Read on to know why this issue occurs and what you can do to fix it.
How To Fix Windows 10 Apps Not Working
Why are Windows 10 apps not working?
Here are some general reasons why you may be facing this issue:
How To Fix Windows 10 Apps Not Working Why are Windows 10 apps not working? Method 1: Update Apps Method 2: Re-register Windows Apps Method 3: Reset Microsoft Store Method 4: Disable Antivirus and Firewall Method 5: Reset or Reinstall Malfunctioning Apps Method 6: Update Microsoft Store Method 7: Run Windows Troubleshooter Method 8: Ensure Application Identity and Update Service is Running Method 9: Perform Clean Boot Method 10: Switch or Create New User Account Method 11: Modify User Account Control Settings Method 12: Change Group Policy User Account Control Settings Method 13: Repair License Service Method 14: Run SFC command Method 15: Restore System to Earlier Version
Windows Update Service is disabled Conflict with Windows firewall or antivirus program Windows update service not running properly Microsoft Store not working or outdated Malfunctioning or outdated Apps Registration issues with the said apps
Carry out the processes in the following methods, one-by-one till you find a solution to the ‘apps not opening on Windows 10’ issue.
Method 1: Update Apps
The most straightforward fix for this issue is to ensure that Windows 10 apps are up-to-date. You should update the app that is not opening and then try to launch it again. Follow the steps in this method to update Windows 10 apps using the Microsoft Store:
Type Store in the Windows search bar and then launch Microsoft Store from the search result. Refer to the given pic.
Next, click on the three-dotted menu icon in the top right corner.
Here, select Downloads and updates, as shown below.
In the Download and updates window, click on Get updates to check if there are any available updates. Refer to pic below.
If there are available updates, select Update all.
Once the updates are installed, restart your PC. Check if the Windows apps are opening or if the windows 10 apps not working after the update error persists.
Method 2: Re-register Windows Apps
A possible fix to the ‘Apps won’t open Windows 10’ issue is re-registering the apps using Powershell. Just follow the steps written below:
Type Powershell in the Windows search bar and then launch Windows Powershell by clicking on Run as Administrator. Refer to pic below.
Once the window opens, type the following command and hit Enter:
The re-registration process will take some time. Note: Ensure that you do not close the window or switch off your PC during this time.
After the process is complete, restart your PC. Now, check if Windows 10 apps are opening or not.
Method 3: Reset Microsoft Store
Another possible cause for apps not working on Windows 10 is the Microsoft Store cache or App installation getting corrupt. Follow the steps below to reset the Microsoft Store cache:
Type Command prompt in the Windows search bar and Run as administrator, as shown below.
Type wsreset.exe in the Command Prompt window. Then, press Enter to run the command.
The command will take a while to execute. Do not close the window until then.
Microsoft Store will launch when the process is completed.
Repeat the steps mentioned in Method 1 to update the apps. If Windows 10 apps not opening issue exists, try the next fix. Also Read: How to Clear ARP Cache in Windows 10
Method 4: Disable Antivirus and Firewall
Antivirus and firewall can conflict with Windows apps preventing them from opening or not working correctly. To determine if this conflict is the cause, you need to disable antivirus and disable firewall temporarily and then check if the apps won’t open problem is fixed. Follow the steps below to turn off the antivirus and Windows Defender firewall:
Type virus and threat protection and launch it from the search result.
In the settings window, click on Manage settings as depicted.
Now, turn the toggle off for the three options shown below, viz Real-time protection, Cloud delivered protection, and Automatic sample submission.
Next, type firewall in the Windows search bar and launch Firewall and network protection.
Turn the toggle off for Private network, Public network, and Domain network, as highlighted below.
If you have third-party antivirus software, then launch it.
Now, go to Settings > Disable, or options similar to it to disable antivirus protection temporarily.
Lastly, check if the apps that won’t open are opening now.
If not, turn the virus and firewall protection back on. Move to the next method to reset or reinstall the malfunctioning apps.
