Windows 10: My programs (like the Photos app) are being deleted. How do I recover them?

Hello,

I've been using Windows 10 with little to no problems for the past few months, until recently. I noticed that when opening the default, Microsoft Photos app, it won't run. It has an error (shown below) when opening it. I looked up why, and was told to use "get-appxpackage *Microsoft.Windows.Photos* | remove-appxpackage" to remove the Photos app so I could redownload it from the store. Now, around this time a few things happened

-My Movies and TV app started to not work with the same error as the Photos app, shown below
-Apps like Spotify, which I downloaded from the Windows Store, wouldn't open too.
-When I went into the Windows Store to redownload them, they always ended near the end with an error simply saying "Couldn't finish the download, retrying" or something generic like that, over and over.


Then, my Windows Store decided to delete itself. So now I was in big trouble. All the apps like Spotify, Photos, Movies and TV, default apps that I use on a daily basis, couldn't open with this error.



Again, I completely removed Photos with the command, because I thought I could redownload it, but that wasn't the case. Also, I used settings to Reset the Windows Store to see if that would bring it back so I can redownload it. Now it's completely gone.


The first icon is calender, won't run with the error above, mail doesn't run either
The blank square app is the Windows Store, the icon is gone and I can't find it in Apps and Features

Edge still works
Photos is nowhere if I search through the start menu, I assume if I pinned it would show like the Store icon does now.

Without reinstalling, how do I get back my Windows Store and fix it so I can redownload my apps again? Or get my apps back at all?

:)

 

Photos are opening with Paint instead of Photos app

Hello,

It's likely that your default application for opening photos is Paint. To change your default program in Windows 10 from
Paint to the Photo app, we suggest that you perform the following steps:

• On the Start menu, select Settings.
  
• Go to System, then go to Default apps.
  
• Select Photos or any app that you like to be the default under
  Photo viewer.

Update us if the steps above helped you in resolving your concern.

 

Lost default photo viewer after profile rebuild


Thanks Brink. I've tried those steps before i started searching Google. After the profile rebuild i don't have the Photo app listed to choose to make it default in either the system settings for default apps or the Open With option.

I can't even find it doing a search. Seems to have been removed somehow with the profile rebuild, which doesn't make sense.

Might be helpful to list what i've done *Smile I've done the open with check, the choose default program in the system menu, tried that in device manager default programs also. I've checked the programs and features Turn windows features on/off and it's not listed there (never thought it was but that was a suggestion), searched the MS Store, it's not listed there either.

I don't like playing in the registry unless i have defined steps and haven't found anything for this yet, just the Win7 version like in my OP.

 

Recovering photos: Help appreciated.

Due to a camera malfunction, some photos from the memory card were deleted. My friend and me were able to recover them with help of recovery software but some photos are grayed out(50%). The memory card was left intact and no new data was written in our knowledge. It is in the FAT file format and a 4 GB card.

Is there any way to recover the photos in their original state?