microsoft / microsoft/WindowsAppSDK

[Feature] Provide a GUI-based Windows App SDK Runtime Manager with dependency visualization and cleanup support

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area-WinAppSDKDeployment feature proposal needs-triage
Dominant language
C++
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Forks
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Avg merge
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Merged PRs (30d)
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Description

Problem

Currently, Windows App SDK runtimes are difficult to manage for both developers and end users.

Unlike many other platform runtimes, Windows App SDK does not provide a dedicated management UI where users can view:

Installed Windows App SDK runtime versions
Applications depending on each runtime version
Runtime package relationships (Main, Singleton, DDLM, Framework packages, etc.)
Runtime disk usage
Safe removal recommendations

The only available management approach is through PowerShell or package-management commands, which is cumbersome and often impractical for normal users.

Current Issues
1. No visible uninstall entry point

Windows App SDK runtimes do not have a dedicated management experience in Windows Settings.

Many users discover that the WindowsApps directory continuously grows over time but have no straightforward way to understand which Windows App SDK packages are still required.

2. Dependency visibility is missing

Before removing a runtime version, users cannot easily determine:

Which installed applications depend on that version
Whether the runtime is still actively used
Whether another runtime version can satisfy the dependency

As a result, users are forced to either:

Leave all versions installed indefinitely, or
Risk breaking applications by manually removing packages
3. Multiple package types increase complexity

A single Windows App SDK version may install multiple related packages, such as:

Main packages
Singleton packages
Framework packages
Other supporting runtime components

The relationship between these packages is not obvious, making manual cleanup difficult.

4. Runtime accumulation over time

Windows App SDK runtimes are generally not removed automatically when dependent applications are uninstalled.

Over multiple years of usage, systems may accumulate runtime versions ranging from early releases (0.x, 1.x, 2.x...) through newer releases and future versions. Also the wasdk release is becoming more and more frequent.

The WindowsApps directory can therefore continue growing with little transparency or maintenance capability available to users.

Proposed Solution

Provide an official Windows App SDK Runtime Manager (either integrated into Windows Settings or distributed separately).

The tool should be able to:

Enumerate all installed Windows App SDK runtime versions
Display applications that depend on each runtime
Show package relationships and components
Display storage usage
Identify orphaned or unused runtimes
Recommend safe cleanup actions
Optionally perform automatic cleanup of unused runtime versions

Example workflow:

User opens the Runtime Manager.
The tool displays all installed Windows App SDK versions.
Selecting a version shows dependent applications.
Unused runtimes are clearly marked.
Users can safely remove unused versions with one click.
Benefits
Improved transparency
Reduced disk usage
Easier troubleshooting
Better long-term maintainability of Windows App SDK deployments
Reduced risk of users manually removing required packages

As Windows App SDK adoption continues to grow, runtime management will become increasingly important. Providing an official dependency-aware management experience would significantly improve both developer and end-user experience.
@DrusTheAxe

Contributor guide

No contributing guide indexed for this repository

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

No files, tests, or entry points are named. Start by defining how installed Windows App SDK versions, package relationships, dependent applications, storage usage, and safe cleanup would be discovered; done means a scoped design or implementation that supports the proposed dependency-aware runtime management workflow.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
desktop, tooling
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
30/100

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