Test Run (PSADT) #
On the Preview step of a PSADT package:
- Choose Deployment Type (Install / Uninstall / Repair) and Deploy Mode.
- Optionally turn on Run as Admin. Most installations need it, and Windows shows a UAC prompt.
- Click Test Run.
The script runs on this computer with exactly the files, toolkit and template that the exported package would contain. Its output appears in the PowerShell Output panel. A test run stops after 120 seconds.
Test Run installs software on your own machine. To keep your machine clean, use Test in Sandbox.
Test in Sandbox (PSADT) #
Test in Sandbox runs the package on a clean, disposable Windows machine (Windows Sandbox), without leaving the app. It shows you how the package behaves on a fresh client.
- Enable Windows Sandbox once: Settings → General → Windows Sandbox → Enable Windows Sandbox. Windows shows an administrator prompt, and a restart is needed afterwards. Windows Sandbox is not available on Windows Home editions.
- On the Preview step, choose Deployment Type and Deploy Mode:
- Silent or NonInteractive for a fully automatic test
- Interactive if you want to click through the PSADT dialogs in the sandbox window yourself
- Click Test in Sandbox.
A progress panel follows the run. When it finishes, it shows:
- the result based on the exit code
- the PSADT deployment log
Further notes:
- Cancel stops the test and closes the sandbox.
- Close Sandbox closes the sandbox window after the test.
- Only one sandbox can run at a time.
- Everything inside the sandbox is discarded when it closes.
Verifying with Installed Apps snapshots #
Use the snapshot feature on the Installed Apps page to check what a package really installed and whether the uninstall removed it again.