Distributing Tauri Applications for Windows

This skill covers Windows distribution for Tauri v2 applications, including MSI/NSIS installer creation, customization, and Microsoft Store submission.

Installer Formats Overview

Tauri supports two Windows installer formats:

Format Extension Build Platform Notes

WiX MSI .msi

Windows only Traditional Windows installer

NSIS -setup.exe

Cross-platform Can build on Linux/macOS

Building Installers

Standard Build (Windows)

npm run tauri build

or

yarn tauri build

or

pnpm tauri build

or

cargo tauri build

Target Architectures

64-bit (default)

npm run tauri build -- --target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

32-bit

npm run tauri build -- --target i686-pc-windows-msvc

ARM64 (requires additional VS build tools)

npm run tauri build -- --target aarch64-pc-windows-msvc

Cross-Platform NSIS Build (Linux/macOS)

NSIS installers can be built on non-Windows systems:

Prerequisites (Linux):

Install NSIS and build tools (Debian/Ubuntu)

sudo apt install nsis lld llvm clang

Install Windows Rust target

rustup target add x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

Install cargo-xwin

cargo install --locked cargo-xwin

Prerequisites (macOS):

Install via Homebrew

brew install nsis llvm

Add LLVM to PATH

export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/llvm/bin:$PATH"

Install Windows Rust target

rustup target add x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

Install cargo-xwin

cargo install --locked cargo-xwin

Build command:

npm run tauri build -- --runner cargo-xwin --target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

WebView2 Installation Modes

Configure how WebView2 runtime is installed on end-user machines:

Mode Internet Required Size Impact Best For

downloadBootstrapper

Yes 0 MB Default, smallest installer

embedBootstrapper

Yes ~1.8 MB Better Windows 7 support

offlineInstaller

No ~127 MB Offline/air-gapped environments

fixedVersion

No ~180 MB Controlled enterprise deployment

skip

No 0 MB Not recommended

Configuration

{ "bundle": { "windows": { "webviewInstallMode": { "type": "embedBootstrapper" // or: downloadBootstrapper, offlineInstaller, fixedVersion } } } }

For fixedVersion , add the path: "path": "./WebView2Runtime"

WiX MSI Customization

Custom WiX Template

Replace the default template:

{ "bundle": { "windows": { "wix": { "template": "./windows/custom-template.wxs" } } } }

WiX Fragments

Add custom functionality via XML fragments:

1. Create fragment file (src-tauri/windows/fragments/registry.wxs ):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi"> <Fragment> <ComponentGroup Id="MyFragmentRegistryEntries"> <Component Id="MyRegistryEntry" Directory="INSTALLDIR"> <RegistryKey Root="HKCU" Key="Software\MyApp"> <RegistryValue Type="string" Name="InstallPath" Value="[INSTALLDIR]" KeyPath="yes"/> </RegistryKey> </Component> </ComponentGroup> </Fragment> </Wix>

2. Reference in configuration:

{ "bundle": { "windows": { "wix": { "fragmentPaths": ["./windows/fragments/registry.wxs"], "componentRefs": ["MyFragmentRegistryEntries"] } } } }

Internationalization (WiX)

{ "bundle": { "windows": { "wix": { "language": ["en-US", "fr-FR", "de-DE"], // Single: "fr-FR" "localePath": "./windows/locales" // Optional: custom locale files } } } }

NSIS Installer Customization

Install Modes

Mode Admin Required Install Location Use Case

perUser

No %LOCALAPPDATA%

Default, no elevation

perMachine

Yes %PROGRAMFILES%

System-wide install

both

Yes User choice Flexible deployment

{ "bundle": { "windows": { "nsis": { "installMode": "perMachine" } } } }

Installer Hooks

Extend installation with custom NSIS scripts:

1. Create hooks file (src-tauri/windows/hooks.nsh ):

!macro NSIS_HOOK_PREINSTALL ; Run before file installation DetailPrint "Preparing installation..." !macroend

!macro NSIS_HOOK_POSTINSTALL ; Run after installation completes DetailPrint "Configuring application..." ; Example: Install VC++ Redistributable ReadRegStr $0 HKLM "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\VC\Runtimes\x64" "Installed" ${If} $0 != "1" ExecWait '"$INSTDIR\vc_redist.x64.exe" /quiet /norestart' ${EndIf} !macroend

