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WinUI Gallery failures usually come from one of four boundaries: an incorrect repository or Visual Studio setup, a NuGet restore problem, the Gallery’s pinned Windows App SDK, or a packaging/deployment configuration mismatch. Identify the stage and exact error first; then apply the matching fix instead of deleting configuration files or changing SDK versions blindly.
Start by identifying where the failure occurs
Separate compilation, package restore, and deployment before changing anything. A build that never produces binaries needs a different remedy from an MSIX deployment that fails after compilation.
| What you see | Boundary to investigate | First action |
|---|---|---|
The error says project.assets.json is missing and asks for NuGet restore |
Repository-specific restore setup | Confirm that this is the exact documented message, preserve a copy of local configuration, then try the README’s nuget.config workaround. |
| A package cannot be downloaded, or a runtime pack is missing | NuGet source, package ID, or target runtime identifier | Read the complete error, including the feed, package name, and runtime identifier; do not apply the project.assets.json workaround automatically. |
| Compilation fails in a sample using newer Windows features | Windows App SDK pin or experimental API | Check the checked-out branch and the version pinned in standalone.props. |
| Build succeeds but Visual Studio cannot install or launch the app | Packaged/unpackaged mode, target platform, or MSIX deployment selection | Review the selected configuration and Configuration Manager’s Deploy setting for that platform. |
Write down the first failing operation, not merely the final red status in Visual Studio. A restore error can prevent compilation, while a deployment error can appear only after compilation has completed successfully. Reproducing the same stage after each change makes it possible to tell whether a fix helped or simply replaced one message with another.
Verify the Gallery checkout and Visual Studio baseline
Open the solution named by the current README
Use the Microsoft WinUI Gallery repository’s current setup instructions rather than an older blog post or a remembered filename. The README currently directs you to clone the repository, open WinUIGallery.slnx, and set WinUIGallery as the startup project. Repository layouts and instructions can change, so verify that your checkout actually contains that solution file and the project layout described by the same README. If the file is absent, you may have a different branch, an incomplete clone, or instructions that no longer match the checkout.
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Before troubleshooting packages, check that Visual Studio opened the intended clone rather than a copied or older folder. The solution path, project names in Solution Explorer, and the branch or commit should agree with the README you followed. Opening a similarly named solution from another checkout can produce misleading missing-project or incompatible-project messages.
Install the documented Visual Studio workload component
The documented development baseline is Visual Studio 2022 or later with the Windows application development component installed. Open Visual Studio Installer, select the Visual Studio instance you use for the Gallery, choose Modify, and confirm that component is present. A solution can open while still failing to compile when the required Windows development tooling is missing.
If more than one Visual Studio instance is installed, verify that the instance launching the solution is the one you modified. Close Visual Studio while changing installed components, then reopen the same solution and allow any project reload or restore operation to finish before judging the result.
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Check the operating-system baseline
The Gallery README documents Windows 10 or later for executing the app. This is an execution requirement, not a promise that every sample behaves identically on every Windows release. Record the exact Windows version when diagnosing a deployment problem, especially if the same build works on another machine.
Set the startup project explicitly
In Solution Explorer, select WinUIGallery, open its context menu, and choose Set as Startup Project. This prevents Visual Studio from attempting to launch a different sample or a project that is not intended to be deployed directly. Confirm the startup project again after reopening the solution or switching branches, because solution-level settings can differ between checkouts.
Choose packaged or unpackaged mode before troubleshooting
The Gallery supports packaged and unpackaged configurations. Its project file changes MSIX-related properties according to the Packaged setting, so the same source can follow different build and launch paths. Decide whether you are trying to run the app without an MSIX package or build and deploy a package; then keep that choice consistent while diagnosing.
| Dimension | Packaged configuration | Unpackaged configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment artifact | Uses the project’s MSIX packaging properties and a package deployment path. | Does not use the packaged path selected by the Packaged setting. |
| Most useful checks | Configuration Manager’s Deploy selection, target platform, package registration, and the selected packaged configuration. | Selected configuration, target platform, and whether Visual Studio is launching the intended unpackaged target. |
| When to select it | When your goal is to create or deploy an MSIX package. | When your goal is to run the sample without creating that package. |
Do not change package properties simply because a packaged build failed. First establish which mode you intended; otherwise you can turn a configuration mismatch into a second, unrelated problem. Note the mode in your troubleshooting record, because “build failed” is ambiguous when packaged and unpackaged configurations use different project properties.
