Windows 10: Corrupted Windows App functions and behaviors - fix vs reset

Hi,

I believe I download and installed some old software, possibly with malware, that seems to have corrupted some basic functions and apps of Windows, and while Ispent a hefty amount of time troubleshooting this with a very helpful Malwarebytes admin, nothing seemed to help. I am about to do a reset on the Windows to start over, but it's the kind of thing that makes me still want to find a solution that makes sense, just to know what is going on. Before I hit reset, I hope to maybe get a few new possible takes that might explain the behavior.


It's been over 2 months now, where I can still use the computer for most everything I need, including Office, Chrome, Quickbooks, Shotcut, PowerBI...basically most non Windows System apps work just fine. Some apps like MSPaint work. I have figured out how to get around some of the limitations, and aside from those, the PC is still functional. BTW, this is a new Dell Laptop, only 8 months old, preinstalled with Windows 10.


What I can't run is Windows apps like Phone, Calculator, Search, Calendar on the clock, Windows Defender configurations or scan, Start Menu. Often they will start with the splash screen and then fail, with process explorer showing them starting up and ending, plus entries within the Event viewer such as "Faulting application name: ShellExperienceHost.exe, version: 10.0.18362.1171, time stamp: 0x5f800df7

Faulting module name: twinapi.appcore.dll, version: 10.0.18362.1316, time stamp: 0xf0e5c379", with the twinapi.appcore.dll showing up many times even with different executables, like calc.exe or searchui.exe.


Also, I can't right click on taskbar items for a context menu, but I can on the Start button. I can left click on taskbar items to open them up, but left clicking on the start button does nothing. Search will not work from any location, i.e. Explorer or Search from the context menu.


I have multiple applications using MSAccess that work fine that have library references to various libraries such as MS Access 15 Object Library, but a new application I built since this happens tries to use the MS Word 15 Object Library fails with a "library not registered error". Trying to register it again manually has no effect.


Malwarebytes finds no problem software, SFC scannow, DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth, does nothing, Powershell Get-AppxPackage -allusers foreach {Add-AppxPackage -register “$$_.InstallLocationappxmanifest.xml” -DisableDevelopmentMode} runs with no errors. We even tried rootkit malware checks, kind of everything. Created new profile, no go. Reinstalled apps from windows app settings, no go.


So again, I'm just about ready to reset everything, but it just drives me crazy that there isn't a clue how this is happening. How can all of these great new troubleshooting tools that are available run just fine but then do nothing? Especially simple functions like Calc.exe. Is there anything that we could have missed, some other magic bullet? It's not a matter of losing all my programs and reinstalling them anymore, it's just curiosity and hopefully learning something new.


Thanks!

J


BTW windows update works, but its not able to install the May 20 update yet

:)

 

Windows 10 Apps not functioning on multiple PC's

Those pesky native apps are the worst thing about windows 10, they are so prone to breaking. I’ve had problems in the past and fixes that have helped restore functionality. You probably already tried but could be worth going into settings, apps and finding the offending apps. Click advanced and then select to reset the app and see if that yields joy.

bit riskier but worked for me too in past is to download ccleaner. Find something like calculator in the list and uninstall it. Now go back into store and redownload it. Trouble is if you say store isn’t working either then you won’t be able to get into it to redownload. You could remove / uninstall the store app itself in here too. But once removed I don’t know how one goes about reinstalling the app (maybe one for a guru on this forum)

there is also system restore if you have it switched on. But you would need to know when the apps worked last and hope you have a restore point from prior to them breaking.

There are powershell commands that have been suggested too but tread carefully as I think I tried one once and it wreaked havoc. Breaking more apps than it fixed and only a system restore saved me. Again prob one for a guru on these steps

Worth a shot.

 

Programs not working

In post 26 there were steps listed to fix the operating system corruption.
Are you able to follow them?
In post 29 was the suggested dism repair command.

 

Windows 10 Apps not functioning on multiple PC's

Caledon pointed in the related thread about reinstalling the store apps including the store itself but it didn't work on my side. Here is the link on how it is done:

Reinstall and Re-register Apps in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials