTypes = switch ($runtime) {
-        'x64' { @('msi', 'zip', 'msix') }
-        'x86' { @('msi', 'zip', 'msix') }
-        'arm64' { @('msi', 'zip', 'msix') }
+        'x64' { @('zip', 'msix') }
+        'x86' { @('zip', 'msix') }
+        'arm64' { @('zip', 'msix') }
        'fxdependent' { 'fxdependent' }
        'fxdependentWinDesktop' { 'fxdependent-win-desktop' }
        'minsize' { 'min-size' }
@@ -205,13 +205,6 @@ jobs:
        New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $(ob_outputDirectory) -Force
      }

-      if ($packageTypes -contains 'msi') {
-        $msiPkgNameFilter = "powershell-*.msi"
-        $msiPkgPath = Get-ChildItem -Path $(Pipeline.Workspace) -Filter $msiPkgNameFilter -Recurse -File | Select-Object -ExpandProperty FullName
-        Write-Verbose -Verbose "unsigned msiPkgPath: $msiPkgPath"
-        Copy-Item -Path $msiPkgPath -Destination '$(ob_outputDirectory)' -Force -Verbose
-      }
-
      if ($packageTypes -contains 'zip' -or $packageTypes -contains 'fxdependent' -or $packageTypes -contains 'min-size' -or $packageTypes -contains 'fxdependent-win-desktop') {
        $zipPkgNameFilter = "powershell-*.zip"
        $zipPkgPath = Get-ChildItem -Path $(Pipeline.Workspace) -Filter $zipPkgNameFilter -Recurse -File | Select-Object -ExpandProperty FullName

@@ -67,110 +67,25 @@ jobs:

  - template: /.pipelines/templates/install-dotnet.yml@self

-  # Import build.psm1 and bootstrap packaging dependencies (WiX Toolset)
+  # Import build.psm1 and bootstrap packaging dependencies
  - pwsh: |
      $repoRoot = "$env:REPOROOT"
      Import-Module "$repoRoot\build.psm1"
      Import-Module "$repoRoot\tools\packaging"
      Write-Verbose -Verbose "Modules imported successfully"
-
-      # Install WiX Toolset for EXE package creation
-      $isArm64 = '$(Runtime)' -eq 'arm64'
-      $env:RUNTIME = '$(Runtime)'
-      Start-PSBootstrap -Scenario Package
-    displayName: 'Import modules and install WiX Toolset'
+    displayName: 'Import modules'
    env:
      ob_restore_phase: true

-  # Sign MSI packages
-  - task: onebranch.pipeline.signing@1
-    displayName: Sign MSI packages
-    inputs:
-      command: 'sign'
-      signing_profile: external_distribution
-      files_to_sign: '**\*.msi'
-      search_root: '$(Pipeline.Workspace)'
-
-  # Create EXE package from signed MSI (for x64, x86, arm64 only)
-  - pwsh: |
-      $runtime = '$(Runtime)'
-      Write-Verbose -Verbose "runtime = '$(Runtime)'"
-
-      $repoRoot = "$env:REPOROOT"
-      Import-Module "$repoRoot\build.psm1"
-      Import-Module "$repoRoot\tools\packaging"
-
-      $noExeRuntimes = @('fxdependent', 'fxdependentWinDesktop', 'minsize')
-
-      if ($runtime -in $noExeRuntimes) {
-        Write-Verbose -Verbose "No EXE generated for $runtime"
-        return
-      }
-
-      $version = '$(Version)'
-
-      $msiLocation = Get-ChildItem -Path $(Pipeline.Workspace) -Recurse -Filter "powershell-*$runtime.msi" | Select-Object -ExpandProperty FullName
-      Write-Verbose -Verbose "msiLocation: $msiLocation"
-
-      Set-Location $repoRoot
-
-      $exePath = New-ExePackage -ProductVersion $version -ProductTargetArchitecture $runtime -MsiLocationPath $msiLocation
-      Write-Verbose -Verbose "setting vso[task.setvariable variable=exePath]$exePath"
-      Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=exePath]$exePath"
-      Write-Verbose -Verbose "exePath: $exePath"
-
-      $enginePath = Join-Path -Path '$(System.ArtifactsDirectory)\unsignedEngine' -ChildPath engine.exe
-      Expand-ExePackageEngine -ExePath $exePath -EnginePath $enginePath -ProductTargetArchitecture $runtime
-    displayName: 'Make exe and expand package'
-
-  # Sign EXE engine
-  - task: onebranch.pipeline.signing@1
-    displayName: Sign exe engine
-    inputs:
-      command: 'sign'
-      signing_profile: $(msft_3rd_party_cert_id)
-      files_to_sign: '$(System.ArtifactsDirectory)\unsignedEngine\*.exe'
-      search_root: '$(Pipeline.Workspace)'
-
-  # Compress signed EXE engine back into package
-  - pwsh: |
-      $runtime = '$(Runtime)'
-      Write-Verbose -Verbose "runtime = '$(Runtime)'"
-      $repoRoot = "$env:REPOROOT"
-      Import-Module "$repoRoot\build.psm1"
-      Import-Module "$repoRoot\tools\packaging"
-
-      $noExeRuntimes = @('fxdependent', 'fxdependentWinDesktop', 'minsize')
-
-      if ($runtime -in $noExeRuntimes) {
-        Write-Verbose -Verbose "No EXE generated for $runtime"
-        return
-      }
-
-      $exePath = '$(exePath)'
-      $enginePath = Join-Path -Path '$(System.ArtifactsDirectory)\unsignedEngine' -ChildPath engine.exe
-      $enginePath | Get-AuthenticodeSignature | out-string | Write-Verbose -verbose
-      Compress-ExePackageEngine -ExePath $exePath -EnginePath $enginePath -ProductTargetArchitecture $runtime
-    displayName: Compress signed exe package
-
-  # Sign final EXE packages
-  - task: onebranch.pipeline.signing@1
-    displayName: Sign exe packages
-    inputs:
-      command: 'sign'
-      signing_profile: external_distribution
-      files_to_sign: '**\*.exe'
-      search_root: '$(Pipeline.Workspace)'
-
  # Copy all signed packages to output directory
  - pwsh: |
      $runtime = '$(Runtime)'
      Write-Verbose -Verbose "runtime = '$(Runtime)'"