Fix the documented missing project.assets.json failure
Match the exact error text
The repository’s README suggests deleting nuget.config and trying again when WinUIGallery reports that project.assets.json is missing and asks for a NuGet restore. This is a narrowly scoped, repository-specific workaround. It is not a general cure for every restore error.
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Protect local configuration before removing the file
- Close the active build or restore operation so the error is not changing while you work.
- Copy the existing
nuget.configto a safe location or rename it so you can restore local settings if needed. A local file may contain sources or credentials used by other projects. - Remove the repository-level
nuget.configonly when the error matches the documented missing-assets message. - Run the restore again from Visual Studio and rebuild the
WinUIGalleryproject. - If the message changes to a package, feed, or runtime-pack error, stop repeating this workaround and follow the corresponding diagnosis below.
Deleting the file without checking the message can hide the real cause, remove an intentional source configuration, or make an unrelated restore failure harder to understand. If the workaround changes the error, keep both the original and new messages; the transition identifies which boundary was affected.
Diagnose package-feed and runtime-pack restore errors
Capture the complete error
For a restore failure, the useful evidence is the exact package ID, feed name or URL shown by the error, and the runtime identifier requested by the project. Copy the full text from Visual Studio’s output rather than relying on the short Error List summary. These details distinguish an unavailable package from a source-access problem or a runtime-pack selection problem.
Also record whether the message occurs during an automatic restore when the solution opens or during an explicit build. The timing helps separate an initial dependency-resolution failure from a later target-specific failure. Do not paraphrase version strings: a package ID such as Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK.1.3.230331000 and a feed such as MUX-Dependencies are diagnostic clues, not interchangeable labels.
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Understand the historical issue example
Issue #1659, opened on November 17, 2024, records one report in which retrieval of Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK.1.3.230331000 failed from a MUX-Dependencies feed and Microsoft.Windows.SDK.NET.Ref runtime pack was missing. That report is evidence of a particular checkout and environment, not proof that the feed or package is currently broken for every branch or machine. Use its error signatures as a comparison point only after confirming that your message names the same package, source, and runtime requirement.
Check the requested runtime, not just the package name
A package can be available while the restore still fails because the project requests a runtime pack that is not installed or cannot be obtained for the selected target. Record the target platform and runtime identifier shown in the error. Do not substitute a different identifier merely to make restore complete; that can produce binaries that do not match the configuration you intend to run.
Separate source access from project configuration
If the output names a feed, determine whether the failure is a source-access or authentication problem before editing project files. If it names a missing runtime pack, investigate the requested runtime and installed Windows development tooling. Keep the original error text, because changing sources or targets can replace the most useful diagnostic evidence.
When a source is named, compare the source in the error with the sources configured for this checkout and Visual Studio instance. When a runtime pack is named, compare the requested runtime with the active target platform and configuration. These are separate checks: changing a feed cannot correct a mismatched target, and changing a target cannot authenticate to an unavailable feed.
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Find the pin in standalone.props
The current README says the Gallery pins its Windows App SDK version in standalone.props. Identify that value in the branch you actually checked out before applying advice written for another release. A solution opened from a different branch can therefore request a different package set from the one described in an older issue or tutorial.
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Include the branch and pinned version in any bug report. Without those two details, a package-resolution or compile error cannot be compared reliably with an example from another point in the repository’s history.
Expect self-contained deployment behavior
The Gallery bundles the Windows App SDK runtime for self-contained deployment. Restore, build, and deployment diagnostics can consequently involve both the project’s package graph and the bundled runtime. A failure in one of those areas does not establish that the sample’s source code is defective.
