The store-version of my Windows Phone 8.1 app does

Question

My Windows Phone 8.1 App (C#/XAML) is ready for beta/store, but I have a strange problem.   When my app is downloaded from the store on my Nokia 930, it quits instantly in a flash during splash screen of the app startup. The same app works fine on other phones (nokia 920,930,830,630) after downloading it from the store.   My Nokia is registered as a developer device and used during development. The app works fine when side loading it from Visual Studio 2013.4 via USB and/or side loading the store test packet with the application deployment tool. The app passed the store certification, and was uploaded to the store.   I have the dev version of the app on my Nokia removed, unregistered the dev device, removed the live sso consent, restarted (soft) the phone, no reading/writing in installation or temp dir, read two json files with JSON.Net 6.07 from localdir etc.,… but the app from the store still does not work. There are no crash reports on dev.windowsphone.com or google.analytics

Any hints?

Update, but no solution:

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsapps/en-US/059ae827-0494-4c21-a529-492a9240193e/geofence-background-task-exception-the-drive-cannot-locate-a-specific-area-or-track-on-the-disk?forum=wpdevelop

Answer 1

I have an odyssey of two full weeks behind me...
I had a WP 8.0 based app in the store that have worked without problems.
Then, I have updated my WP-project (based on Xamarin.Forms 1.4.4) locally from WP 8.0 to WP 8.1 (has worked locally without problems).
Note: I think, it does not matter if you develop with Xamarin or directly WP.

After upload the new package to the MS dev center, the app was shipped (after a few days) to the store and I was able to update my app on the phone.
After load the update on the Phone, the app was completely broken (don't start anymore).

Result after my odyssey (where I also have opened a case by MS):

• When a new app is loaded in the dev center, you have to define and reserve an "Application Name" (also display name).
• The dev center then generates automatically the "key" "Identity Name" based also on the application name ("Identity Name" is the key also to update the package later).
• If you define a long "Application Name", the generated "Identity Name" will become longer as 50 characters and then is cut to 50 characters automatically (what was the case to my app, as I had defined a long "Application Name").
• If an app with a 50 character "Identity Name" is installed already and then is updated with the same "Identity Name" on a WP 8.1 device, it don't start anymore!
• This is a known MS-Bug in WP 8.1

As I (together with MS) have not found a way to solve the problem / update the allready shipped app with a working package, I ended up (had to) in:

ship a completely new app to the store (new "Application Name", new "Identity Name").

This means, that the users, that already have downloaded the app, are "lost" for us (app simply don't work anymore). As further a new download link (direct link to app in the store) was generated with the new package (what is logical), we also had to change all surrounding themes like QR-code in advertising (flyer), homepage, portal and so on...

MS want to enhance the dev center (give out a warning, if the generated "Identity Name" becomes 50 characters), but this don't help, if an app already is shipped with a 50 character "Identity Name".

Answer 2

I can't say why your app crashes, but if you go to Settings > Feedback and enable Save info, you'll get a crash dump from the app. There used to be an issue regarding the file list not updating correctly, so you would have to disconnect and connect the phone again to actually see the dump file. I don't know if that is still an issue.

Copy the dump file to your dev box and open it using the debugger. That should tell you why it crashes.