Method 5: Reset or Reinstall Malfunctioning Apps
This method is particularly useful if a particular Windows app is not opening on your PC. Follow these steps to reset that particular application and potentially fix the problem:
Type Add or remove programs in the Windows search bar. Launch it from the search results as shown.
Next, type the name of the app that won’t open in the search this list bar.
Click on the app and select Advanced options as highlighted here. Note: Here, we have demonstrated the steps to reset or reinstall the Calculator app as an example.
In the new window that opens, click on Reset. Note: You can do so for all the apps that are malfunctioning.
Restart the computer and check if the particular app is opening.
If the Windows 10 app not opening issue still occurs, follow steps 1 – 3 as earlier.
In the new window, click on Uninstall instead of Reset. Refer to pic below for clarification.
In this case, navigate to the Microsoft Store to reinstall the apps that were uninstalled earlier to fix Microsoft Store Not Installing Apps issue..
Method 6: Update Microsoft Store
If Microsoft Store is outdated, then it can lead to the problem of can’t download apps or apps not opening Windows 10. Follow the steps in this method to update it using the Command Prompt:
- Launch Command Prompt with administrator rights as you did in Method 3.
2, Then copy-paste the following in the Command Prompt window and hit Enter:
- Once the process is complete, restart your PC. Now check if the error still occurs. If Windows apps are still not opening on your Windows 10 PC, then move to the following method to run the troubleshooter for Microsoft Store. Also Read: How to Delete Temp Files in Windows 10
Method 7: Run Windows Troubleshooter
The Windows troubleshooter can identify and fix problems automatically. If certain apps are not opening, the troubleshooter might be able to fix it. Follow these simple steps to run the Troubleshooter:
Type Control Panel and launch it from the search result as shown.
Next, click on Troubleshooting. Note: If you are not able to see the option, go to View by and select Small icons as shown below.
Then, in the troubleshooting window, click on Hardware and Sound.
Now scroll down to the Windows section and click on Windows Store Apps.
The troubleshooter will scan for problems that may prevent Windows Store apps from working properly. Thereafter, it would apply the necessary repairs.
Once the process is complete, restart your PC and check if Windows apps are opening. If the issue persists, it may be because Windows Update and Application Identity services are not running. Read below to know more.
Method 8: Ensure Application Identity and Update Service is Running
Many users reported that enabling the Windows update service in the Services app resolved the problem of apps not opening. The other service that is essential for Windows apps is called the Application Identity service, and if disabled, it may cause similar issues. Follow the steps listed below to ensure that these two services necessary for the smooth functioning of Windows apps are running properly:
Type Services in the Windows search bar and launch the app from the search result. Refer to the given pic.
In the Services window, find the Windows Update service.
The status bar next to Windows Update should read Running, as shown highlighted.
If the Windows Update service is not running, right-click on it and choose Start as explained below.
Then, locate Application Identity in the Services window.
Check if it is running as you did in Step 3. If not, right-click on it and select Start.
Now, check if Windows 10 apps are not opening issue is resolved. Or else, you need to check for problems with third-party software installed on your computer.
Method 9: Perform Clean Boot
Windows apps may not be opening because of conflict with third-party software. You need to perform a clean boot by disabling all third-party software installed on your desktop/laptop using the Services window. Follow the steps below to do so:
Type System Configuration in the Windows search bar. Launch it as shown.
Next, click on the Services tab. Check the box next to Hide all Microsoft Services.
Then, click on Disable all to disable third-party apps. Refer highlighted sections of the given pic.
In the same Window, select the Startup tab. Click on Open Task Manager as shown.
Here, right-click on each unimportant app and select Disable as depicted in the pic below. We have explained this step for the Steam app.
6. Doing so will prevent these apps from launching on Windows startup and enhance the processing speed of your computer. 7. Lastly, restart the computer. Then launch an application and check if it is opening. Check if you’re able to fix Windows 10 apps not working issue or not. If the issue still persists then switch your user account or create a new one, as explained in the following method. Also Read: Fix Apps that appear blurry in Windows 10
Method 10: Switch or Create New User Account
It may be the case that your current user account has gotten corrupt and possibly, preventing apps from opening on your PC. Follow the steps below to create a new user account and try opening Windows apps with the new account:
Click on the Start Menu. Then, launch Settings as shown below.
