How to Fix “Publisher Could Not Be Verified” Error on Windows 11

After the release of Windows 11 and a renewed focus on Microsoft Store, developers are flocking to publish their apps on the official store. We recently curated a list of the best Windows 11 apps and found that most popular apps are available on Microsoft Store. That said, some users still prefer to install apps through the setup file. Most apps on Windows 11 are bundled using the modern MSIX or MSIXBUNDLE container, and they don’t install easily without verified certificates. Hence, users get errors such as “Publisher could not be verified” while sideloading MSIX or MSIXBUNDLE packages on Windows 11. So in this article, we bring you a tutorial on how to fix the “Publisher could not be verified” error on Windows 11.

We have mentioned two methods to fix the “Publisher certificate could not be verified” error on Windows 11. If the first method does not work for you, move to the next solution.

Fix the “Publisher Could Not Be Verified” Error on Windows 11 by Installing Verified Certificates

If you are getting an error along the lines of “This app package’s publisher certificate could not be verified” on Windows 11, do not worry. There is a simple way to install the root certificate with a verified signature. This method is applicable for both MSIX and MSIXBUNDLE packages. Here is how to do it.

1. In this method, we are going to install Rise Media Player, which is an excellent open-source media player for Windows 11. As you can see below, while installing the MSIX package, it throws the “Publisher certificate could not be verified” error and does not allow the user to install the app.

Fix the “Publisher Could Not Be Verified” Error on Windows 11 (2023)

2. To begin with, right-click on the MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE package and click on “Properties” in the context menu.

Fix the “Publisher Could Not Be Verified” Error on Windows 11 (2023)

3. Next, a Properties window will open up. Here, move to the “Digital Signatures” tab and click on “Details”.

Note: If “Digital Signatures” does not appear here, move to the next section for a working solution.

Fix the “Publisher Could Not Be Verified” Error on Windows 11 (2023)

4. After that, click on “View Certificate“.

install digital signature windows 11

5. Next, click on “Install Certificate“.

install digital signature windows 11

6. A new Certificate Import Wizard will open up. Here, select “Local Machine” and click on “Next”.

install digital signature windows 11

7. After that, choose “Place all certificates in the following store” and then click on “Browse”.

install digital signature windows 11

8. In the tiny pop-up window, scroll down and choose “Trusted People” and click on “OK”.

Fix the “Publisher Could Not Be Verified” Error on Windows 11 (2023)

9. Finally, click on “Next” and “Finish” to import the certificate.

Fix the “Publisher Could Not Be Verified” Error on Windows 11 (2023)

10. As you can see here, the signed certificate has been installed. You can now close all the open windows.

Fix the “Publisher Could Not Be Verified” Error on Windows 11 (2023)

11. Finally, go ahead and double-click on the MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE package, and it will allow you to install the app without any errors.

Fix the “Publisher Could Not Be Verified” Error on Windows 11 (2023)

Fix the “Publisher Certificate Could Not Be Verified” Error on Windows 11 Through PowerShell

If you don’t see the “Digital Signatures” tab in the properties window in the above-mentioned fix, this method will help you install the app. It generally happens when the developer has not shipped the app with the required certificates. To demonstrate the steps in this tutorial, I am installing Lossless Cut, a video/ audio editing tool. It doesn’t come with a Digital Signature, so you will have to manually install the app using PowerShell by bypassing the “Publisher certificate could not be verified” error. Here are the steps to follow.

Unblock the MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE Package

1. First, right-click on the APPX/APPXBUNDLE package and open “Properties“.

Fix the "Publisher Certificate Could Not Be Verified" Error on Windows 11 Through PowerShell

2. Next, under the “General” tab in the “Properties” window, you will find a “Security” option at the bottom. Here, check the box against “Unblock” and then click on “OK”. This is a preliminary action meant to allow the application to install.

Fix the "Publisher Certificate Could Not Be Verified" Error on Windows 11 Through PowerShell

3. Now, double-click on the app and try installing it. If it’s still showing the error, move to the next step.

Extract the MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE Package

1. To begin the process, you need to install 7-Zip from the link here. 7zip is a popular file archiver utility tool, which will allow you to extract the MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE package.

2. After 7-Zip is installed, right-click on the MSIX/ MSIXBUNDLE package and click on “Show more options“.

Fix the "Publisher Certificate Could Not Be Verified" Error on Windows 11 Through PowerShell

3. The old context menu will open up. Here, move to “7-Zip” and then click on Extract to “folder\”. This will extract the package and will create a folder in the same directory.

Fix the "Publisher Certificate Could Not Be Verified" Error on Windows 11 Through PowerShell

4. Now, open the extracted folder, and you will find an “AppxManifest.xml” file.

Fix the "Publisher Certificate Could Not Be Verified" Error on Windows 11 Through PowerShell

5. Right-click on the XML file and choose “Copy as path“. This will copy the file path to the clipboard, which we will need later on.

Fix the "Publisher Certificate Could Not Be Verified" Error on Windows 11 Through PowerShell

Enable Developer Settings on Windows 11

1. Before we install the app using PowerShell, we need to change an important setting on Windows 11. Press the Windows key once and type “developer”. Now, open “Developer settings“.

Enable Developer Settings on Windows 11

2. After that, enable the toggle next to “Developer Mode“. This will allow you to sideload MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE packages from any source, even without a certificate.

Enable Developer Settings on Windows 11

Override the “Publisher Certificate Could Not Be Verified” Error and Install the App

1. Now, it’s time to install the app via PowerShell on Windows 11. Press the Windows key and search for “powershell”. Now, click on “Run as Administrator” in the right pane.

powershell

2. In the PowerShell window, enter the below command and replace filepath with the path of the XML file you copied above. Just paste the file path at the end of the command, as shown in the screenshot. Finally, hit Enter and the app will be installed on your PC right away.

Add-AppxPackage -Register filepath

Note:

If your clipboard does not have the copied file path, open the extracted folder again and copy the path by right-clicking on the “AppxManifest.xml” file.
powershell

3. As you can see here, Lossless Cut has been installed on my Windows 11 PC. Bear in mind, you can’t delete the extracted folder as that’s the source from where the application is running.

lossless cut

Install MSIX and MSIXBUNDLE Packages on Windows 11 Seamlessly

So this is how you can fix the “Publisher could not be verified” error on Windows 11 and install MSIX/MSIXBUNDLE packages. The first method is quite simple and straightforward if the app comes with a signed certificate. If the certificate is not available, you can use the second method to install the app. Anyway, that is all from us. If you are looking to speed up Windows 11 and improve performance, head to our linked guide for some amazing tips. And to customize the Taskbar in Windows 11, we have a detailed tutorial ready for you. Finally, if you have any questions, let us know in the comment section below.

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comment Comments 2
  • Ferrarese says:

    Thank you so much bro- No one could explain a way to solve this shit

    Love u

  • Rahul says:

    Thanks. I was also trying the same for the very same Lossless cut because omnly appx is there. Only you page has the solution for Win 11. Thanks.

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