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How to Fix Broken Windows 10 Apps & Problems

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There’s a lot to like about Windows 10. The Cortana personal assistant really does help users get reminders set and searches done as they’re working. The operating system starts fast and updates itself in the background seamlessly. All of that is almost moot though because the real reason users should want to download the Windows 10 upgrade are apps.

Read: Windows 10 Review – A Love Affair

Now called Windows apps, the bits of code Windows 10 users download from the Windows Store are better. Microsoft has rewritten its own apps to be both mouse and touch-friendly. Every app can run in a fullscreen tablet mode, or in a window alongside other apps. Windows 10 apps start faster and update on their own. There are two problems with Windows Store apps any user who has downloaded Windows 10 will immediately notice. First, there simply aren’t enough of them. Microsoft needs to keep heavily pushing companies to invest in the platform.

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Second, Windows 10 apps are sometimes very, very buggy. More often than they should, they fail to start up. Some users report apps simply fading into the background and disappearing moments after they tried to open them.

Here’s how to fix broken Windows 10 apps. Whether they’re not loading correctly, getting stuck at the splash screen or won’t stay launched.

Kill the App From Within Task Manager

When a Windows app fails to work correctly the first thing we all do is click or tap on the X in the top right corner of the app, then open it again to see if whatever issue we’re having is fixed. That’s not by accident. We’re all conditioned to the way programs on Windows work. Windows 10 apps are a bit different behind the scenes and this idea doesn’t work.

Apps sometimes have processes that run in the background. Just because you’re not seeing an app doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t there. It could be still running. If that’s the case, hitting the X is only getting rid of the part of the app that you can see in Windows 10. It could fail to solve whatever issue you have going on.

To kill an app completely you’ll need to dive into what Microsoft calls the Task Manager. Chances are you’ve heard of it, it’s been in Windows for years.

With Tablet Mode off, use your mouse to right-click on the Windows button in the taskbar on the left-bottom of your screen.

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Anything you could possibly want to access that isn’t in Settings is available in this menu. You’re looking for the Task Manager option. It’s the entry that’s listed seventh from the bottom.

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Welcome to the Task Manager. Right-click the app in the list that’s giving you trouble and select End Task. Now open your app again to see if it’s working correctly.

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If it isn’t, go back to the Task Manager and click on More Details.

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Look to see if the app is listed under Background Processes. If it is, right-click on the app and select End Task there too.

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You can try the app again now to see if it’s working correctly. If it isn’t, you’ll need to try our next solution.

Reinstall The App from the Windows Store

Sometimes in Windows 8 app upgrades would go bad. When they did, the only way to fix them was reinstalling the app. Trouble was, it wasn’t always clear how to do that for some users.

To uninstall an app in Windows 10 you just need to find a shortcut to that app and right-click. Start by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start Menu.

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If you see the app you’re having trouble with immediately as you open the Start menu, right-click it and select Uninstall from the list of options. If you don’t see the app, tap or click on All Apps.

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Now find the app in your list of installed apps and right-click on it. Touch users will need to tap on it and hold their finger there to get the same pop-up menu. Select Uninstall.

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Head back to the Windows Store and install the app. Everything should be fine now.

Restart Your PC

Lastly, restarting your PC could clear up any temporary issues for you and your apps.

Go to the Start Menu and tap or click on the Power option.

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Select Restart from the list of options you have. Be sure to save anything you’re doing before you hit this button. You could lose work if you don’t.

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Good luck getting your Windows 10 apps up and running again. We’re seeing less Windows app problems as Microsoft sorts out issues with the Windows Store and developers learn how to use the tools available to them.

Keep in mind that as most of the apps in the Windows Store are made by third-party developers, the issue you’re having could directly be related to the app and not Windows. If you think that’s the, case go to the app’s page in the Windows Store. There’s contact information for developers and other users sharing their experience with each app on the app’s store page.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Lynne Burgin

    09/28/2015 at 10:31 am

    I have updated Windows 10 now I cannot print my email they keep saving to a folder which I cannot access I am totally confused by it all. Thinking can I delete Windows 10 as I am 67 years old and this is too much for me. Your help would be appreciated.Thankyou

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