How to Launch Appx (Universal Windows Platform, UWP, WinRT) Applications with Command on Windows

TLDR:

• Open C:\Program Files\WindowsApps
• Find the app package folder
• Copy folder and remove version name (eg: 1.25121.69.0_x64__) to get package id
• App id is usually 'App'
• Open AppxManifest.xml in the app package folder and find the Id attribute of Application tag
• Or create shortcut as described below to see that part in 'Target' field of shortcut properties
• Command is:
• explorer shell:AppsFolder\PACKID!APPID

Windows started from Windows 8 has the tech called UWP (WinRT, Windows Universal Platform) to package apps to Appx packages instead of binary (.exe).

It's not easy to launch Appx from command or to create shortcut to regular .exe file 'cause .exe file may not exist. Below is how to launch Appx apps from command.

• Find the package name
• Run 'explorer shell:AppsFolder' to find the app
• Create the shortcut of the app to desktop
• Open the property of the shortcut to see the id of package and the id of app
• eg: Microsoft.Copilot_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
• Create the command
• Can't copy package id & the app id from the property dialog above (Target field is disabled)
• Open WindowsApps dir to find the value (if not to manually type)
• C:\Program Files\WindowsApps
• A similar folder similar to the id of app is shown
• eg: Microsoft.Copilot_1.25121.69.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
• Copy that folder name
• Remove the version part '1.25121.69.0_x64__' to get package id
• Command will be:
• explorer shell:AppsFolder\PACKID!APPID
• Package id is above
• App id is usually 'App' or see AppxManifest.xml