Treat experimental samples as version-sensitive
The Gallery uses an experimental SDK to demonstrate upcoming features. Experimental APIs may change or be removed before a stable release. If only a feature sample fails after the baseline setup is correct, compare the branch’s pinned SDK and API usage rather than assuming that a stable Windows App SDK version can be substituted safely. A version change made only to silence one compiler message can create new restore or deployment incompatibilities elsewhere in the solution.
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Enable deployment for the exact configuration
Microsoft’s single-project MSIX sample guidance says to open Build > Configuration Manager and check Deploy for each platform and configuration that you intend to run. Select the same platform and configuration in Visual Studio’s toolbar, reopen Configuration Manager, and verify that the Gallery project’s Deploy box is selected. A successful compile does not deploy an MSIX project when deployment is disabled for that combination.
Verify platform and configuration alignment
- Confirm that the active solution configuration is the one you meant to test, including whether it is packaged or unpackaged.
- Confirm that the selected target platform matches the platform for which Deploy is enabled.
- Check the project’s
Packagedsetting and ensure it agrees with the deployment path you are attempting. - Run the deployment again and retain the complete output if it fails.
Check the toolbar after opening Configuration Manager; switching a platform or configuration can leave Deploy enabled for one combination but not another. Treat each platform/configuration pair separately, as Microsoft’s guidance requires deployment to be selected for each one you intend to use.
Do not assume that every Visual Studio deployment error has one common cause. The available evidence establishes these configuration checks as necessary first steps, but it does not establish a universal Gallery deployment defect.
Distinguish package registration from application code
If the project builds and the failure appears only while installing or launching the package, keep the diagnosis at the deployment boundary until configuration checks are complete. Changing sample code or downgrading the SDK before confirming Deploy, platform, and package mode can obscure the original failure. Preserve the deployment output even when the app eventually launches; it records which configuration actually succeeded.
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Use a decision tree instead of repeating fixes
- Does the solution load? If not, verify the checkout, solution filename, project layout, and Visual Studio component before investigating packages.
- Does restore fail? Match the exact wording. Only the missing-
project.assets.jsonmessage maps to the README’snuget.configworkaround; package, feed, and runtime-pack messages require their own diagnosis. - Does compilation fail after restore? Check the branch’s
standalone.propspin and whether the failing sample uses an experimental API. - Does compilation succeed but package deployment fail? Confirm packaged mode, target platform, and Deploy in Configuration Manager for that exact combination.
- Does deployment succeed but launch fail? Keep the same configuration and retain the complete output while reporting the Windows version and Visual Studio version.
This sequence prevents a common loop in which a developer alternates between deleting configuration, changing SDK versions, and switching platforms without knowing which stage changed.
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An end-to-end troubleshooting workflow
- Record the failure stage. Decide whether the first failure is solution loading, compilation, NuGet restore, package deployment, or launch.
- Confirm the checkout. Verify the current README’s solution filename, project layout, and
WinUIGallerystartup project against your local clone. - Validate prerequisites. Check Visual Studio 2022 or later, the Windows application development component, and Windows 10 or later on the execution machine.
- Choose the intended mode. State explicitly whether you are running packaged or unpackaged, then select the matching solution configuration.
- Classify restore errors by their words. Apply the
nuget.configworkaround only to the documented missing-project.assets.jsonmessage. For other errors, capture package, feed, and runtime-identifier details. - Compare the SDK pin. Inspect
standalone.propsand note the branch and Windows App SDK version before following advice from an issue or older guide. - Check deployment selection. For packaged runs, use Build > Configuration Manager and enable Deploy for every required platform/configuration.
- Reproduce once and preserve output. After each targeted change, rebuild or redeploy once, then save the complete output and the exact configuration used.
What to include when asking for help
If the checks above do not resolve the problem, provide enough context for someone else to distinguish an environment issue from a project issue:
- The repository branch or commit and whether the checkout contains
WinUIGallery.slnx. - Visual Studio version, installed Windows application development component, and Windows version.
- Packaged or unpackaged mode, active solution configuration, and target platform.
- The complete restore, build, or deployment output, including package IDs, feed names, runtime identifiers, and any runtime-pack message.
- Whether the failure occurs before compilation, after a successful build, during MSIX deployment, or at launch.
- Any local
nuget.configchange you made, including whether you kept a backup.
