Windows 10 apps Won’t open: How to Fix Completely

Windows 10 apps are quite handy and make it easy for a Windows 10 user to download and install Apps. These apps are daily necessities; they are useful for performing specific tasks. What would happen if Windows 10 Apps won’t open?

Whether it’s Microsoft store, Dropbox or Sticky note, each is important in its way. At times these windows 10 apps could take much longer to launch or fail to open altogether. In this post, we explore the solutions that you can use to fix “Windows 10 Apps won’t open” error.

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App failure usually occurs after system updates or restore. Though uncommon, it happens to some users, and it’s quite a frustrating experience. In the event you run into this issue, we recommend that you try out the fixes below to resolve the problem:

1) Run the Windows Apps Store Troubleshooter

To start off, consider running the Windows Apps Store troubleshooter by following the steps below:

Step 1: Press the Windows Key + I.  On the Settings Windows, navigate and click on  ‘Update & Security’.

Update-and-security

Step 2: Click on the “Troubleshoot”  option on the left-hand side menu

Troubleshoot-option

Step 3: On the right pane, click on  “Windows Store Apps.”

Windows Store Apps

 

Step 4: Finally, click on the ‘Run the troubleshooter’ option.

Windows 10 apps won’t open

Windows will begin performing a diagnostic check to resolve the  Windows store apps issues. If the diagnosis succeeds, it will point out the issues and possible fixes. If the Microsoft troubleshooter fails to identify the issue, try using this troubleshooter.

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2) Ensure the Windows Update Service is running

For some windows, 10 versions, apps cannot start if the windows update service is not running. To make the apps run, we have to start the service. To initialize the update service, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Press Windows Key+ R to open the Run box. Types ‘services.msc‘ and hit ENTER to access Windows services.

Run Windows services

 

Step 2: From the list, locate the “Windows update” option from the list of services. Right-click and select the ‘Properties‘ option.

Windows update select properties option

 

Step 3: In the Windows update properties window, change the startup type to ‘Automatic’ and click on ‘Start‘. Next, click ‘Apply‘ and Press ‘OK’ to save the changes.

Turn-on-Windows-update-automatic-option

Close the window,  and try to launch your app again. If it fails, try more options below.

3) Ensure that Application identity service is running

The Application Identity Service is a Microsoft program that works alongside AppLocker to verify the identity of the program. By default, the service runs on startup to enable all apps to benefits from its functionality. If you experience problems with the launching of some apps, search for the service and ensure it’s running. Follow the steps below to find the service:

Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialogue box and type ‘services.msc’ and press “Enter.’

Run Windows services

Step 2: in the Windows Service list, scroll and locate ‘Application Identity‘ service from the list.  Right-click to and select the ‘Properties‘ option.

Application identity properties option

Step 3: On the Application Identity Window , confirm whether the service is running or have been stopped. If the service has been stopped, click on ‘Start’. Finally, click ‘OK‘ then ‘Apply‘ to save the changes.

Application-identity-properties

 

4) Update Windows 10

Most of the time, the majority of problems in windows 10 are caused by windows updates. Ensure you have the latest version of software on your PC. To check if your computer is updated follow the steps below:

Step 1: Press the Windows Key + I.  On the Settings Windows, navigate and click on  ‘Update & Security’.

Update-and-security

Step 2: Click ‘Windows Update’  option from the left pane and later click on ‘Check updates‘ on the right pane as shown below. Also, ensure your PC has an active internet connection.

Check-for-updates

Windows start checking for updates automatically and install them.

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5) Reinstall the Troublesome App

If it’s only an individual app that’s giving you a headache, you can reinstall it. To reinstall the problematic app, navigate to start menu and locate it. Right-click the app and select the “uninstall” option.

uninstall an application

After the system finalizes with the uninstallation, try downloading and installing the app again. 

6) Reset Microsoft Store

Resetting Microsoft  Store has been known to resolve the issue with Apps not opening. To reset Microsoft Store, follow the steps below

Step 1: Press Windows Key+S to open Windows Search Bar. Next type ‘Store‘  and hit ENTER.

Windows Store

Step 2: Right-click on the Microsoft Store option that appears on the pull-up menu and select ‘App settings‘.

microsoft-store-App-settings

Step 3:  Scroll and click on the Reset option as shown below

Microsoft-Store-Reset

Conclusion

Should your Microsoft App fail to launch, try out one of these fixes. If nothing seems to work, reach out to us and we will be glad to help you out.

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