Next, click on Accounts.
Then, from the left pane, click on Family and other users.
Click on Add someone else to this PC as shown highlighted.
Follow the on-screen instructions to create a new user account.
Use this newly added account to launch Windows apps.
Method 11: Modify User Account Control Settings
In addition to the above, you should try to modify User Account Control Settings to alter permissions granted to apps on your PC. This might fix the issue of Windows 10 apps not opening. Follow the steps below to do so:
Type and select ‘Change User Account Control Settings’ from the Windows search menu.
Drag the slider to Never notify displayed on the left-hand side of the new window. Then, click OK as depicted.
3. This would prevent unreliable apps from making any changes to the system. Now, check if this has fixed the issue. If not, we will change the Group Policy User Account Control Settings in the next method.
Method 12: Change Group Policy User Account Control Settings
Changing this particular setting may be a possible fix to Windows 10 apps not opening. Just follow the steps exactly as written: Part I
Search and launch Run dialogue box from the Windows search menu as shown.
Type secpol.msc in the dialogue box, then press OK to launch the Local Security Policy window.
On the left side, go to Local Policies > Security Options.
Next, on the right-hand side of the window, you need to locate two options
User Account Control: Detect application installations and prompt for elevation User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode
Right-click on each option, select Properties, and then click on Enable. Part II
Run Command Prompt as admin from the Windows search menu. Refer Method 3.
Now type gpupdate /force in the Command Prompt window. Then, press Enter as shown.
Wait till the command runs and the process is complete. Now, restart the computer and then check if the Windows apps are opening.
Method 13: Repair License Service
Microsoft Store and Windows apps will not run smoothly if there is a problem with the License Service. Follow the steps below to repair License Service and potentially fix Windows 10 apps not opening issue:
Right-click on your desktop and select New.
Then, select Text Document as illustrated below.
Double-click on the new Text Document file, which is now available on the Desktop.
Now, copy-paste the following in the Text Document. Refer to the given pic.
From the top-left corner, go to File > Save as.
Then, set the file name as license.bat and select All Files under Save as type. 7. Save it on your Desktop. Refer to the image below for reference.
Locate license.bat on the Desktop. Right-click on it and then select Run as administrator as depicted below.
License Service will stop, and the caches will be renamed. Check if this method has solved the problem. Otherwise, try the succeeding solutions. Also Read: Fix Your Windows License Will Expire Soon Error
Method 14: Run SFC command
System File Checker (SFC) command scans all system files and checks for errors in them. Hence, it can be a good option to try and fix Windows 10 apps not working issue. Here’s how to do it:
Launch Command Prompt as an administrator.
Then type sfc /scannow in the window. 3. Press Enter to run the command. Refer to pic below.
Wait till the process is completed. After that, restart your PC. Now check if the apps are opening or if the ‘apps won’t open Windows 10’ issue appears.
Method 15: Restore System to Earlier Version
If none of the above-mentioned methods helped fix Windows 10 apps not working issue, your last option is to restore your system to a previous version. Note: Remember to take a backup of your data so that you don’t lose any personal files.
Type restore point in the Windows search bar.
Then, click on Create a restore point, as shown below.
In the System Properties window, go to the System Protection tab.
Here, click on the System Restore button as highlighted below.
Next, click on Recommended restore. Or, click on Choose a different restore point if you want to see a list of other restore points.
After making your selection, click Next, as shown above.
Ensure to check the box next to Show more restore points. Then, choose a restore point and click Next as depicted below.
Finally, follow the on-screen instructions and wait for your PC to restore and restart. Recommended:
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We hope this guide was helpful and you were able to fix apps not opening on Windows 10 issue. Let us know which method worked the best for you. Also, if you have any questions or suggestions regarding this article, feel free to drop them in the comments section below.
