An issue has arisen with the last two Fast Track Windows 10 Mobile OS versions this week. You can’t deploy apps from Visual Studio to phones with those versions. Jump off Fast Track for now to Slow Track or “slower”. If you have one of these versions on your phone there isn’t a simple way to unwind. The problem as I see it is one of connectivity and sounds a bit like the issue we had last November with IoT-Core.

• Update: Matter is now resolved with Fast Track Build 10.0.14367

Situation

The release version of Windows 10 is the 1511 version. (15= 2015 and 11-November). The anniversary version of Windows 10 slated for release in the northern summer seems to be tagged as 1607 (2016 –July). Early adopters have been able to get early version of the OS on their devices, phones and desktop by installing the Windows Insider app and selecting one of three levels:

• Fast Track
• Slow Track
• Preview Build

You install the app, and select a ring which determines how often you get updates. On the Fast Track we have been getting updates weekly of late. We have had two updates this week. With the different OS versions there are also some Windows 10 Platform SDK updates.

The problem is that with the updates this week for the phone, you can no longer deploy apps from Visual Studio 2015  (Release 2)  to a phone (connected via USB).. With the first version this week you could still use the  App Manager or NNN to deploy but with the latest version this process is also broken. This issue that has had significant airplay on the Microsoft UWP Apps Forum, including input from myself:

Cannot deploy UWP App to Win10M 14356 : DEP0001 : Unexpected Error: –2147014836

Also on StackOverFlow:
dep0001-unexpected-error-2147014836-on-latest-insider-build

Mobile Builds this week

• 14352
• 14361

• Desktop Build this week:

• 14361

From Microsoft:

Also:

Known issue post is here.

Analysis

From my analysis I was convinced it was a connectivity issue with 14352 as you could manually install; hence not an SDK issue. You can also install apps from The Store. But with 14361 on the phone. manual installation runs but the app isn’t installed and you only get a message saying there is no information.

It does sound a bit like the  problem we had last November with not being able to deploy apps to Windows 10 IoT-Core from Visual Studio 2015 as the credentials requirement changed from None to Universal(Unencrypted Protocol).

The Take Home

If you are a Windows 10 Mobile App developer, don’t accept any more updates on the Fast Track, until this matter is resolved. “Downgrade” to Slow Track of Preview or even uninstall Windows Insider until this matter is resolved. If you have already upgraded to one of these you have to run WindowsDeviceRecoveryToolInstaller to revert your phone to 1511 OS version then come back on the Slow Track.

Manual Package Installation

I have previously discussed here:

1. Win 10 Phone: Universal Windows Apps Sideloading - Winappdeploycmd: (Further Updated)
2. Win 10 IoT Core: Universal Windows Apps Sideloading (Updated)

•  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 if you wnat to do this on a system that hasn’t got the SDK installed with Visual Studio 2015. See link 1. above.
  
• winappdeploycmd   should also now work with a local netwrok (eg WiFi) [I couldn’t get it to work 4 months ago] You need to pair the phone with your development system
  
• AppManager on the Device Portal now works quite well for installation. See
  https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/get-started/enable-your-device-for-development?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396
  and
  https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/debug-test-perf/device-portal-mobile
  
  

  To bring up the Device Portal:

• Over USB (Dev Machine<—>phone):
  In your browser, enter the address shown here for the connection type you're using. http://127.0.0.1:10080
Use this address when the phone is connected to a PC via a USB connection. Both devices must have Windows 10, Version 1511 or later.

• On the actual phone (use Edge browser):
  (You need to enable Device Manager as below.)
  Localhost: http://127.0.0.1 or http://localhost  
Use this address to view Device Portal locally on the phone in Microsoft Edge for Windows 10 Mobile.
  You would need to manually get the package onto the  phone in a suitable location.
  …..
  Funny thing with this mode: You have to pair the phone with itself.
  Enable Device Manager:
  Assuming the phone is enabled for Sideloading or is in Developer Mode
  Launch the Web Portal on Edge as above.
  Use start menu to go to Settings->Update & Security->For Developers
  Scroll down to Device Discovery
  Enable Make your device visible to USB connections and your local network 
  Scroll down to Device Portal
  Enable Remote Diagnostics over USB and local area network connections.
  Optionally disable Authentication
  Press pair.
  Write down the code. Don’t press Cancel or Back. (Go to keep Settings “alive”)
  Use Start Menu to get back to Edge-Web Portal
  Enter code .. Wala
  If you go back later to Settings you will see that the pairing was Done. If you hit Cancel and back out the pairing doesn’t work

• Remote Access
  (You need to enable Device Manager as above.)
  Local Network: https://<The IP address of the phone> or http://<The IP address of the phone> ??? 
Or

http://<phone name>

App Manager on the Device Portal:

Hint: You only need to add dependencies if they aren’t already on the phone

Footnote

With Windows 10 IoT-Core you can use PowerShell for Remote Deployment so I guess you probably can do that with the phone.
But for one off installs I think the Device Portal – App Manager is simplest.

Note that each type of Windows 10 Device has a different port for the Portal (Ps can “Universal Windows” make them all the same at some stage?
(Ref: Link 1 above)