This information avoids treating the November 17, 2024 issue example as a universal diagnosis and makes it possible to compare your environment with the branch’s current requirements.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common mistakes to avoid
- Deleting
nuget.configfor a package-feed error that does not mention the documented missing-assets condition. - Using an old solution filename or startup-project instruction without checking the current README.
- Changing the Windows App SDK version instead of checking the branch’s
standalone.propspin. - Assuming a successful compile means MSIX deployment is enabled.
- Reporting only “it fails” without the package, feed, runtime identifier, platform, configuration, and full error text.
- Comparing a packaged failure with an unpackaged run without recording which mode was active.
- Changing several settings at once, which makes it impossible to identify the change that affected restore or deployment.
Frequently asked questions
Why does WinUI Gallery say that project.assets.json is missing?
When the message specifically says that WinUIGallery’s project.assets.json is missing and asks for NuGet restore, the repository README suggests trying again after deleting nuget.config. Back up or rename the file first, and do not use this workaround for a different package, feed, or runtime-pack error.
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No. The workaround is tied to the named missing-assets message. If the output identifies a package ID, feed, authentication problem, or runtime identifier, preserve the file and diagnose that exact detail instead.
What does the Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK.1.3.230331000 error mean?
Issue #1659, opened November 17, 2024, describes a failed retrieval of that package from a MUX-Dependencies feed together with a missing Microsoft.Windows.SDK.NET.Ref runtime pack. It is one historical report. Compare your complete package, feed, runtime, branch, and configuration details before assuming the same cause.
Why does Visual Studio build the Gallery but not deploy it?
Check whether you selected the packaged configuration, the intended target platform, and Deploy for that exact platform/configuration in Build > Configuration Manager. Microsoft’s single-project MSIX guidance requires Deploy to be selected for every combination you intend to run.
Can I replace the pinned Windows App SDK with a stable version?
Do not substitute a version merely because a sample uses an experimental API or because an older guide names another release. The Gallery pins its SDK in standalone.props, bundles the runtime for self-contained deployment, and may depend on that branch’s package set. Check the pin and branch first.
Which Windows and Visual Studio versions are required?
The documented baseline is Visual Studio 2022 or later with the Windows application development component. The README documents Windows 10 or later for executing the app. Include exact versions when reporting a failure, because the baseline does not guarantee identical behavior on every Windows release.
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Bottom line
Fix WinUI Gallery failures by classifying the boundary first: verify the current checkout and prerequisites, choose packaged or unpackaged mode, apply the nuget.config workaround only to the documented missing-assets message, inspect package/feed/runtime details for other restore failures, and verify Deploy for the exact packaged platform and configuration. Keep the branch, SDK pin, full error output, and environment details together so the next diagnosis starts with evidence rather than guesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does WinUI Gallery say that project.assets.json is missing?
When the message specifically says that WinUIGallery’s project.assets.json is missing and asks for NuGet restore, the README suggests backing up or renaming nuget.config, deleting the repository copy, restoring, and rebuilding. This workaround is not intended for unrelated restore errors.
Why does Visual Studio build but fail to deploy the Gallery?
Confirm packaged versus unpackaged mode, the active target platform and configuration, and Deploy in Build > Configuration Manager for that exact combination. Microsoft’s single-project MSIX guidance requires Deploy to be selected for each platform/configuration you intend to run.
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Capture the complete output, including package ID, feed name or URL, and runtime identifier. Diagnose source access, target runtime, and installed tooling from those details instead of deleting nuget.config automatically.
Where can I check the Gallery’s Windows App SDK version?
Inspect standalone.props in the branch you actually checked out. The Gallery pins its Windows App SDK there and uses an experimental SDK with self-contained deployment, so advice for another branch may not apply.
What are the documented machine prerequisites?
Use Visual Studio 2022 or later with the Windows application development component installed. The README documents Windows 10 or later for executing the app.
The Bottom Line
Classify the failure first, then match the fix: verify the current solution and prerequisites, distinguish restore from compilation and deployment, respect the branch’s SDK pin, and enable MSIX Deploy for the exact platform/configuration.
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