In a previous blog (see this blog) I discussed discussed in detail deployment of an app to a Windows 10 Phone.  One of the options, Sideloading required the winappdeploycmd tool that is installed with the Windows 10 SDK.  I suggested that maybe you could just install winappdeploycmd as its .msi installing is a separate entity in the SDK installation files.  I now have tested this.

winappdeploycmd  can be used to sideload Windows 10 phone app to a phone using a USB connection between it and a desktop.  You install the Windows 10 SDK.  You create an APPx package for your project (right-click on it in Solution Explorer and select Store).  You don’t need to create it for and funnel it through the Store with sideloading. The phone needs to set in developer mode or  Sideloading mode though.

A typical command line for installation is :

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\x86\winappdeploycmd" install -file  .\myapp_1.1.160_ARM.appx       -ip 127.0.0.1

or on an x86 system:

"C:\Program Files\Windows Kits\10\bin\x86\winappdeploycmd" install -file  .\myapp_1.1.16.0_ARM.appx       -ip 127.0.0.1

(After installing the SDK you can just use the Visual Studio 2015 Developer Command Prompt. In that context you don’t need to provide the path to the tool.)

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\x86 is the default installation location of the tool
• myapp_1.1.16.0_ARM.appx  is the Appx package to install
• The installation is actioned as a command prompt (possibly in Admin mode) in the folder of the Appx package.
• The ip address, 127.0.0.1 is the address of the phone wrt to the desktop because its connected via USB

If you install Visual Studio 2015, the Windows 10 SDK will, by default, be installed.

But what if you just install the SDK without Visual Studio 2015.  Yes that works.

I did try installing just winappdeploycmd using its .msi in a clean system but when the installation was attempted it fails with network error wrt 127.0.0.1

Conclusion

For a standalone desktop for installing Appx packages to a Windows 10 Phone, install the complete SDK.
When installing you can eliminate most of the options but make sure that the Windows 10 SDK itself is selected.
Note you can’t just install winappdeploycmd.

PS: Instead of install in the command line you can use update.  This will only copy the app package files to the phone whereas install will delete any pre-existing app data. Update requires a previous version of the app to be installed, or none.
PSS:  Also it won’t install (using install) with an existing installation in place, or an alternative version (eg. Debug v Release).  Need to uninstall first.