Windows 11 offers improved versions of native apps. You can do most basic tasks with them—viewing photos or checking emails. But what happens when these default apps are missing from your Windows 11 PC? If you can't find them, Default apps on your Windows 11 PC Here are the top 6 ways to fix missing default apps on Windows 11. Of course, there's no need to reinstall Windows 11 unless things are beyond repair.
1. Run Windows Store apps to troubleshoot.
The troubleshooting tools built into Windows 11 can help you resolve most system-wide issues. So, if your default apps are missing, you can start by running the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter. Here's how.
Step 1: Open start menu , And type Troubleshoot settings , And press Enter.
Step 2: Click Other troubleshooters.
Step 3: Click Play button next to Windows Store Apps Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the troubleshooting process.
After running the troubleshooter, check if the default apps are back.
2. Fix missing apps
If Windows 11 is missing just one or two apps, such as Microsoft Store Or Photos, you can try fixing these problematic apps to see if that helps.
Step 1: Right click on start icon and select Settings from the list.
Step 2: Go to Applications tab And click Installed apps.
Step 3: Locate The application which you want to fix. Click Three-dot menu icon Adjacent to it and moved to Advanced Options.
Step 4: Scroll down to Reassignment Department And click repair.
If the problem persists, you can also Reset the app From the same menu. Note that this will result in Remove all app data.
3. Reinstall apps using POWERSHELL
If repairing the app doesn't work, you can use Windows PowerShell to reinstall all default apps on your computer. Here's how.
Step 1: Click Search code in Taskbar , And type windowsowershell , and click Run as administrator.
Step 2: paste Next command in Control unit And press Enter.
Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml"
This may take some time. Wait for the process to complete and then restart your computer. Your default applications will reappear.
4. Try the clean box.
There's a possibility that a recently installed program or a third-party service running in the background is interfering with Windows. Therefore, if the problem persists even after reinstalling the default applications, you can restart your computer. Clean boot status.
Step 1: Click on Windows key + R To open Run . dialog , And type msconfig , And press Enter.
Step 2: within Services tab Check the box that reads “Hide all Microsoft services” and click Disable all button in the lower right corner.
Step 3: Next, switch to Startup tab And click Open Task Manager.
Step 4: in Startup tab , Locate Third-party program And click Disabled At the top. Repeat this step to disable all third-party apps and programs.
Restart your computer To run Windows without third-party apps and services, check to see if you can find your default apps. If this solves your issue, you'll need to remove any recently installed apps or programs individually to fix the problem.
To boot into normal mode again, use the steps above to enable all startup applications and services, and then restart your computer.
5. Create a new user account
If the default apps are still missing, there may be a problem with your user account. In this case, you can create a new user account by following the steps below.
Step 1: Open start menu and click gear icon to turn on Settings app.
Step 2: Switch to Accounts tab And click Family and other users.
Step 3: within Other users , Click Add Account button.
Step 4: Click “I do not have this person’s login information” Follow the on-screen instructions to create New user account on Windows.
After that, log in with the newly created user account, and the missing apps will appear again.
6. Reset Windows 11
Finally, if none of the above solutions work, your only option is to reset your computer. Fortunately, you can Reset Windows 11 without losing any of your personal dataHowever, this process will remove installed applications and reset all system settings.
Step 1: Click on Windows key + I to turn on Settings app. in a System tab , Go to Recovery.
Step 2: Click Reset your computer.
Step 3: Locate "Keep my files" Then follow the on-screen instructions to finish. Reset Windows 11.
After Windows 11 resets everything, your default apps should return.
Recover your apps
When important apps are missing from Windows 11, your productivity suffers. In most cases, a repair or reinstall should help restore them. You may need to resort to more drastic measures like resetting your PC. In any case, let us know which solution works for you in the comments below.