      $packageTypes = switch ($runtime) {
-        'x64' { @('msi', 'zip', 'msix', 'exe') }
-        'x86' { @('msi', 'zip', 'msix', 'exe') }
-        'arm64' { @('msi', 'zip', 'msix', 'exe') }
+        'x64' { @('zip', 'msix') }
+        'x86' { @('zip', 'msix') }
+        'arm64' { @('zip', 'msix') }
        'fxdependent' { 'fxdependent' }
        'fxdependentWinDesktop' { 'fxdependent-win-desktop' }
        'minsize' { 'min-size' }
@@ -180,20 +95,6 @@ jobs:
        New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $(ob_outputDirectory) -Force
      }

-      if ($packageTypes -contains 'msi') {
-        $msiPkgNameFilter = "powershell-*.msi"
-        $msiPkgPath = Get-ChildItem -Path $(Pipeline.Workspace) -Filter $msiPkgNameFilter -Recurse -File | Select-Object -ExpandProperty FullName
-        Write-Verbose -Verbose "signed msiPkgPath: $msiPkgPath"
-        Copy-Item -Path $msiPkgPath -Destination '$(ob_outputDirectory)' -Force -Verbose
-      }
-
-      if ($packageTypes -contains 'exe') {
-        $exePkgNameFilter = "powershell-*.exe"
-        $exePkgPath = Get-ChildItem -Path $(Pipeline.Workspace) -Filter $exePkgNameFilter -Recurse -File | Select-Object -ExpandProperty FullName
-        Write-Verbose -Verbose "signed exePkgPath: $exePkgPath"
-        Copy-Item -Path $exePkgPath -Destination '$(ob_outputDirectory)' -Force -Verbose
-      }
-
      if ($packageTypes -contains 'zip' -or $packageTypes -contains 'fxdependent' -or $packageTypes -contains 'min-size' -or $packageTypes -contains 'fxdependent-win-desktop') {
        $zipPkgNameFilter = "powershell-*.zip"
        $zipPkgPath = Get-ChildItem -Path $(Pipeline.Workspace) -Filter $zipPkgNameFilter -Recurse -File | Select-Object -ExpandProperty FullName

@@ -43,6 +43,13 @@ jobs:
            $exefiles | Remove-Item -Force -Verbose
        }

+        # The .msi packages should not be uploaded to GitHub release.
+        $msifiles = Get-ChildItem -Path $Path -Filter *.msi
+        if ($msifiles) {
+            Write-Verbose -Verbose "Remove .msi packages:"
+            $msifiles | Remove-Item -Force -Verbose
+        }
+
        $OutputPath = Join-Path $Path 'hashes.sha256'
        $packages  = Get-ChildItem -Path $Path -Include * -Recurse -File
        $checksums = $packages |

