WinUI 3.0 alpha App deployment error

[harvinders]

Describe the bug

I get the following error when I try to run the app build using WinUI 3.0 alpha

DEP0700: Registration of the app failed. [0x80073CF3] Windows cannot install package 5dd4b5e3-43af-4a81-825a-aac961b66542_1.0.0.0_x86__1fk83vj4aqw9y because this package depends on a framework that could not be found. Provide the framework "Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.UWPDesktop" published by "CN=Microsoft Corporation, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US", with neutral or x86 processor architecture and minimum version 14.0.24217.0, along with this package to install. The frameworks with name "Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.UWPDesktop" currently installed are: {}

Steps to reproduce the bug

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Create the WinUI 3 app from the Visual studio project template

Version Info

WinUI 3.0 Alpha

Windows 10 version	Saw the problem?
Insider Build (xxxxx)
May 2019 Update (18362)
October 2018 Update (17763)
April 2018 Update (17134)	Yes
Fall Creators Update (16299)
Creators Update (15063)

Device form factor	Saw the problem?
Desktop	Yes
Mobile
Xbox
Surface Hub
IoT

Additional context

[MikeHillberg]

There's a known issue where that VCLibs UWPDesktop framework package dependency isn't getting installed. Are you launching an x86 app on an x64 machine?

[kmahone]

@harvinders, can you try the following work-around:

In Solution Explorer, right click on References and select Add Reference. Under Universal Windows, Extensions, add a reference to 'Visual C++ 2015 UWP Desktop Runtime for native apps' and click OK. Switch from 'Debug' configuration to 'Release' configuration and try to build and launch again.

[kmahone]

You should also be able to work around this issue by manually installing the appx dependency. It is likely available on your machine under a path such as:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows Kits\10\ExtensionSDKs\Microsoft.VCLibs.Desktop\14.0\Appx\Retail\x86\Microsoft.VCLibs.x86.14.00.Desktop.appx

Please let me know if the package is not available on your machine or if installing it does not resolve the deployment error.

[llongley]

If you've created this project using the WinUI 3.0 alpha VSIX, you'll also need to remove this line from Package.appxmanifest using Notepad before you can deploy a project built using Debug configuration:

<PackageDependency Name="Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.UWPDesktop" MinVersion="14.0.24217.0" Publisher="CN=Microsoft Corporation, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US" />

[harvinders]

@kmahone, @llongley
Thanks, Adding the appx did not help but removing the entry from manifest worked.

[MikeHillberg]

This will be addressed in the next preview release.