Regression in 23.8 bundled PsfRuntime64.dll — 64-bit shell file dialogs crash the app (ExecutionEngineException) MSIX

[dougchasman]

Product: Advanced Installer (Enterprise), MSIX build
Works on: 23.7 (9b50d73c) · Breaks on: 23.8 (29516700)

SUMMARY

After upgrading our local toolset from 23.7 to 23.8 and rebuilding the same project (only change to the .aip was the DOCUMENT version attribute), our packaged app crashes whenever it opens any Windows shell file dialog (OpenFileDialog / SaveFileDialog / IFileDialog) — Open / Browse / Import / Export. Crash happens before the picker appears.

• Crash: System.ExecutionEngineException, no managed stack / no inner exception (native fault in an injected shim, not app code).
• Reproduces only from the normal installed (non-development) MSIX.
• Does not reproduce in loose/dev mode, local build, or under the debugger — even with identical local binaries + symbols. Points at the packaged PSF runtime.

EVIDENCE IT'S THE 23.8 PSF RUNTIME (not our config)

Byte-comparison of the 23.7-built (working) vs 23.8-built (crashing) package. Same 1452 files, none added/removed:

• config.json — byte-identical
• FileRedirectionFixup64.dll — byte-identical
• FileRedirectionFixup32.dll, PsfRunDll32/64.exe, PsfRuntime32.dll — byte-identical
• PsfRuntime64.dll — CHANGED (the only PSF file that differs)

PsfRuntime64.dll PE section deltas (23.7 → 23.8): .text +1,184 B · .rdata +144 B · .pdata +48 B (all other sections identical; cert table same 14,800 B, just relocated). Genuine new code in the 64-bit runtime — and our app is x64.

OUR PSF CONFIG (unchanged both builds): FileRedirectionFixup injected into .* (all processes), UseFromSafeRedirection for Fonts + two SystemX86 folders.

NOTE: Not mentioned in the 23.8 Release Notes or MSIX Changelog — appears to be an undocumented PSF runtime update.

QUESTIONS:

1. Known regression in the 23.8 PsfRuntime64.dll for 64-bit shell/common file dialogs with FileRedirectionFixup injected into all processes?
2. Hotfix available/expected for the 23.8 PSF runtime?
3. Supported way to pin/override the bundled PSF runtime (force 23.7's PsfRuntime64.dll) for an MSIX build, instead of rolling back the whole toolset?

We can provide both .msix files, the PsfRuntime64.dll pair, SHA-256 hashes, and the AppxManifest build:Item entries. Happy to test a private/hotfix build.

[Liviu]

Hello Doug,

As I see, my colleague Daniel has replied to you over the email.

Please continue the conversation there to avoid duplicate threads.

Best regards,
Liviu

[dougchasman]

Has this issue been fixed in 23.9?

[Catalin]

Hello Doug,

The issue has been fixed, but it missed our 23.9 release (as it was fixed close to the release date and the QA team did not have enough time to test it properly).

It will be available in version 24.0 of Advanced Installer.

Best regards,
Catalin