Fix Built-In Apps Not Working in Windows 11

If your built-in Windows 11 apps (Mail, Calendar, Photos, Calculator, Store, etc.) are crashing, freezing, or failing to open, the fix usually starts with the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter and a quick re-registration of the app packages via PowerShell. This article walks you through the most effective fixes, from simple resets to more advanced commands, and explains why these apps break in the first place.

Why Built-In Apps Stop Working

Built-in apps in Windows 11 are UWP (Universal Windows Platform) and MSIX packaged apps. They run in a sandboxed environment, which is great for security but also means they depend on a set of system services and caches. When any of these get corrupted—say, after a failed update, a disk cleanup that removed a needed file, or a third-party optimizer that disabled a service—the app may fail to launch. Common symptoms include the app opening then immediately closing, a blank white window, or an error message like “This app can’t open� or “Something happened.�

Before You Start: Quick Checks

Spend a minute on these basics—they resolve a surprising number of issues:

• Restart your PC. It sounds trivial, but a hung background process is often the culprit.
• Check for Windows Updates (Settings > Windows Update). Microsoft regularly ships fixes for known app issues.
• Make sure your system date and time are correct. An incorrect clock breaks app certificates and can stop apps from launching.
• Run the built-in Windows Store Apps troubleshooter: Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Windows Store Apps > Run.

Fix 1: Reset or Repair the App

Windows 11 gives you two built-in repair options for each app. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find the problematic app, click the three-dot menu, and select Advanced options. You’ll see:

• Repair: This tries to fix the app without deleting your data. Try this first.
• Reset: This deletes the app’s data (sign-ins, settings, local files). Use this if Repair doesn’t work. For Mail, Calendar, and Photos, you’ll lose local settings but not your actual files in OneDrive or email.

After a reset, the app will reinstall itself from the system image. If the app still won’t open, move to the next step.

Fix 2: Re-register All Built-In Apps with PowerShell

This is the most powerful fix for multiple broken apps. It re-registers every built-in app package with Windows, which often clears corruption without deleting your data. Here’s how:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
2. Copy and paste this command, then press Enter:

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

This command can take a few minutes. It will show a lot of red text (errors) for apps that can’t be re-registered—that’s normal. When it finishes, restart your PC and test your apps. If you only want to fix one app, replace Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers with Get-AppxPackage -Name “Microsoft.WindowsCalculator� (use the exact package name you can find via Get-AppxPackage).

Fix 3: Reinstall the App via PowerShell

If re-registering doesn’t work, you can remove and reinstall a single app. This is more aggressive—it deletes the app’s local data—but it often fixes stubborn corruption.

1. Open Terminal (Admin).
2. Find the package name. For example, for Calculator it’s Microsoft.WindowsCalculator. For Photos it’s Microsoft.Windows.Photos. You can list all with Get-AppxPackage.
3. Run: Get-AppxPackage -Name “Microsoft.WindowsCalculator� | Remove-AppxPackage
4. Then reinstall by running: Add-AppxPackage -Path “C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppXManifest.xml� (the path varies by app).

If the reinstall fails, you can also download the app from the Microsoft Store (it will reinstall itself). Note: Some core apps like Start Menu and Settings cannot be removed this way—don’t try.

Fix 4: Clear the Microsoft Store Cache

The Store itself often breaks other apps because it handles app updates and licenses. If apps crash after an update, clear the Store cache:

1. Press Win + R, type wsreset.exe, and press Enter.
2. A blank Command Prompt window will open. Wait for it to finish and close automatically. The Store will open.
3. Restart your PC and test your apps.

If the Store won’t open at all, you can also run Get-AppxPackage -Name “Microsoft.WindowsStore� | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml�} in an admin PowerShell.

Fix 5: Check for Corrupted System Files

Sometimes the problem isn’t the app but the Windows system files it relies on. Run the System File Checker (SFC) and the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool:

1. Open Terminal (Admin).
2. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. This can take 15-30 minutes. Let it finish.
3. Then run sfc /scannow. This will also take a while.
4. Restart your PC and test your apps.

These tools repair Windows system files, not app files, but they fix underlying issues that cause apps to crash.

Fix 6: Create a New User Account

If none of the above works, the problem may be specific to your user profile. A corrupted profile can break app permissions. Create a new local user account (Settings > Accounts > Other users > Add account) and test the apps there. If they work, you can migrate your files and settings. This is a last resort because it’s time-consuming, but it isolates the problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will these fixes delete my files or settings?

Resetting an app (via Settings) deletes that app’s local data—for example, Photos will forget your imported collection settings, and Mail will need you to re-add your account. Re-registering via PowerShell does not delete data. Reinstalling via PowerShell deletes the app’s local data, but your files in OneDrive or email servers are untouched.

Why do built-in apps break after a Windows update?

Windows updates sometimes replace system components that apps depend on. If the update is interrupted or a cache becomes stale, the app’s registration can become invalid. Re-registering apps (Fix 2) is the standard remedy after a problematic update.

Can I just uninstall and reinstall a built-in app from the Store?

Yes, for most apps. Open the Microsoft Store, search for the app, and if you see “Install� instead of “Open,� it means the app is not fully installed. If you see “Open,� you can’t uninstall it from the Store—you’ll need PowerShell (Fix 3).

What if the Start Menu itself is broken?

The Start Menu is a system app. Try restarting the “Windows Explorerâ€� process in Task Manager first. If that fails, run the PowerShell re-register command (Fix 2) but with the package name Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost. If that doesn’t help, you may need to create a new user account or use System Restore.

Is it safe to run the PowerShell re-register command?

Yes, the command is safe and widely recommended by Microsoft support. It only re-registers existing app packages; it doesn’t delete anything. The red errors you see are normal—they indicate apps that can’t be re-registered (often because they’re partially removed), and they don’t harm your system.

Will these fixes work for third-party Store apps too?

Yes, the PowerShell re-register command applies to all apps installed from the Store, not just built-in ones. If a third-party app is broken, try resetting it first (Fix 1), then re-register it with the specific package name.

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