How to Reinstall and Re-Register Built-In Apps in Windows 11

Built-in Windows 11 apps such as Microsoft Store, Photos, Calculator, Notepad, and Windows Security can sometimes stop working, disappear, or fail to open correctly. This can happen due to corrupted app files, a damaged app registration, Windows updates, or issues with the Windows app package. Windows provides several ways to repair these apps without immediately reinstalling the entire operating system. You can first repair or reset an individual app, re-register its package with PowerShell, or reinstall built-in apps when their packages are missing or damaged. In this guide, we’ll show you how to reinstall and re-register built-in apps in Windows 11, including PowerShell commands and other recovery methods to use when a Windows app isn’t working properly.

1. Repair or Reset the Built-In App

Before using PowerShell to re-register or reinstall an app, try Windows 11’s built-in Repair and Reset options. This is useful when one specific app is not opening, crashing, or behaving incorrectly.

• Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
• Find the affected app and select ⋯ > Advanced options.
• Select Repair and test the app.
• If it still doesn’t work, select Reset.

Repair attempts to fix the app without removing its data. Reset reinstalls the app’s data and settings, so you may need to configure or sign in to the app again.

Quick Insight: If only one built-in app is affected, try Repair or Reset before re-registering all Windows apps.

2. Re-Register the Specific App With PowerShell

If repairing or resetting the app doesn’t help, you can re-register its Windows package. This can fix problems caused by a damaged or missing app registration without reinstalling the entire application.

1. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin).
2. Run this command to find the affected app:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Select Name, PackageFullName

3. Find the app’s package name, then run:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *AppName* | ForEach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

Replace *AppName* with part of the app’s name, such as Microsoft.WindowsCalculator.

4. Restart Windows and test the app again.

Quick Insight: Re-registering refreshes the app’s registration with Windows. It is useful when the app is installed but won’t open or no longer appears correctly.

3. Re-Register All Built-In Windows Apps

If several built-in apps are not working, re-registering all installed Windows app packages can be more practical than fixing them one by one.

1. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin).
2. Run this command:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ForEach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

3. Wait for the command to finish. Some red error messages can appear for packages that cannot be registered; this does not necessarily mean the entire process failed.
4. Restart Windows and test the affected apps.

This re-registers the app packages already present on your system. It does not download missing apps from the Microsoft Store.

Quick Insight: Use this method when multiple built-in apps are affected. If only one app is broken, re-registering that specific package is usually more targeted.

4. Reinstall the Microsoft Store

If the Microsoft Store itself is missing, damaged, or won’t open, re-registering all apps may not be enough. First, check whether the Store package is still installed.

1. Open Terminal (Admin).
2. Run:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.WindowsStore

3. If package information appears, re-register the Store with:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.WindowsStore | ForEach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

4. Restart Windows and try opening Microsoft Store again.

If the command returns no package information, the Store package may be missing rather than simply unregistered. In that situation, use Windows Update or an official Windows repair method instead of downloading Store packages from unofficial websites.

5. Install Pending Windows 11 Updates

If built-in apps stop working after a Windows update or system change, installing the latest available updates may resolve compatibility or app package issues.

1. Open Settings > Windows Update.
2. Select Check for updates.
3. Install any available updates.
4. Restart your PC and test the affected apps again.

Also check Advanced options > Optional updates for relevant driver updates if Windows reports hardware- or display-related problems.

Quick Insight: Keep Windows updated before using more advanced PowerShell commands, especially if several built-in apps are affected.

6. Run DISM and SFC

If Windows system components are corrupted, built-in apps may fail to install, register, or open correctly. DISM and System File Checker (SFC) can repair these underlying Windows files.

1. Open Terminal (Admin).
2. Run:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

3. After it finishes, run:

sfc /scannow

4. Restart Windows and test the affected apps again.

Quick Insight: Run DISM first and SFC afterward. This is particularly useful when multiple built-in Windows apps are failing rather than just one.

7. Reset Windows Update Components

If built-in apps fail to reinstall or update, corrupted Windows Update components may be preventing Windows from downloading or processing required packages.

Open Terminal (Admin) and run these commands one at a time:

net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop cryptsvc
net stop msiserver

Then rename the update cache folders:

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

Start the services again:

net start wuauserv
net start bits
net start cryptsvc
net start msiserver

Restart the PC, then go to Settings > Windows Update and check for updates.

Quick Insight: This fix is more useful when several built-in apps cannot update or reinstall, especially if Windows Update is also showing errors.

8. Remove and Reinstall a Built-In App

If an app’s package is damaged and re-registering it doesn’t fix the problem, you can remove and reinstall the app. This method is mainly useful for apps that can be installed again through the Microsoft Store.

1. Open Terminal (Admin).
2. Find the app package with:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *AppName*

3. If the package is listed, remove it with:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *AppName* | Remove-AppxPackage

4. Restart Windows.
5. Open Microsoft Store, search for the app, and select Install.

Replace AppName with the package name of the affected app.

Quick Insight: Don’t remove critical Windows components just to test this method. For apps such as Calculator, Photos, or Notepad, reinstalling from the Microsoft Store is usually more appropriate.

9. Test With a New Windows User Account

If built-in apps work normally in another Windows account, the problem may be limited to your current user profile rather than Windows itself.

1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users.
2. Select Add account.
3. Choose I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.
4. Select Add a user without a Microsoft account.
5. Create the account and sign in.
6. Test the affected built-in apps.

If the apps work in the new account, your original profile may have damaged settings or app registrations.

Quick Insight: If the same apps fail in both accounts, the problem is more likely system-wide and may require Windows repair rather than creating another profile.

Final Checks

If a built-in Windows 11 app still doesn’t work after these fixes, check the following before considering a Windows repair:

• Restart Windows: Some app registration changes don’t take effect fully until after a restart.
• Test the Microsoft Store: If the Store works, try reinstalling affected apps from there.
• Check other built-in apps: If several apps are failing, the problem is more likely system-wide.
• Test another user account: If apps work there, your original profile may be damaged.
• Avoid unofficial app packages: Don’t download Windows app packages or DLL files from random websites.
• Back up important files: If system repair or Windows reinstallation becomes necessary, have your important data backed up first.

If multiple built-in apps remain broken after re-registration, system-file repair, and Windows Update troubleshooting, an in-place Windows repair may be the next step. It can repair Windows components while normally preserving personal files and installed applications.

Frequently Asked Questions