Deployment

Windows Deployment

Installation and deployment guide for Windows

Network Weather for Windows is distributed as an MSIX package, the modern Windows installer format with built-in security, clean installation, and easy management.

System Requirements

Requirement Minimum
Windows Version Windows 11 (build 22621 or later)
Architecture x64 (64-bit)
Disk Space 50 MB
Runtime WebView2 (included with Windows 11)
Privileges Standard user (no admin required)

Download

Architecture Download
x64 NwxWin-1.1.0-x64.msix

Manual Installation

Standard Install

  1. Download the MSIX package
  2. Double-click the file to launch the App Installer
  3. Click Install
  4. Network Weather appears in the Start menu

PowerShell Install

# Download
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://pkgs.networkweather.com/Windows/NwxWin-1.1.0-x64.msix" -OutFile "NwxWin-1.1.0-x64.msix"

# Install for current user
Add-AppxPackage -Path "NwxWin-1.1.0-x64.msix"

Install for All Users (Requires Admin)

# Provision for all users on the device
Add-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackagePath "NwxWin-1.1.0-x64.msix" -SkipLicense

Pre-Configuration

Deploy a configuration file to customize client behavior before or after installation.

Configuration file location:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\NetworkWeather\config.json

Expanded path:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\NetworkWeather\config.json

Example configuration for MSP deployment:

{
  "c2": {
    "environment": "production",
    "channel": "stable",
    "telemetry_enabled": true,
    "telemetry_level": "info"
  },
  "registration": {
    "mspId": "msp-acme-corp",
    "orgId": "org-client-123"
  }
}

Deploy Configuration with PowerShell

$configDir = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\NetworkWeather"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $configDir

$config = @{
    c2 = @{
        environment = "production"
        channel = "stable"
        telemetry_enabled = $true
    }
    registration = @{
        mspId = "your-msp-id"
        orgId = "your-org-id"
    }
} | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 3

$config | Out-File -FilePath "$configDir\config.json" -Encoding UTF8

Microsoft Intune

Add the MSIX Package

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center
  2. Navigate to Apps → Windows → Add
  3. Select App type: Line-of-business app
  4. Click Select

Configure the App

  1. App package file: Upload NwxWin-1.1.0-x64.msix
  2. App information:
    • Name: Network Weather
    • Description: Network diagnostics and troubleshooting tool
    • Publisher: Network Weather
    • Category: Productivity or Utilities
  3. Click Next

Assignments

  1. Required: Assign to device groups for automatic installation
  2. Available for enrolled devices: Users can install from Company Portal
  3. Click Next and Create

Deploy Configuration via Intune

Use a PowerShell script deployment:

  1. Go to Devices → Scripts → Add → Windows 10 and later
  2. Upload a script to create the config file:
# Deploy Network Weather configuration
$configDir = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\NetworkWeather"
if (-not (Test-Path $configDir)) {
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $configDir
}

$configContent = @'
{
  "c2": {
    "environment": "production",
    "channel": "stable",
    "telemetry_enabled": true
  },
  "registration": {
    "mspId": "your-msp-id",
    "orgId": "your-org-id"
  }
}
'@

$configContent | Out-File -FilePath "$configDir\config.json" -Encoding UTF8 -Force
  1. Configure:
    • Run this script using the logged-on credentials: Yes
    • Run script in 64-bit PowerShell host: Yes
  2. Assign to the same groups as the app

Microsoft SCCM / ConfigMgr

Create an Application

  1. Open the Configuration Manager Console
  2. Navigate to Software Library → Application Management → Applications
  3. Click Create Application

Configure Detection Method

For MSIX packages, use registry detection:

Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel\Repository\Packages
Value: Contains "NetworkWeather"

Or use PowerShell detection:

$app = Get-AppxPackage -Name "*NetworkWeather*"
if ($app) {
    Write-Output "Installed"
    exit 0
}
exit 1

Deployment Type

  1. Type: Windows app package (*.msix)
  2. Content location: Network share with the MSIX file
  3. Installation program:
    powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Add-AppxPackage -Path 'NwxWin-1.1.0-x64.msix'"
  4. Uninstall program:
    powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Get-AppxPackage *NetworkWeather* | Remove-AppxPackage"

Deploy to Collection

  1. Right-click the application → Deploy
  2. Select target Device Collection
  3. Configure deployment settings:
    • Purpose: Required (auto-install) or Available
    • User notifications: Display or hide
  4. Complete the wizard

Group Policy Deployment

MSIX packages require Windows 10 1709+ and can be deployed via Group Policy using PowerShell scripts.

