Solution
EtherApps Forge-led application modernisation and migration helps Windows estates assess, repackage, and move legacy apps to Windows 11, Intune, MSIX, and App Attach.
Capture-first
workflow when installer media is missing or incomplete
Portfolio-wide
migration readiness across the legacy application estate
4 outputs
MSIX, MSI, IntuneWin, AppAttach from one capture
The problem
Legacy applications become migration blockers when installer media is missing, packaging routes are unclear, or teams cannot see the real application footprint early enough in the programme.
Legacy applications often survive long after the clean installer is gone, which means packaging work starts with uncertainty instead of a clear route. Forge can capture the installed footprint from a running system when the original media is missing.
If teams cannot see files, services, registry changes, or AppData dependencies clearly, route decisions become slower and riskier.
MSIX, Intune, and App Attach may be the destination, but the real blocker is choosing and delivering the route from the live application footprint. The same capture can support MSIX, MSI, IntuneWin, and AppAttach outputs where they fit the target estate.
What changes
Reduce migration delays caused by missing installer media, packaging backlog, and conversion complexity. Package work can start from a controlled VM or reference machine, then move through review before release.
Increase confidence in wave planning by reducing unknowns in application preparation earlier.
Give endpoint and release teams clearer packaging throughput and dependency control.
The modernisation view
Discover and inventory the legacy estate, capture each application from a live system (files, registry, dependencies), convert and sign through EtherApps Forge, and route into modern delivery: MSIX for Windows 11, AppAttach for AVD, IntuneWin for Intune, or MSI for legacy targets.
How we deliver it
This route is led by EtherApps Forge as the capture-first route into modern packaging and deployment-ready outputs, with optional support from other portfolio components where wider planning context is needed. Teams can start with a 7-day Forge trial on one real packaging blocker.
EtherApps Forge captures installed Windows applications from running systems, analyses the real application footprint, supports AI-guided packaging decisions, and produces deployment-ready outputs for modern environments.
FAQ
Short answers for IT, endpoint, and packaging teams planning Windows 11, Intune, MSIX, App Attach, or legacy app migration work.
Application modernisation is the work of assessing legacy applications, choosing the right package route, and preparing them for current Windows delivery. In this route, EtherApps Forge captures the running application footprint, then helps produce MSIX, MSI, IntuneWin, or AppAttach outputs where suitable for Windows 11, Intune, AVD, or Cloud PC delivery.
Start by inventorying the app estate, identifying missing installers and compatibility blockers, then package each app into the route that fits the deployment target. Forge supports capture-first packaging, signing, manifest fix-ups, Intune-ready output, and App Attach paths so Windows 11 migration is not blocked by every legacy application.
A missing installer is not always a blocker. Forge can capture a live installation from a working machine or controlled VM, including files, registry, AppData, services, and dependencies. That capture can then be reviewed and turned into modern package outputs without waiting for a vendor re-download.
That is common with older applications, and it is normally a container behaviour problem rather than a broken app. Writing files next to the executable, assuming a fixed install path, or reading a machine registry location all behave differently inside MSIX. Forge stages the Package Support Framework to correct those cases with file and registry redirection and working-directory fix-ups, so the application runs as expected without a code change or a vendor rebuild.
Both. Alongside capture-first packaging for legacy applications, the forge_msix CLI is a drop-in replacement for Microsoft's makeappx.exe, so a development team or software vendor can turn a build folder into a signed, validated MSIX inside an existing CI pipeline. Estates modernising a mix of bought-in and internally built software use the same packaging route for both.
MSIX is the modern package format for Windows delivery, while App Attach is used for Azure Virtual Desktop app delivery where it fits the environment. Forge helps choose the output route per application, with MSIX, MSI, IntuneWin, and AppAttach outputs available from the same capture-led workflow.
Timing depends on the number of apps, installer quality, dependencies, review gates, and target platforms. The practical starting point is one real application: use the 7-day EtherApps Forge trial to capture, package, and validate a blocker before planning the wider migration wave.
Start here
Use a delivery-focused session to map packaging priorities, route decisions, and rollout dependencies.
