Quick fix: Open Terminal (Admin) and run Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppxManifest.xml" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue} — re-registers every AppX package on the system from its existing installation files.

Store apps are misbehaving: Calculator won’t open, Microsoft Store loads to a blank screen, Photos crashes on launch, several built-in apps disappeared from Start menu. The Windows AppX framework that handles all Store and built-in apps has a corrupted registration state. Reinstalling individual apps doesn’t help. The fix is to re-register every AppX package from its on-disk files in one PowerShell command.

Symptom: Multiple Microsoft Store apps fail to launch, crash on open, or disappear from Start menu.
Affects: Windows 11 (and Windows 10) AppX-based apps.
Fix time: ~5 minutes.

What causes this

AppX is the package framework behind every Store app, every built-in Microsoft app (Calculator, Photos, Mail, Edge), and the Microsoft Store itself. Each package has two layers: the files on disk (in C:\Program Files\WindowsApps) and the registration in Windows’ AppX deployment database. When the registration becomes corrupted — usually from a forced uninstall, a power loss during an AppX operation, or a debloater script — apps fail to launch even though their files are still on disk.

Re-registering points the AppX database back at the on-disk files without re-downloading anything.

Method 1: Re-register all AppX packages

The standard fix. Catches every misbehaving Store-related app.

Open Terminal (Admin) from the Start right-click menu.

Run the bulk re-register command:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppxManifest.xml" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue}

Wait for the prompt to return — takes 1-3 minutes. The command processes every installed package.
You may see red error messages for packages that can’t be re-registered (a few system packages are protected) — these are safe to ignore. The -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue flag suppresses most of them.
Reboot.
Test the previously-broken apps. They should launch normally.

Re-registering doesn’t affect your user data — apps retain their settings, sign-in state, and content.

Method 2: Re-register a specific app (surgical)

Use when only one or two apps are broken and you want to avoid the broad sweep.

Open Terminal (Admin).
Find the package name of the misbehaving app:
```
Get-AppxPackage | Where-Object Name -like "*Calculator*" | Format-List Name, InstallLocation, Status
```
Adjust the filter for the app you’re targeting (Calculator, Photos, Microsoft.WindowsStore, etc.).

Re-register that specific package:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsCalculator -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppxManifest.xml"}

Test the app immediately — should now launch.

The surgical approach avoids touching healthy packages. Use when you know exactly which app is broken.

Method 3: Reset and re-register via Settings → Advanced options

For a specific app where PowerShell didn’t fix it — use the per-app reset option in Settings.

Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
Find the misbehaving app. Click ⋯ → Advanced options.
Scroll to Reset section.
Click Repair first — non-destructive (keeps user data).
Test the app. If still broken, return to the same screen and click Reset (wipes app data).
Test again. The app should launch with default state.
For apps without an Advanced options section (some Store apps are simpler), the only fix is PowerShell re-registration (Method 1 or 2).

This is the right approach for app-specific data corruption rather than framework-level registration issues.

How to verify the fix worked

Open each previously-misbehaving app. All launch normally.
Run Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Where-Object Status -ne "Ok" in PowerShell. Should return no results (or very few — some system packages always show non-Ok status).
Open Microsoft Store. Loads to the Home tab without errors.
Search the Start menu for “Calculator” or “Photos.” The app appears as expected.

If none of these work

If apps still misbehave after re-registration, three deeper causes apply. Package files missing: re-registration only works if the AppX files still exist on disk. Check C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\ — if specific app folders are missing, you need to reinstall from Microsoft Store. AppX deployment service broken: open services.msc, find AppX Deployment Service. Status should be Manual. If Disabled, set to Manual and start. WinSxS corruption: AppX deployment depends on the component store. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth followed by sfc /scannow to repair. For chronic AppX framework issues despite all approaches, an in-place upgrade install (mount Windows 11 ISO, run setup.exe with Keep files and apps) replaces the AppX subsystem while preserving user data — typically the most reliable repair for system-wide AppX corruption.

Bottom line: Re-registering all AppX packages with a single PowerShell command fixes most Store-app misbehavior in 5 minutes — no reinstalls needed.