Windows 10: Various Microsoft Store / WindowsApps folder issues: How can I get a clean install?

Hi, this is a slightly edited repost from another subreddit because I've yet to get any answers from my last post, hope that's alright.

Anyways, I just got an SSD to go with my HDD. I made a new Windows installation on the SSD, then merged my Program Files, Program Files (x86), and Users folders from my HDD on top of my SSD's installation so I could run my old programs while keeping all my other stuff on the HDD. This worked for the most part, but I'm assuming it must have somehow messed up my WindowsApps folder because many things relating to it are working improperly.

First off, every time I try and sign into my account on the Microsoft Store, I get the same error; "We encountered an error. Please try signing in again later." I've tried signing into two different accounts and get the same error. Some apps also refuse to run properly, such as the Calculator app and the NVIDIA Control Panel, which gives me an error popup that says:

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\NVIDIACorp.NVIDIAControlPanel_8.1.956.0_x64__56jybvy8s...\nvcplui.exe The parameter is incorrect.

Some things I've tried to fix these issues are;

• Switching my local account to a Microsoft linked account. (Didn't work, same "We encountered an error." popup appears on the Microsoft Store.)
• Run WSReset.exe, both directly and through an elevated command prompt. (Same Microsoft Store error still appears.)
• Run Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"} from an elevated PowerShell. (Get various error messages including ObjectNotFound: (C:\AppXManifest.xml:String) [Add-AppxPackage], ItemNotFoundException and NotSpecified: (C:\Program File...ppXManifest.xml:String) [Add-AppxPackage], Exception)
• Remove the WindowsApps folder entirely and then reinstall Windows 10 while keeping personal data and apps. (It did reinstall the apps to the WindowsApps folder, but none of them would run, the only way I got them running again was using the specific WindowsApps folder I had removed, which I had backed up.)

It definitely seems like there is something wrong with the WindowsApps folder itself, so I want to try and get a clean install of the apps folder, I just have no idea how. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you all.

submitted by /u/J0mSp00ns
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:)

 

WindowsApps folder is empty

Hi,

WindowsApps folder is where files of all default and Store apps are stored. For us to effectively assist you with your concern, we would like to know the following:

• Are you having issues with the Windows apps on your PC?
• When was the last time you saw the contents of the the WindowsApps folder?
  
• Were there any changes made prior to your concern?

Regards.

 

Permission/Ownership Issues WindowsApps Folders...


I have been tearing what little hair I have left out of my head trying to copy a file from my desktop to the appropriate folder in the Kodi folder buried in the XBMC… folder in Windowsapps in a brand-new fairly high-end laptop running Windows 10 Pro. I cannot get beyond first what appears to be a UAC “Destination Folder Access Denied” error message saying “You’ll need to provide administrative permission to copy to this folder.” If I click on the UAC “continue” button I get another “Destination Folder Access Denied” error box saying “You need permission to perform this action.” The second error box has only “Try Again” and “Cancel” buttons. Nothing is listed under “More details” in either error box.

Here is most of what I have tried:

1. changing ownership of Windowsapps and all folders below it to my Microsoft account user and granting full-control permissions to Windowsapps and all folders below it;
2. changing ownership to administrators group for Windowsapps and all folders below it and granting full-control permissions to Windowsapps and all folders below it;
3. enabling the “hidden” administrator account, going back to my Microsoft user account and granting full-control rights to the administrator account, returning to the administrator account, taking control with that account, granting full control permission to Windowsapps and all folders below it;
4. creating a new administrator account and repeating 3;
5. completely disabling UAC through the registry, once in the default administrator account and once in my Microsoft account user.
6. adding and using the “Take Ownership” context option on a Windowsapps folder as described in the Tutorial at Add Take Ownership to Context Menu in Windows 10 ; and
7. running the following commands in an administrator command window:

Code:

Code:

takeown /f "%ProgramFiles%\WindowsApps" /a /r /d y   icacls "%ProgramFiles%\WindowsApps" /inheritance:r /grant:r Administrators:(OI)(CI)F /t /c 

as suggested at: Permission/Ownership Issues WindowsApps Folders... - Windows 10 Forums
In fact, even if I do an explicit copy from an administrator command window, I get an “access is denied” notice.

None of the many sources I have looked at online are of any help in dealing with this blockage. Please help — not only do I need to get full-control access to Windowsapps and its subfolders for this purpose, I also need to get full-control permission to Windowsapps folders in order to get rid of an annoying McAffee startup.exe which pops an error box on every boot up even though I removed McAffee in the normal way.

How can I get assured access to Windowsapps folders???

 

Possible to remove Microsoft Store created WindowsApp folder?

I have a couple of additional drives on my system for media and games etc A while ago I installed some games onto these drives from the Microsoft Store but they are since uninstalled. A folder called WindowsApps was create on the root of these drives and cannot be deleted or even set to hidden.





Is there a way to get ridd of them? Thanks