Win32 Apps

[Maricel Fergason]

MicrosoftIntune enables Windows Win32 app management. Win32 app management in Intune allows you to install, configure, protect, and monitor your Windows applications on devices at your organization. Win32 apps are deployed using the Microsoft Intune management extension (IME), which is installed automatically when a PowerShell script or a Win32 app is assigned to the user or device using Intune.

Although it's possible for cloud-connected customers to use Microsoft Configuration Manager for Windows app management, Intune-only customers have greater management capabilities for their Win32 apps. This article provides an overview of the Intune Win32 app management features and related information.

When you're deploying Windows Win32 apps, consider using the Win32 app type in Intune exclusively, particularly when you have a multiple-file Win32 app installer. If you mix the installation of Win32 apps and line-of-business apps during Windows Autopilot enrollment, the app installation might fail as they both may attempt to use the Trusted Installer service at the same time which causes a failure due to this conflict. However, mixing of Win32 and line-of-business apps during Windows Autopilot device preparation is supported.

The Microsoft Intune management extension (IME) provides Intune's Win32 app type capabilities on managed clients. It is installed automatically when a PowerShell script or Win32 app is assigned to the user or device. Additionally, the Intune management extension agent checks every hour (or on service or device restart) for any new Win32 app assignments.

Before you can add a Win32 app to Microsoft Intune, you must prepare the app by using the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool. You use the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool to preprocess Windows classic (Win32) apps. The tool converts application installation files into the .intunewin format. For more information and steps, see Prepare Win32 app content for upload.

After you have prepared a Win32 app to be uploaded to Intune by using the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool, you can add the app to Intune. For more information and steps, see Add, assign, and monitor a Win32 app in Microsoft Intune.

Windows 10 1709 and later clients will download Intune Win32 app content by using the delivery optimization component of Windows. Delivery optimization provides peer-to-peer functionality that's turned on by default.

You can configure Delivery Optimization to download Win32 app content in either background or foreground mode based on assignment. Delivery optimization can be configured using Intune device configuration (or by group policy). For more information, see Delivery Optimization for Windows 10.

You can also install a Microsoft Connected Cache server on your Configuration Manager distribution points to cache delivery optimization aware content like Intune Win32 app content. For more information, see Microsoft Connected Cache in Configuration Manager.

The user will see Windows notifications for the required and available app installations. The following image shows an example notification where the app installation is not complete until the device is restarted.

You can configure the start time and deadline time for a Win32 app. At the start time, the Intune management extension will start the app content download and cache it for the required intent. The app will be installed at the deadline time.

For available apps, the start time will dictate when the app is visible in the company portal, and content will be downloaded when the user requests the app from the company portal. You can also enable a restart grace period.

On a device where a Win32 app with grace period settings has been deployed, low-rights users with non-administrative privileges can interact with the grace period UX. Admins on the device are also able to interact with the grace period UX on the device.

Win32 apps installed by Intune on a managed device won't be automatically uninstalled from that device if it is unenrolled from Intune management. Admins should restrict app assignment and installation to corporate managed devices to reduce the risk of applications and data becoming unmanaged.

App availability to As soon as possible or A specific date and time and specify your date and time. This date and time specify when the app is downloaded to the user's device.

App installation deadline to As soon as possible or A specific date and time and select your date and time. This date and time specify when the app is installed on the targeted device. When more than one assignment is made for the same user or device, the app installation deadline time is picked based on the earliest time possible.

Restart grace period to Enabled or Disabled. The restart grace period starts as soon as the app installation has finished on the device. When the setting is disabled, the device can restart without warning.

The Restart grace period assignment setting is available only when Device restart behavior in the Program section of the app is set to either of the following options:

If needed, you can suppress showing user notifications per app assignment. Follow the steps above and choose either Show toast notifications for computer restarts or Hide all toast notifications for the End user notifications option in the Edit assignment pane based on the level of notification suppression that you require.

I want to know what is the difference between windows form application, win32application ana console, i know that both the windows form application and win32 application is gui tool, but i want to know when to use one over the other one, and could I convert console application to windows form application ?

Win32 generally refers to the 32-bit Windows API. However, the _WIN32 macro is defined for both 32-bit and 64-bit programming. As a Visual Studio project type it includes both GUI and console subsystem API-level programs.

A Windows subsystem is a small integer value in the executable's header that tells Windows what kind of services this program needs. This value can be inspected via e.g. Microsoft's dumpbin program, e.g. dumpbin c:\windows\notepad.exe /headers find "ubs". In Windows 9x the dumpbin output was available via the file preview functionality, but that feature was discontinued.

GUI subsystem means that Windows will NOT attempt to outfit each instance with an associated console window. The process can however create a console window itself. Usually this subsystem is used for ordinary programs with a graphical user interface (hence, "GUI"), and with most linkers it's specified as "windows".

I don't really understand what you exactly mean by "convert" one kind of app to another kind. But. If you are talking about using some IDE and convert a project to another one : YES it is possible. What makes the main difference is the .DLLs you linked your app with. You can configure a project opened as "console" to behave as a "win32" for example. It is not really easy, but it remains possible. Nos if you want to know if a given existing application that you installed can be converted : NO.

The Win32 API (also called the Windows API) is the original platform for native C/C++ Windows applications that require direct access to Windows and hardware. It provides a first-class development experience without depending on a managed runtime environment like .NET and WinRT (for UWP apps for Windows 10). This makes the Win32 API the platform of choice for applications that need the highest level of performance and direct access to system hardware.

This documentation covers how to create desktop Windows apps with the Win32 API. The Win32 API is one of several app platforms you can use to build desktop Windows apps. For more info about other app platforms, see Choose your platform.

Download or update Visual Studio 2019. If you don't already have Visual Studio 2019, you can install the free Microsoft Visual Studio Community 2019. When you install Visual Studio, make sure to select the Desktop development with C++ option. For download links, see our Downloads page.

When you install Visual Studio, you can optionally select the .NET desktop development and Universal Windows Platform development options for access to other project types and app platforms for building desktop Windows apps.

If you have an existing desktop Win32 app, there are many features in the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) that you can use to deliver the best possible experience on Windows 10. For example, starting in Windows 10, version 1903, you can host UWP XAML controls in your desktop Win32 app using a feature called XAML Islands.

Most of these UWP features are available as modular components that you can adopt in your desktop app at your own pace without having to rewrite your entire application. You can enhance your existing desktop app by choosing which parts of Windows 10 and UWP to adopt.

Win32 APIs exist for many features and technologies in Windows 10, including core user interface and windowing APIs, audio and graphics, and networking. For guidance and code samples about using these APIs, see our features and technologies index.

Founder of System Center Dudes. Based in Montreal, Canada, Senior Microsoft SCCM Consultant, 8 times Enterprise Mobility MVP. Working in the industry since 1999. His specialization is designing, deploying and configuring SCCM, mass deployment of Windows operating systems, Office 365 and Intune deployments.

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based device management platform that enables organizations to manage devices, apps, and data. With Intune, IT administrators can manage and distribute Win32 applications to Windows 10/11 devices.

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