Why Microsoft Store Apps Use the Wrong Profile Data Folder on Windows 11

Quick fix: Microsoft Store apps store user data in %LocalAppData%\Packages\<PackageFullName>. If apps show data from a different account, the wrong user is signed in. Sign out of the app, sign back in with the correct Microsoft Account. For Store itself: profile icon → Sign out → Sign in.

You launch a Microsoft Store app (Mail, Calendar, Photos, OneNote). It shows data from your other account (work vs. personal). Or files from a different OneDrive show up. The cause: app cached the wrong account, or system shows MSA1 while the app uses MSA2.

What causes this

UWP apps maintain their own account sign-in independently of the Windows user account. The system has one signed-in user (your Microsoft Account), but each app can sign in to a different MSA — useful for users with separate work and personal accounts. Wrong account = wrong data.

Common scenarios: shared PC with multiple users; same user with multiple MSAs (one personal, one work); recent account switch left old app cache.

Method 1: Sign out and sign back in within the app

The standard fix.

1. Launch the app showing wrong data.
2. Find Account or Profile settings within the app. Usually:
   • Mail/Calendar: bottom-left icon → Manage accounts.
   • OneDrive: cloud icon in system tray → gear → Settings → Account → Unlink this PC.
   • OneNote: File → Account → Sign Out.
   • Microsoft Store itself: profile icon top-right → Sign out.
3. Sign out. Close the app fully (Task Manager → End task).
4. Relaunch. Sign in with the correct account.
5. Data should now match the chosen account.

This is the per-app reset.

Method 2: Reset the app to clear cached data

For when sign-out alone doesn’t clear stale data.

1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
2. Find the affected app. Click three-dot menu → Advanced options.
3. Click Reset. Confirms. All local app data, sign-in tokens, settings cleared.
4. Relaunch the app. Fresh sign-in prompt. Choose correct account.
5. Caveat: Reset clears local data including drafts, downloaded content. Make sure you don’t lose unsynced work.
6. For Outlook (classic, not UWP Mail): different approach — uninstall and reinstall, or use File → Account Settings → remove account.

This is the right path for stale-cache cases.

Method 3: Switch the active Microsoft Account at the system level

For the underlying account confusion.

1. Open Settings → Accounts → Your info.
2. Verify which MSA is shown as the primary. If wrong:
   • Switch to local account (Sign in with a local account instead), then sign back in with correct MSA.
   • Or add the correct MSA via Settings → Accounts → Email & accounts → Add a Microsoft account.
3. For accounts that should stay separate: use Windows’s Other users section to create separate user accounts — one per MSA. Switch users via Start → user icon. Each user has its own app data.
4. For roaming user profiles in enterprise: contact IT — profile sync may bring wrong data across machines.

This handles confusion at the system level.

How to verify the fix worked

• Launch the app. Account icon/email matches the correct MSA.
• Data shown belongs to the correct account.
• For multiple MSAs: each app can stay signed in to its preferred MSA. Verify per app.

If none of these work

If app stubbornly shows wrong data: Browser-cached web app: some Store apps are web wrappers (Microsoft 365 apps). Clear Edge cookies for office.com: Edge Settings → Privacy → Choose what to clear. For Microsoft Authenticator showing wrong account: tap the wrong account in the app, “Remove account.” Then re-add via QR code from account.microsoft.com. For OneDrive showing wrong files: Settings → Account → Unlink this PC. Sign in to the correct MSA. Confirms sync target folder location. For app data folder confusion: each UWP app stores in %LocalAppData%\Packages\<PackageFullName>\LocalState. If you accidentally restored from backup, wrong data may be there. Manually delete the LocalState folder (causes Reset). For corporate-managed PCs with WIP (Windows Information Protection): data is partitioned by classification. Apps may show only work or only personal data. Contact IT.

Bottom line: Sign out of the app, sign back in with the correct MSA. If stale data remains, use Settings → Apps → Advanced options → Reset to clear cache. Manage Microsoft Account sign-ins per app.