!macro NSIS_HOOK_PREUNINSTALL ; Run before uninstallation DetailPrint "Cleaning up..." !macroend

!macro NSIS_HOOK_POSTUNINSTALL ; Run after uninstallation DetailPrint "Removal complete" !macroend

2. Reference in configuration:

{ "bundle": { "windows": { "nsis": { "installerHooks": "./windows/hooks.nsh" } } } }

Internationalization (NSIS)

NSIS installers support multiple languages in a single file:

{ "bundle": { "windows": { "nsis": { "languages": ["English", "French", "German", "Spanish"], "displayLanguageSelector": true } } } }

Minimum WebView2 Version

Require a specific WebView2 version:

{ "bundle": { "windows": { "nsis": { "minimumWebview2Version": "110.0.1531.0" } } } }

Complete Configuration Example

{ "bundle": { "active": true, "targets": ["msi", "nsis"], "icon": ["icons/icon.ico"], "windows": { "certificateThumbprint": "YOUR_CERTIFICATE_THUMBPRINT", "timestampUrl": "http://timestamp.digicert.com", "webviewInstallMode": { "type": "embedBootstrapper" }, "wix": { "language": ["en-US", "de-DE"], "fragmentPaths": ["./windows/fragments/registry.wxs"], "componentRefs": ["MyRegistryEntries"] }, "nsis": { "installMode": "both", "installerHooks": "./windows/hooks.nsh", "languages": ["English", "German"], "displayLanguageSelector": true, "minimumWebview2Version": "110.0.1531.0" } } } }

Special Configurations

Windows 7 Support

{ "bundle": { "windows": { "webviewInstallMode": { "type": "embedBootstrapper" } } } }

Enable Windows 7 notification support in Cargo.toml :

[dependencies] tauri = { version = "2", features = ["windows7-compat"] }

FIPS Compliance

Set environment variable before building:

PowerShell:

$env:TAURI_BUNDLER_WIX_FIPS_COMPLIANT = "true" npm run tauri build

Command Prompt:

set TAURI_BUNDLER_WIX_FIPS_COMPLIANT=true npm run tauri build

Microsoft Store Distribution

Requirements

• Microsoft account with developer enrollment

• Offline installer WebView2 mode (required by Store policy)

• Publisher name different from product name

Store-Specific Configuration

Create tauri.microsoftstore.conf.json :

{ "bundle": { "windows": { "webviewInstallMode": { "type": "offlineInstaller" } } }, "identifier": "com.yourcompany.yourapp", "publisher": "Your Company Name" }

Generate Store Icons

npm run tauri icon /path/to/app-icon.png

This generates all required icon sizes including Microsoft Store assets.

Build for Store

npm run tauri build -- --config tauri.microsoftstore.conf.json

Submission Process

• Build with offline installer configuration

• Sign installer with valid code signing certificate

• Create app listing in Partner Center (Apps and Games)

• Reserve unique app name

• Upload installer to distribution service

• Link installer URL in Store listing

• Submit for certification

Publisher Name Constraint

Your publisher name cannot match your product name. If your bundle identifier is com.myapp.myapp , explicitly set a different publisher:

{ "identifier": "com.myapp.myapp", "publisher": "MyApp Software Inc" }

Code Signing

Using Certificate Thumbprint

{ "bundle": { "windows": { "certificateThumbprint": "YOUR_CERTIFICATE_THUMBPRINT", "timestampUrl": "http://timestamp.digicert.com" } } }

Environment Variables

Certificate path

export TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD="your-password"

Or via tauri.conf.json

Timestamp Servers

Common timestamp servers:

• DigiCert: http://timestamp.digicert.com

• Sectigo: http://timestamp.sectigo.com

• GlobalSign: http://timestamp.globalsign.com/tsa/r6advanced1

Troubleshooting

MSI Build Fails on Non-Windows

MSI files can only be built on Windows using WiX Toolset. Use NSIS for cross-platform builds.

WebView2 Not Installing

• Check webview install mode configuration

• Verify internet connectivity for bootstrapper modes

• For offline mode, ensure installer size is acceptable

NSIS Cross-Compilation Errors

• Verify NSIS is installed and in PATH

• Check LLVM/clang installation

• Ensure Windows Rust target is installed

• Verify cargo-xwin is installed

Certificate Not Found

• Verify certificate is installed in Windows certificate store

• Check thumbprint matches exactly (no spaces)

• Ensure certificate has private key access