@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ jobs:

  - pwsh: |
      $message = @()
-      Get-ChildItem $(System.ArtifactsDirectory)\* -recurse -include *.zip, *.msi | ForEach-Object {
-          if($_.Name -notmatch 'PowerShell-\d+\.\d+\.\d+\-([a-z]*.\d+\-)?win\-(fxdependent|x64|arm64|x86|fxdependentWinDesktop)\.(msi|zip){1}')
+      Get-ChildItem $(System.ArtifactsDirectory)\* -recurse -include *.zip | ForEach-Object {
+          if($_.Name -notmatch 'PowerShell-\d+\.\d+\.\d+\-([a-z]*.\d+\-)?win\-(fxdependent|x64|arm64|x86|fxdependentWinDesktop)\.(zip){1}')
          {
              $messageInstance = "$($_.Name) is not a valid package name"
              $message += $messageInstance
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ jobs:
      }

      if($message.count -gt 0){throw ($message | out-string)}
-    displayName: Validate Zip and MSI Package Names
+    displayName: Validate Zip Package Names

  - pwsh: |
      $message = @()

@@ -149,10 +149,8 @@ jobs:
      buildType: 'current'
      artifact: drop_windows_package_package_win_arm64
      itemPattern: |
-        **/*.msi
        **/*.msix
        **/*.zip
-        **/*.exe
      targetPath: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/downloads'
    displayName: Download windows arm64 packages

@@ -185,10 +183,8 @@ jobs:
      buildType: 'current'
      artifact: drop_windows_package_package_win_x64
      itemPattern: |
-        **/*.msi
        **/*.msix
        **/*.zip
-        **/*.exe
      targetPath: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/downloads'
    displayName: Download windows x64 packages

@@ -197,10 +193,8 @@ jobs:
      buildType: 'current'
      artifact: drop_windows_package_package_win_x86
      itemPattern: |
-        **/*.msi
        **/*.msix
        **/*.zip
-        **/*.exe
      targetPath: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/downloads'
    displayName: Download windows x86 packages

@@ -246,17 +240,17 @@ jobs:

  - pwsh: |
      Write-Verbose -Verbose "Copying Github Release files in $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/downloads to use in Release Pipeline"
-      
+
      Write-Verbose -Verbose "Creating output directory for GitHub Release files: $(ob_outputDirectory)/GitHubPackages"
      New-Item -Path $(ob_outputDirectory)/GitHubPackages -ItemType Directory -Force
-      Get-ChildItem -Path "$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/downloads/*" -Recurse | 
-        Where-Object { $_.Extension -notin '.msix', '.nupkg' -and $_.Name -notmatch '-gc'} | 
+      Get-ChildItem -Path "$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/downloads/*" -Recurse |
+        Where-Object { $_.Extension -notin '.msix', '.nupkg' -and $_.Name -notmatch '-gc'} |
        Copy-Item -Destination $(ob_outputDirectory)/GitHubPackages -Recurse -Verbose
-      
+
      Write-Verbose -Verbose "Creating output directory for NuGet packages: $(ob_outputDirectory)/NuGetPackages"
      New-Item -Path $(ob_outputDirectory)/NuGetPackages -ItemType Directory -Force
-      Get-ChildItem -Path "$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/downloads/*" -Recurse | 
-        Where-Object { $_.Extension -eq '.nupkg' } | 
+      Get-ChildItem -Path "$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/downloads/*" -Recurse |
+        Where-Object { $_.Extension -eq '.nupkg' } |
        Copy-Item -Destination $(ob_outputDirectory)/NuGetPackages -Recurse -Verbose
    displayName: Copy downloads to Artifacts

@@ -395,7 +389,7 @@ jobs:
        }

        # To use -Include parameter, we need to use \* to get all files
-        $files = Get-ChildItem -Path $downloadsDirectory\* -Include @("*.deb", "*.tar.gz", "*.rpm", "*.msi", "*.zip", "*.pkg")
+        $files = Get-ChildItem -Path $downloadsDirectory\* -Include @("*.deb", "*.tar.gz", "*.rpm", "*.zip", "*.pkg")
        Write-Verbose -Verbose "files to upload."
        $files | Write-Verbose -Verbose