Repair the Windows 11 “Publisher Could Not Be Confirmed” Issue

Developers are swarming to publish their apps on the official store following the launch of Windows 11 and a renewed focus on the Microsoft Store. We recently compiled a list of the top Windows 11 apps and discovered that most of them are offered on the Microsoft Store. Yet, some users still choose to use the setup file to install software. On Windows 11, most applications are packaged using the cutting-edge MSIX or MSIXBUNDLE container and thus are difficult to install without confirmed certificates. Hence, when sideloading MSIX or MSIXBUNDLE packages on Windows 11, users encounter problems like “Publisher could not be confirmed.”

So, we present to you in this post a guide on how to resolve the “Publisher could not be confirmed” error on Windows 11.

Repair the Windows 11 “Publisher Could Not Be Verified” error (2023).

We have provided two solutions to resolve the Windows 11 “Publisher certificate could not be confirmed” problem. Try the following option if the first one doesn’t work for you.

Install verified certificates to resolve the “Publisher Could Not Be Verified” error on Windows 11.

On Windows 11, do not panic if you see an error saying something like “This app package’s publisher certificate could not be confirmed.” The root certificate with a confirmed signature can be installed in a straightforward manner. Both the MSIX and MSIXBUNDLE packages can be installed using this technique. This is the procedure.

1. Rise Media Player, a top-notch open-source media player for Windows 11, will be installed as part of this technique. The error message “Publisher certificate could not be confirmed” is displayed while installing the MSIX package, as you can see below, and the user is not able to install the application.

2. Then, use the context menu to right-click the MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE package and select “Properties.”

3. A Properties box will appear after that.Click on “Details” under the “Digital Signatures” option here.

4. Next, select “See Certificate.”

5. After that, select “Install Certificate.” It will then display a new Certificate Import Wizard. Click “Next” after selecting “Local Machine” here.

6. Next, click “Browse” after selecting “Put all certificates in the following store.”

7. Scroll down in the tiny pop-up window, choose “Trusted Persons,” and then click “OK.”

8. To import the certificate, click “Complete” after selecting “Next.”

9. The signed certificate has been installed, as seen here. You can now close all the open windows.

10. Double-clicking the MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE package will allow you to install the app without encountering any problems.

11.With PowerShell, resolve the “Publisher Certificate Could Not Be Confirmed” error on Windows 11.

This technique will assist you in installing the program if the “Digital Signatures” tab in the properties window is not visible after performing the patch. Usually, it occurs when the developer did not include the necessary certifications in the software when it was distributed. I’m setting up the video and audio editing program Lossless Cut to show how to do the steps in this tutorial. You will need to manually install the app using PowerShell to get around the “Publisher certificate could not be confirmed” problem since it lacks a digital signature. The steps are listed below.

The MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE package should be unblocked.

1. Right-click the APPX/APPXBUNDLE package and select “Properties” to start.
2. The “Security” option can be found at the bottom of the “Properties” window’s “General” tab. Click “OK” after selecting “Unblock” from the drop-down menu. This is a step-by-step procedure designed to enable the installation of the application.
3. Next, double-click the software and attempt to install it.  Go to the following step if it is still displaying the issue.

Get the MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE package extracted.

1. To start the procedure, install 7-Zip using this link. You can extract the MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE package using a well-known file archiver utility like 7-Zip.
2. Right-click the MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE package after installing 7-Zip and select “Display additional options.”
3. A previous context menu will appear. Click on “Extract to Folder” and then select “7-Zip” from the menu. By doing this, the package will be extracted, and a folder will be created in the same location.
4. Once the folder has been extracted, you will see an “AppxManifest.xml” file within.
5. Click “Copy as Path” with the right mouse click on the XML file. The file path will be copied to the clipboard, which we will require later.

Windows 11: Activate Developer Options

1. In Windows 11, a crucial setting needs to be changed before we can install the app using PowerShell. Once you’ve pressed the Windows key, type “developer.” Open “Development settings” right now.
2. Next, switch on “Development Mode” by doing so. By doing this, you’ll be able to sideload MSIX and MSIXBUNDLE software from any source without needing a certificate.

Install the application despite the “Publisher Certificate Could Not Be Confirmed” error.

1. The software will now be installed on Windows 11 using PowerShell. Hit the Windows key and type “powershell” into the search box. Click “Run as Administrator” in the right pane at this point.
2. Type the following command in the PowerShell window, replacing filepath with the path to the XML file you copied earlier. Just add the file location indicated in the screenshot after the command. Once you press Enter, the software will immediately begin to install on your system.

Add-AppxPackage-Register (Filepath)

Reopen the extracted folder and right-click on the “AppxManifest.xml” file to copy the path if it is not already in your clipboard.

2. Lossless Cut has been set up on my Windows 11 computer, as you can see here. Remember that since the extracted folder is where the application is executing, you cannot delete it.

MSIX and MSIXBUNDLE Packages Installed Easily on Windows 11

To install MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE packages and resolve the “Publisher could not be verified” problem on Windows 11, follow these steps: If the program has a signed certificate, the first way is easy to understand. The second approach can be used to install the program if the certificate is not readily available. That’s all we have to say, though. See the guide we’ve linked to for some great advice if you want to make Windows 11 run faster and more efficiently. We have a thorough guide prepared for you that will show you how to personalize the Taskbar in Windows 11. Finally, let us know in the comments section below if you have any queries.