How to Deploy a Windows App with Azure DevOps Pipelines

It’s Friday, and you know what that means—it’s time for another Friday Fact! Today’s topic may feel different from the usual ones. However, it is just as true and just as valuable.

Did you know that you can create an Azure DevOps pipeline to deploy a Windows app to Azure File Share or Azure Blob Storage for download? You absolutely can.

In this example, the pipeline packages the application files (.exe, .pdb, .dll, .config, and others) into a single ZIP file. As a result, end users can download and install the app easily from one place.

For this to happen, we need to create a DevOps pipeline that performs the following actions:

Triggered when changes to the WinApp Directory files are made.
Restore NuGets.
Builds the Windows App Solution.
Copies the Build Output Files to the Staging Directory.
Zip the contents (Optional Step).
Upload the Zip to FileShare.

📝 One-Minute Brief

Azure DevOps pipelines can automate the deployment of Windows applications with consistency and reliability. This Friday Fact explains how pipelines simplify deployment, reduce manual steps, and help teams deliver Windows apps faster using modern DevOps practices.

Example of the YAML Pipeline

trigger:
  paths:
    include:
    - NordexWinApp/*

pool:
  vmImage: 'windows-latest'  # Use a Windows agent to build .NET Framework applications

variables:
  buildConfiguration: 'Release'
  artifactName: 'nordexapp.zip'
  fileSharePath: '\\cicdpocwinappfileshare.file.core.windows.net\winappfileshare'  # Replace with your actual file share path
  storageAccountName: 'cicdpocwinappstorage'  # Replace with your storage account name
  containerName: 'downloads'            # Replace with your blob container name

steps:
- script: |
    echo "Build Configuration: $(buildConfiguration)"
    echo "Binaries Directory: $(Build.BinariesDirectory)"
    echo "Work Dir: $(system.defaultworkingdirectory)"
    echo "Art Staging Directory: $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)"
  displayName: 'Print Variables'

- task: NuGetToolInstaller@1
  displayName: 'Use NuGet 5.x'

- task: NuGetCommand@2
  displayName: 'Restore NuGet packages'
  inputs:
    restoreSolution: '**/*.sln'

- task: VSBuild@1
  displayName: 'Build solution'
  inputs:
    solution: '**/*.sln'
    msbuildArgs: '/p:Configuration=Release'
    platform: 'Any CPU'
    configuration: 'Release'

- task: CopyFiles@2
  displayName: 'Copy Files to Staging Directory'
  inputs:
    SourceFolder: '$(system.defaultworkingdirectory)\NordexWinApp\NordexWinApp\bin\$(buildConfiguration)'
    Contents: '**\*'
    TargetFolder: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)'

- task: ArchiveFiles@2
  displayName: 'Zip build artifacts'
  inputs:
    rootFolderOrFile: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)'
    includeRootFolder: true
    archiveType: 'zip'
    archiveFile: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/zip/$(artifactName)'

- task: WindowsMachineFileCopy@2
  displayName: 'Copy Files to File Share'
  inputs:
    MachineNames: 'cicdpocwinappfileshare.file.core.windows.net'
    SourcePath: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/zip/$(artifactName)'
    TargetPath: '$(fileSharePath)'
    CleanTargetBeforeCopy: true
    # Provide credentials if required by your file share for authentication
    AdminUserName: 'localhost\cicdpocwinappfileshare'
    AdminPassword: '$(FileshareAdminPassword)'

- task: AzureCLI@2
  displayName: 'Upload to Azure Blob Storage'
  inputs:
    azureSubscription: 'WinAppAzureConnection' # Service connection name
    scriptType: 'bash'
    scriptLocation: 'inlineScript'
    inlineScript: |
      az storage blob upload-batch \
        --account-name $(storageAccountName) \
        --destination $(containerName) \
        --source '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/zip' \
        --pattern '*' # Upload all files

You can download the YAML Pipeline from GitHub here:

Download the Azure DevOps Pipeline to deploy your Windows App

THIS RESOURCE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.