Windows comes with a few apps by default. You don’t need to install them manually; Windows comes pre-installed with them
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 Disappear?
There are a few possible reasons why default apps might be missing, but it usually happens if you’ve recently installed an updated build. You can also get this problem when you upgrade from old to new operating system. Also, some default apps may be missing due to a bug in the Windows device.
Whatever the cause, this problem is relatively easy to fix. Here are 5 easy remedies you may want to try. Let’s explore them.
1. Reinstall Missing Apps
If the default apps are missing, the first thing to do is 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, 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 it may have a critical flaw that prevents it from working. In this case, you will have to uninstall the app and reinstall it from the Store app.
After you have uninstalled the application, it is now time for you to open the Microsoft Store app. Find the app you just removed, then reinstall it, and see if you can open it now.
If the issue is still occurring with your device, try reinstalling all your default apps with Windows PowerShell. This is how you do it.
This task may take some time to complete, so please be patient. Once the process is complete, restart your computer to go back to your default applications.
2. Run the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter
If you’re having trouble with your default apps not showing up on Windows 11, you can try running the Windows Store app troubleshooter. This tool can help fix problems with apps that aren’t working properly or have missing files.
The troubleshooter will scan your system for any problems and attempt to fix them automatically. If this is successful, you may see a message that the troubleshooting was completed successfully.
3. Run System File Checker and DISM Scan
On Windows there may be a problem with the system files due to which the default apps do not work. For such cases, you should run the System File Checker and the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) scan. System File Checker is a utility that checks for and repairs corrupt or missing system files.
Once it’s finished, restart your computer and see if you can access the default applications. If you still have problems, you should run the Deployment Image Servicing and Management command line tool to repair any corrupted system images.
After executing the DISM command, restart your computer and see if that fixes the problem. If the problem persists, continue to the next step.
4. Repair Missing Apps
If you notice that one or two of your Windows apps are missing from your device, you can try to repair these apps. 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. Clean Boot
If you experience this problem after installing one then a newer build could be causing the problem. In this case, you need to do a clean boot and check if it works. To proceed, follow these steps.
After completing the above steps, reboot your PC and check if the problem is resolved or not.
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 none of these solutions work, you may need to reinstall your system.