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I have create a Windows Store app which successfully updates its tile (live tile). The thing I hate about this now is that it seems there is no way for me to install this app anywhere except either through Windows Store or using another developer account (see this).

Since I am looking to support only desktop PC with this, can I work with live tiles from a generic NET 4.5 application?

Or to put it differently, is there a way to use / control live tiles from apps other than Windows Store apps?

This is still all too new to me... Finding answers on the web and SO revealed nothing.

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wpfwannabe
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2 Answers2

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Live Tiles are part of the Metro Framework, completely seperated from .NET. Your application is sandboxed when you develop for the Windows Store framework. no one can access your application and you can't access anyone else's application. The only way to update the live tile would be for the application to update it's own live tile. It would be a huge security flaw to allow anyone to update any tile.

Caleb Keith
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  • Okay, thanks. There is just one thing I don't understand. Is there or isn't there any documented / legal way for a non-Windows Store app to affect live tiles? Forget NET 4.5... say I had a pure C++ app. Can such app use new APIs and work with live tiles? – wpfwannabe Dec 18 '12 at 19:50
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    I can gaurantee you that there isn't any documentation showing you how to access and work with live tiles. We can only hope that one day there will be a way. – Caleb Keith Dec 18 '12 at 20:01
  • So, in simple terms. Windows Store apps can do it. All others cannot. Right? – wpfwannabe Dec 18 '12 at 20:03
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If you do NOT intend to ever submit your app to the Windows Store for distribution - you can look at this thread, which talks about methods used to communicate between desktop apps and windows store apps.

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Ani
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  • Thanks! Your link is a good resource. I will actually need this scenario. Still, as I don't intend to ever submit the app to Windows Store, am I or am I not allowed to install it using my own custom installer? My understanding is that apps can be installed either using developer licenses or through the Windows Store. Is there a third way? – wpfwannabe Dec 18 '12 at 19:52
  • You can install it on your local machine with a developer license, yes. – Ani Dec 18 '12 at 20:36