Microsoft.ui.xaml.2.8 Appx Download Instant
Cause: You already have Microsoft.UI.Xaml.2.8 (or newer, like 2.9) installed.
Solution: No action needed. Or, if you need to reinstall, uninstall first:
Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.UI.Xaml.2.8* | Remove-AppxPackage
Warning: Do not download AppX packages from third-party aggregator sites. Always use official Microsoft sources to avoid malware or untrusted certificates.
Microsoft.UI.Xaml.2.8 is a version of the Microsoft UI Xaml Library – a set of modern controls and UI components for building Windows desktop applications (both Win32 and UWP) using the Windows App SDK (formerly known as Project Reunion).
Note: WinUI 2.x is designed for UWP and desktop apps that are not yet migrated to WinUI 3. WinUI 3 uses a different package naming (
Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK).
The Microsoft.UI.Xaml 2.8 package is a critical framework dependency used by many modern Windows applications, such as Windows Terminal and WinGet. While it is typically managed automatically by the Microsoft Store, offline users or developers may need to download and install the .appx file manually. Direct Download & Extraction microsoft.ui.xaml.2.8 appx download
Because Microsoft does not always provide a direct "EXE" installer for framework packages, the standard way to acquire the .appx is through the NuGet repository.
Download from NuGet: Go to the official Microsoft.UI.Xaml NuGet page and select the specific version (e.g., 2.8.7) from the versions tab.
Rename to ZIP: Once the .nupkg file is downloaded, change its file extension to .zip.
Locate the Appx: Extract the ZIP file and navigate to the following directory:\tools\AppX\x64\Release (for 64-bit systems).
Find the File: You will find the file named Microsoft.UI.Xaml.2.8.appx inside. Manual Installation via PowerShell Appx install errors about signature or publisher:
If you are missing this dependency (often indicated by error 0x80073CF3), you can install it using PowerShell with Administrator privileges: Open PowerShell as an Administrator.
Run the following command, replacing the path with your actual file location: powershell
Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Path\To\Microsoft.UI.Xaml.2.8.appx" Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard
Alternatively, if you have WinGet installed and working, you can try:winget install -e --id Microsoft.UI.Xaml.2.8. Common Troubleshooting
Dependency Errors: If Add-AppxPackage fails, ensure you have the required VCLibs framework installed first, as WinUI often depends on it. Missing dependency errors:
Version Conflicts: If a higher version is already installed, Windows may block the installation. You can check your currently installed version by running Get-AppxPackage -Name "Microsoft.UI.Xaml.2.8".
Target Versions: For developers, ensure your project's TargetPlatformVersion is at least 10.0.18362.0 to maintain compatibility with WinUI 2.8. Using WinGet to Install Apps on Windows IoT Enterprise
Normally, this package is installed automatically:
Manual download may be required if:
Once you have the .appx file (and any associated .appxbundle or .eappx):