Full Guide on Windows 10 Apps Not Working (9 Ways)

Windows 10 apps are an essential part of Windows since they can provide a convenient way to access them. But sometimes, you may encounter some problems with the program such as the Windows 10 apps not working. Sometimes, they either do not launch at all or work partially.

In most situations, the issue Windows 10 default apps not working is associated with the operating system. And the issue Windows 10 apps not working may be caused by the corrupted ISO files or the failed installation in some modules.

Therefore, in the following part, we will show you how to fix the error Windows 10 apps not working.

9 Ways to Fix Windows 10 Apps Not Working

In this section, we will list 9 ways to fix the error Windows 10 apps not working after update. If you have the same problems, try these solutions one by one.

Method 1. Update the App Using Windows Store

If you encounter the error Windows 10 app not working, you can choose to update the App using Windows Store.

Now, here is the tutorial.

1. Type Store in the search box of Windows and choose the best-matched one.

2. Then open Microsoft Store.

3. Then click the menu icon which is on the top-right side of the screen and choose Downloads and updates.

4. Then all applications installed on your computer will be listed here. Make sure all of them are updated to the latest version. If no, click the Get updates to continue.

After that, reboot your computer and check whether the issue of Windows 10 apps not working is solved.

If this solution is not effective, try other solutions.

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Method 2. Re-register the Application

If you come across the error Windows 10 default apps not working, you can choose to re-register the application. To re-register the application, you can type the commands in the PowerShell.

Now, here is the tutorial.

1. Press Windows key and X key together, then choose Windows PowerShell(Admin) to continue.

2. In the PowerShell window, type the command Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”} and hit Enter to continue.

3. Then the process will take a while. Please do not close the PowerShell window until the process is completed.

When all steps are finished, reboot your computer and check whether the error Windows 10 programs not opening is solved.

Method 3. Reset Windows Store Cache

One of the causes of the issue Windows 10 apps not working is the installation is corrupted or the Microsoft Store does not allow it to upgrade to the latest version. So, in order to solve the issue of Windows 10 default apps not working, you can choose to reset the Microsoft Store cache.

Now, here is the tutorial.

1. Type Command Prompt in the search box of Windows and choose the best-matched one.
2. Right-click it to choose Run as administrator.
3. In the pop-up window, type the command wsreset.exe and hit Enter to continue.

Then the process will take a while. Do not close the command line window until the process is finished. After the process is finished, Microsoft Store will open automatically. Then search for the potential updates and check whether the issue Windows 10 apps not opening is solved.

Related article: How to Quickly Fix Microsoft Store Not Working in Windows 10 

Method 4. Reset the Specific Application

If the above solutions cannot fix the error Windows 10 default apps not working, you can choose to reset it. If a specific program is not opening, you can choose to reset it in the Settings.

Now, here is the tutorial.

1. Press Windows key and I key together to open Settings.

2. In the pop-up window, choose Apps to continue.

3. Then select the application which fails to work and choose Advanced options to continue.

4. In the pop-up window, scroll down and choose Reset to continue.

When all steps are finished, reboot your computer and check whether the issue Windows 10 apps not working or this app can’t open is solved.

If resetting the application cannot fix the error Windows 10 default apps not working, you can choose to reinstall it. Then check whether the issue Windows 10 apps not working is solved.

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Method 5. Run App Troubleshooter

To fix the issue the error Windows 10 apps not working, you can also run the application troubleshooter which can help you to solve Windows 10 apps issues. 

Now, here is the tutorial.

1. Type Control Panel in the search box of Windows and choose the best-match one.
2. Then change the View by to Large icons and choose Troubleshooting.
3. In the pop-up window, choose Hardware and Sound.
4. Then choose the Windows Store Apps under Windows section.
5. On the next page, click Advanced to continue.
6. Check the option Apply repairs automatically and click Next to continue.

Then the troubleshooter will begin to scan all Windows apps installed on your operating system and repair the problems.

When all steps are finished, reboot your computer and check whether the issue Windows 10 apps not working is solved.

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Method 6. Perform a Clean Boot

The issue of Windows 10 programs not opening may be caused by the third-party software. So, in order to fix the error Windows 10 apps not working, you can perform a clean boot and check whether this issue can be solved.

