Windows 10: Problem with reinstalling default apps

I am having a problem with reinstalling the default apps of Windows 10.

When I have uninstalled an app, and then try to reinstall the default package through:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers| Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

I get a lot of error messages in red text, and all my default apps from that point on have names that start with @{ and a version number. None of them work any more. The error messages relate to versions, if I remember correctly. Something about my versions being newer than the ones in the package. The only way to fix my problems is with system restore so far.

I did this once before, under the first Win 10 build, and it worked fine. I think this stopped working for me since the 1511 build.

The reason I am doing all of this, is because I am having regular problems with the default apps not working. Right now, for instance, my Photos app won't open. But I have had a lot more strange behaviour with my Win 10 upgrade. Unresponsive apps, or unresponsive start menu/taskbar items.

I want to be able to repair things myself, before I have to resort to completely reinstalling Windows 10 again, which I think will ultimately be unavoidable, seeing as how much problems I am having with Win 10.

Can anyone tell me what is going wrong with my default apps installation?

Also, what would happen if I took control of the WindowsApps folder, and manually delete stuff there(if that's even possible)?

:)

 

Problem with reinstalling default Windows 10 apps.

Hi,

Thank you for the update and we apologies for such inconvenience due to Microsoft.

I would recommend performing repair of Windows 10 and check if the issue persists.

Step 1: Download the Windows 10 ISO (using another computer)

Refer to the article below and download Windows 10 ISO using Media Creation Tool.

Download Windows 10

Step 2: Make a USB flash drive bootable

Refer to the article to download Windows USB/DVD Download Tool to transfer ISO to USB flash drive to make it bootable device.

Windows USB/DVD Download Tool

Important: Ensure there is no data in USB flash drive before making it bootable device. If you have any data, back it up accordingly.

Step 3: Refer to the sectionUse installation media to troubleshoot or re-install Windows
from the article below.

Recovery options in Windows 10

Hope this helps.

 

Problem with reinstalling default Windows 10 apps.

Not helpful.

You did not read my post, or don't understand it.

 

Hi, welcom to tenforums. I'll just comment on system restore, as much had been written about the problems of unresponsive taskbars and problems with universal apps- fortunately not a problem I've had, but one you can research until someone can offer you a specific reply on that.

Build 1511 is implemented after the manner of a new Windows installation, as you'll have noticed. Thus all system restore points prior to it will be lost, inevitably. Further, system restore (for whatever reason) is usually found to be disabled after that update.

Because the build is so implemented, you can even revert to your previous build via Settings, Update.. within 30 days (I presume).

It might help if you can post a copy of your error message, and confirm the results of running
sfc /scannow from an elevated command prompt, just to establish confidence in your current situation.

 

Seems to be an issue with the latest build

Here is some more info on it
Default Apps won't open or re-install, No Store App since......

 

I have the same problem

 

The link paulsalter quotes above appears to offer a solution. Windows 10 is fragile- changing some settings has untoward effects which can be tricky to resolve.

 

The other way to fix this is if you have a image of the drive or in my case, my 7200rpm 2.5" 750GB Western Digital HDD that I upgraded to 10586 was still available that I cloned to the new 2TB Samsung 850Pro SSD so all I did was copy the folders from the Western Digital HDD by mounting via USB for Windows Store after doing a system restore to the point right before it was broken with the Powershell commands which was only 30 minutes before.

 

Thank you very much, I'm not sure if I know exactly how to do that but I will check into it .

 

Basically, if you had a recent copy of the drive in either image form or a actual drive, you would know since it's like backup... System Restore would be one way to fix it if you know the app worked on a certain day and time.

 

Thank you so much! I did this and it fixed the problem - there were two of those @{... left but I was able to uninstall them after the process finished. I was worried that I'd lose all my programs and settings but everything was exactly the same, just without the problem apps.

 

Just a question for future reference.. so this demonstrates System Restore does not encompass the universal apps themselves, doesn't it, as you mention both doing system restore and copying the apps folder (presumably)?

(I encountered this problem myself when running the powershell command to reregister all - I really only needed to deal with a problem with Cortana and Location- dealt with it by restoring my very recent disk image and then finding and using a command specific to Cortana).

 

System Restore does not touch all directories it seems so if something was deleted, system restore will not get it back depending on the directory in question. It will restore things in your profile under C:\Users in which my case, I have all my own files and downloads in the download folder and the desktop folder which is what System Restore covers and the registry. In addition, make sure to check C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\Packages as that is what determines if a app is installed or not which was restored with System Restore. It was only the C:\Program Files\WindowsApps folder which isn't handled by System Restore from what I remembered as my Windows Store was not broken initially, the newer version just didn't download and automatically installed like the one in 10240 did. So I tried the Powershell command and it basically killed Windows Store which was why I had to do what I did a few weeks ago and for whatever reason, after fixing it, it does auto download and install.

 

Actually, see post #83 and later from me in this thread:
Store - Re-register in Windows 10 - Page 3 - Windows 10 Forums