But what if your Windows device is missing these default apps? Don’t worry - it’s an easy problem to fix. This guide will show you how to fix missing default apps on Windows 11.
What Causes Windows 11’s Default Apps to Go Missing?
There are a few possible reasons for the default apps to be missing, but it generally happens if you have installed a recently updated build. You may also have this problem when you upgrade from an older to a newer operating system. In addition, some default apps might be missing due to a bug in the Windows device.
Whatever the reason, it is relatively easy to fix this problem. Here are 5 easy solutions you might want to try. Let’s explore them.
1. Reinstall the Missing Apps
The first thing to do if the default apps are missing would be to check if they are still installed on your computer. For this, open the Start menu and search for the app by name. If it’s not listed in the search results, then it’s not installed, and you’ll need to install it.
If the app appears in the search results but is not accessible, its file may be corrupt, faulty, or contains a critical flaw that prevents it from working. In this case, you will need to uninstall the application and install it again from the Store app. Follow these steps to take this:
Press Win + X and select Installed apps from the menu list. Go to the right pane and locate the app you want to remove. Once you find it, click on three dots and select the Uninstall option. If a confirmation popup appears, click Uninstall again.
After you have uninstalled the application, it is now time for you to open the Microsoft Store app. Search for the application that you have just removed, then install it again, and see if you are able to open it now.
In case the problem on your device is still occurring, try reinstalling all your default apps with Windows PowerShell. This is how you do it.
Click on the Start menu and search for “PowerShell”. Select Run as Administrator from the right pane. When UAC appears on the screen, click Yes to continue. Once you’re in the PowerShell window, type the below command: Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_. InstallLocation)AppXManifest. xml” Press Enter to reinstall all default applications on your Windows computer.
It may take a while to complete this task, so please be patient. Once the process is complete, restart your computer to get back to your default applications.
2. Run the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter
If you’re having issues with your default apps not appearing on Windows 11, you can try running the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter. This tool can help fix problems with apps that aren’t working properly or have missing files.
To run the troubleshooter, follow the below steps:
Open the System Settings. From the left pane, select the System tab. Click Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters in the right pane. Next, scroll down to Windows Store Apps and click Run.
The troubleshooter will scan your system for any issues and try to fix them automatically. If it’s successful, you may see a message saying that the troubleshooting was completed successfully.
3. Run System File Checker and DISM Scan
There may be a problem with the system files on Windows that cause default apps to not work. For such cases, you should run System File Checker and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) scans. System File Checker is a utility that checks for corrupt or missing system files and repairs them.
To use this tool, follow these steps:
Press the Win + R keys to open the Run command dialog box (see how to open the Run box on Windows for more info. ) In the search box, type “cmd” and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter. As soon as UAC appears, click Yes to open the command prompt with administrator privileges. In the Command Prompt window, type the below command and press Enter: sfc /scannow The scan may take some time to complete, so be patient
Once it’s finished, restart your computer and see if you can access the default application. If you still have the issue, you should run the Deployment Image Servicing and Management command line tool to repair any corrupted system images. Follow these steps:
Start Command Prompt as an administrator, as described above. When the command prompt window appears, type the following command and press Enter: Dism. exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth The process may take some time to complete.
After executing the DISM command, restart your computer and see if it fixes the problem. If the problem persists, continue to the next step.
4. Repair the Missing Apps
If you notice that one or two of your Windows apps are missing from your device, you can try repairing these applications. After that, restart your computer and check to see if you can now access them.
If you’re unsure of how to do this, check out our guide on how to repair apps on Windows.
5. Perform a Clean Boot
A new build is likely to be causing the problem if you experience this problem after installing one. In this case, you need to perform a clean boot and check if it works. In order to proceed, follow these steps:
Click on Start and search for “System Configuration”. Select the result from the top of the list. On the General tab of the System Configuration window, check Selective startup. Uncheck the box that says Load startup items. Now go to the Services tab. Select Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all. Click the Apply button. Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager. In the Startup tab, right-click each service and disable it. Close the Task Manager window and return to System Configuration. Click OK to save the changes.
After you’ve completed the steps above, reboot your PC and check if the problem has been resolved.
Your Default Apps Are Now Available Again in Windows 11
If you find that the Default Apps feature is missing from your Windows 11 computer, you can use the information above to fix the problem. In most cases, reinstalling the missing apps will do the trick. However, if neither of these solutions works, you may have to restore your system.
