Creating custom Windows Mobile update packages

This guide will detail how to create your own update packages for Windows 10 Mobile, the packages are test signed.

Requirements:

• Unlocked Bootloader for deploying the Update Package (This is needed to bypass issue with the test certificate being used)
• W10M_Tools.7z I prepared here from the Updating WP FFU Images guide
• XML definition file (This will be explained)

Guide

I will presume you have extracted the W10M Tools into a folder of your choice, I will choose C:\WPCT\Tools\bin\i386 for this guide.

Creating your XML definition manifest

This file is essential as without it you cannot make your packages, it lists Files and Registry entries that you choose, and adds them to the package. There are other possibilities on what to add but for now I will keep it simple (I am still learning how to add the other options)

• Open a Text Editor of you choice, I recommend Notepad++ for this due to it's colour syntax highlighting
• Add the text below into a new file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 
<Package xmlns="urn:Microsoft.WindowsPhone/PackageSchema.v8.00" 
   Owner="" 
   OwnerType="OEM" 
   ReleaseType="Production" 
   Platform="Generic" 
   Component="" 
   SubComponent=""> 
   <Components> 
      <OSComponent> 
      
      </OSComponent> 
   </Components> 
</Package> 

This is the basic structure of the file, you are required to fill out the Owner="", Component="" and SubComponent="" tags. Think of it as Owner.Component.SubComponent.cab so for this guide it will be Empyreal96.MainOS.Tutorial_Package.cab but you can experiment and call it whatever you want.

There are other Header options you can add, i.e Partition="" is the partition you are targeting the package for so EFIESP, MAINOS or DATA

• Now time to add a file! We place objects we want to include between the <OSComponent> </OSComponent> tags, again there are other options but for now we will keep it simple.

   <OSComponent>  
     <Files> 
      <File Source="C:\Apps\WPDevPortal_1.0.18.0_x86_x64_arm.appxbundle"  
            DestinationDir="$(runtime.CommonFiles)\Xaps"/>
      <File Source="Path to file"  
            DestinationDir="Destination on device"/> 
     </Files> 
   <OSComponent>

As you can see it's pretty straightforard: we add the <Files> </Files> tags, and files you wish to add go between them with a <File /> section, Source is where the file is stored on your PC, DestinationDir is the desired location on the Phone. You can add multiple files between the <Files> tag.

You will notice $(runtime.CommonFiles) is used here, this may seem confusing but its a Macro, valid Macros can be found in the C:\WPCT\Tools\bin\i386\pkggen.cfg.xml file of W10M Tools. The runtime.CommonFiles part just tells the Phone to use the C:\PROGRAMS\CommonFiles\ folder. We need to use these Macros when setting the DestinationDir

• Now onto Registry entries!

...
   </Files> 
   <RegKeys>
    <RegKey KeyName="$(hklm.software)\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModelUnlock">
     <RegValue Name="AllowAllTrustedApps" Value="00000001" Type="REG_DWORD"/>
     <RegValue Name="AllowDevelopmentWithoutDevLicense" Value="00000001" Type="REG_DWORD"/>
    </RegKey>
    <RegKey KeyName="Path To Registry Key">
     <RegValue Name="Name of value" Value="Data you want to add" Type="Type of value"/>
    </RegKey>
   </RegKeys>
 </OSComponents>

Registry entries are a bit more work than Files, You need to know the exact Key, Name, Type and Value of the entry you want to add, here I have used the example of enabling Developer Mode to install unsigned apps. We have to add the <RegKeys> </RegKeys> tags to imply that we will be adding registry entries, and each Registry entry will be added by using <RegVaue /> tags between them. You can add a variety of different Type values (e.g REG_SZ, REG_BINARY) but to keep it simple i have gone with REG_DWORD.

Again we have a Macro used (Refer to pkggen.cfg.xml for more), $(hklm.software) simply tells us that the registry key is in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE hive, the rest of the KeyName is the rest of the location.

• Now that we have covered that, lets look at it all in a single XML file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 
<Package xmlns="urn:Microsoft.WindowsPhone/PackageSchema.v8.00" 
   Owner="Empyreal96" 
   OwnerType="OEM" 
   ReleaseType="Production" 
   Platform="Generic" 
   Component="MainOS" 
   SubComponent="Tutorial_Package"> 
   <Components> 
      <OSComponent> 
         <RegKeys>
          <RegKey KeyName="$(hklm.software)\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModelUnlock">
           <RegValue Name="AllowAllTrustedApps" Value="00000001" Type="REG_DWORD"/>
          </RegKey>
          <RegKey KeyName="$(hklm.software)\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModelUnlock">
           <RegValue Name="AllowDevelopmentWithoutDevLicense" Value="00000001" Type="REG_DWORD"/>
          </RegKey>
         </RegKeys>
         <Files> 
          <File Source="C:\Apps\WPDevPortal_1.0.18.0_x86_x64_arm.appxbundle"  
                DestinationDir="$(runtime.CommonFiles)\Xaps"/>
          <File Source="Path to file"  
                DestinationDir="Destination on device"/> 
         </Files> 
      </OSComponent> 
   </Components> 
</Package> 

That is now complete, Save the XML file to somewhere safe, I name my manifests like this: Owner.Component.SubComponent.pkg.xml so this will be saved as Empyreal96.MainOS.Tutorial_Package.pkg.xml in C:\WPCT\Tools\bin\i386\XML

Creating the Package

Now we have our definition file, we need to create the package, but this has some setup required beforehand.

• Open Command Prompt as Admin to C:\WPCT\Tools\bin\i386

• (First time only) Run the following commands

  • set "WPDKCONTENTROOT=C:\WPCT"
  • installoemcerts.cmd This is required first time to install the Test Certificates that will be used for signing

• Now we need to set the date to 2014 and configure some signing settings, type:

  • date 01-01-2014 (note: Windows sometimes resets the time back after running this command, if it does run it again)
  • set SIGN_OEM=1
  • set SIGN_WITH_TIMESTAMP=0

• It's time to create the package by typing:

  • PkgGen.exe "C:\WPCT\Tools\bin\i386\XML\Empyreal96.MainOS.Tutorial_Package.pkg.xml" /version:1.0.0.0 /config:pkggen.cfg.xml /output:C:\WPCT\Tools\bin\i386\spkg_out

  (You can choose anywhere to save the output file, I just create the folder and use C:\WPCT\Tools\bin\i386\spkg_out as my personal preference)

• If all goes well then your newly created package will be in C:\WPCT\Tools\bin\i386\spkg_out, this will create both an .spkg and a .cab file for you to use, .spkg is best for WP8.x devices and the .cab is best for W10M devices

Pushing the package to device

As stated in the requirements we need an unlocked bootloader, otherwise you will get a CERT_E_CHAINING error when deploying

• Set your phone date anywhere between 01-01-2014 and 2016.
• Copy/Move your new .cab file to a folder, make sure it is the only file in the folder.
• Use IUTool to push the new package.
  • iutool -V -p "Path to folder"
• The device should restart and apply the update, once booted if you don't get "Update installed successfully" notification, or your changes aren't visible/taken effect then follow the instructions below.

Diagnosing why an update isn't applying

• Use this command to fetch the logging cab and open it
  • getdulogs -o logs.cab && logs.cab
• When a window opens, look for ImgUpd.log.cbs.log and look for any errors in the file (File Collisions, Registry Collisions etc)

Extras

• Creating a package that provisions an App install