Microsoft Store now accepts Win32 apps, any of them

The first day of the Build 2022 developer conference highlights an impressive change in the Microsoft Store. Microsoft now accepts Win32 application from everyone. Until now, such apps have been added to the store on a first-come, first-served basis, and approval has likely been manual.

The new Microsoft Store allows developers to publish unpackaged Win32 applications, including regular EXE and MSI files. Packaging to the MSIX or APPX container is now optional. This change has been earlier announced by the Redmond firm.

This way, Microsoft Store is gradually becoming a unified hub for all desktop applications. Regardless of the underlying technology, be it UWP, Win32 or PWA, the app can be published and later installed on any PC.

Microsoft is also opening Microsoft Advertising platform for developers who can promote their apps in the Microsoft Store. But to use it, the developer must have an account with at least one published application.

Microsoft's stats shows that users often search for certain applications using the Search pop-up window on the Windows 10 and Windows 11 taskbar. That is why the company has added a piece of information the Microsoft Store to the search results on Windows. So that you can quickly jump to the installation of the app right from the search window.

Finally, Microsoft Store will allow you to quickly restore the apps from your library.  It will be similar to how you set up a new smartphone running iOS or Android.

Obviously, it won't be able to restore the apps you've got outside of the Store. So the company just gives the user one more reason to use the Store as a primary app source.