Now, here is the tutorial.

1. Press Windows key and R key together to open Run dialog, then type msconfig in the box and click OK to continue.

2. In the pop-up window, go to Services tab, check the option Hide all Microsoft services and click Disable all.

3. After that, go to the Startup tab, and click Open Task Manager to continue.

4. Select the unnecessary items on startup and choose Disable.

After that, you can reboot your computer and launch the application again and check whether the issue Windows 10 apps not working is solved.

Method 7. Try Another User Account

If your user account is corrupted, you may also encounter the issue Windows 10 default apps not working. In this situation, you can try another user account. If there is no user account available, try to create a new one.

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Now, here is the tutorial.

1. Press Windows key and I key together to open Settings.

2. Choose Accounts.

3. In the pop-up window, choose Family & other user. Then click Add someone else to this PC under Other User section.

4. Next, you can follow the wizard to continue.

After that, check whether the application can work in another user account. If it is, transfer all necessary data to the new user account.

Method 8. Perform System Restore

There is an available way for you to fix the issue Windows 10 apps not working. If you have created a system restore point before, you can choose to restore your computer to an earlier date.

Now, here is the tutorial.

1. Type Create a restore point in the search box of Windows and choose the best match one.
2. Go to the System Protection tab.
3. Click System Restore… to continue.
4. Then click Next.
5. Select a restore point. If there are several restore points, you can choose them according to the creating time and description.
6. Confirm the restore point settings and click Finish.

When all steps are finished, reboot your computer and check whether the issue Windows 10 apps not working is solved.

Method 9. Perform a Clean Installation

If none of the above solutions can fix the error Windows 10 apps not working, you need to reinstall the operating system. In general, reinstalling the operating system can fix all system-related problems.

But, before proceeding on, you need to back up all your personal files since reinstalling OS will remove all data on the system partitions.

Now, here is the tutorial.

1. Prepare a Windows bootable USB flash drive with Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.
2. Connect the Windows bootable USB flash drive with your computer and boot from it.
3. Select language, time and keyboard input method.
4. Click Install Now.
5. Then follow the wizard to reinstall the operating system.

After the OS is reinstalled, install the program again and check whether the issue Windows 10 apps not working is solved.

Further reading: Besides this app can’t open issue, you may also encounter the problem this app cannot run on your PC or the application was unable to start correctly.

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What to Do After the Issue Is Fixed?

After the issue Windows 10 apps not working is solved, what can you do? In fact, after the program is fixed, it is strongly recommended to create a system image to safeguard your computer.

In this way, when you encounter the Windows 10 apps not working again or other system errors, you can choose to restore your computer to the normal state directly rather than costing time to look for solutions.

Hence, in order to create a system image, you can try the professional backup software – MiniTool ShadowMaker. It is designed to back up files, folders, disks, partitions, and the operating system.

Besides the backup feature, it also provides other features like Restore, Sync, Disk Clone and so on. It is also a USB clone tool. With so many powerful features, try MiniTool ShadowMaker. You can download it from the following button or choose to purchase an advanced edition.

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Now, we will show you how to create a system image.

1. Install MiniTool ShadowMaker on your computer and launch it.

2. Click Keep Trial.

3. Choose Connect in This Computer.

4. Go to Backup page, MiniTool ShadowMaker is designed to back up the operating system. It chooses the OS as backup source by default.

5. Click Destination module to choose a target disk. It is recommended to choose an external hard drive as the target disk.

6. After selecting backup source and destination, click Back up Now to perform the task.

When all steps are finished, you have successfully created the system image which can effectively safeguard your computer. When encountering the error Windows 10 app not working again or other system problems, you can try to use it to restore the computer to the normal state.

Bottom Line

To sum up, this post shows 9 ways to fix the issue Windows 10 apps not working. If you come across the same issue, try these solutions.

If you have any better solution to fix the error Windows 10 default apps not working, you can share it in the comment zone.

If you have any problem with MiniTool software, please contact us via the email [email protected] and we will reply to you as soon as possible.

Windows 10 Apps Not Working FAQ