Create a Network Share

  1. Create a shared folder accessible by target computers
  2. Copy the MSIX package to the share
  3. Set permissions: Domain Computers need Read access

Create GPO with Startup Script

  1. Open Group Policy Management Console
  2. Create a new GPO or edit existing
  3. Navigate to Computer Configuration → Policies → Windows Settings → Scripts → Startup
  4. Add a PowerShell script:
# Network Weather MSIX Deployment Script
$packagePath = "\\server\share\NwxWin-1.1.0-x64.msix"
$appName = "*NetworkWeather*"

# Check if already installed
$installed = Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name $appName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

if (-not $installed) {
    try {
        Add-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackagePath $packagePath -SkipLicense
        Write-EventLog -LogName Application -Source "NetworkWeather" -EventId 1000 -Message "Network Weather installed successfully"
    }
    catch {
        Write-EventLog -LogName Application -Source "NetworkWeather" -EventId 1001 -Message "Network Weather installation failed: $_"
    }
}
  1. Link the GPO to target OUs

Deploy User Configuration

Use a User Logon Script to deploy config.json:

$configDir = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\NetworkWeather"
$configPath = "$configDir\config.json"
$templatePath = "\\server\share\nwx-config.json"

if (-not (Test-Path $configPath)) {
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $configDir | Out-Null
    Copy-Item -Path $templatePath -Destination $configPath -Force
}

Silent Installation

For deployment scripts and automation:

# Silent install for current user
Add-AppxPackage -Path "NwxWin-1.1.0-x64.msix"

# Silent install for all users (requires admin)
Add-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackagePath "NwxWin-1.1.0-x64.msix" -SkipLicense

# Verify installation
Get-AppxPackage -Name "*NetworkWeather*"

MSP Registration

For MSP deployments, configure mspId and orgId to associate devices with your dashboard:

{
  "registration": {
    "mspId": "msp-acme-corp",
    "orgId": "org-client-123"
  }
}
  • mspId: Your MSP identifier (provided by Network Weather)
  • orgId: Client/organization identifier (you define this)

These values link telemetry and device data to your MSP portal for fleet-wide visibility.

Uninstallation

Manual Uninstall

  1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps
  2. Find "Network Weather"
  3. Click ⋮ → Uninstall

PowerShell Uninstall

# Uninstall for current user
Get-AppxPackage -Name "*NetworkWeather*" | Remove-AppxPackage

# Uninstall provisioned package (all users)
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Where-Object DisplayName -like "*NetworkWeather*" | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online

Remove User Data

Remove-Item -Path "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\NetworkWeather" -Recurse -Force

Troubleshooting

Installation Fails

"App package not signed":

  • Ensure the MSIX is downloaded from pkgs.networkweather.com
  • Verify the file wasn't modified during transfer

"Sideloading not enabled":

  • Windows 11 allows sideloading by default
  • For managed devices, enable via Group Policy: Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → App Package Deployment → Allow all trusted apps to install

Add-AppxPackage fails:

  • Check Windows Event Viewer: Applications and Services Logs → Microsoft → Windows → AppXDeployment-Server
  • Ensure WebView2 runtime is installed

App Doesn't Start

WebView2 missing:

  • Windows 11 includes WebView2 by default
  • If missing, install from: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webview2/

Blank window:

  • Check if antivirus is blocking WebView2
  • Verify Windows is updated to build 22621+

Configuration Not Applied

  • Verify path: %LOCALAPPDATA%\NetworkWeather\config.json
  • Check file encoding is UTF-8 (BOM is handled automatically)
  • Validate JSON: Get-Content config.json | ConvertFrom-Json
  • Restart Network Weather after config changes

Check Installation Status

# List installed package
Get-AppxPackage -Name "*NetworkWeather*" | Format-List Name, Version, InstallLocation

# Check for provisioned package
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Where-Object DisplayName -like "*NetworkWeather*"

Support

For deployment assistance, contact support@networkweather.com.