How to Reinstall Microsoft Store Apps in Windows 11

Why reinstall Microsoft Store apps?

Corrupted files or an interrupted update can break an app without warning. Typical signs are an app that closes right after opening, a window that never appears, or an error such as “App not installed”. Reinstalling gives the package a clean start and clears these persistent errors.

Before you begin, note anything you can’t easily recreate, such as custom settings or sign-in details, because some apps may ask you to set them up again.

What happens when done?

The app returns to its original, just-installed state. Its settings may reset. Game save data is normally kept in cloud storage or in your user folders, so it usually survives. If an app stores important data only locally, back it up first.

A restart is not normally required. If the app still misbehaves afterwards, restart the 🔄 PC once and test it again.

Check for Windows Updates First

Check for Windows Updates First

Make sure Windows has the latest patches before you troubleshoot an app. Background updates often fix the underlying bugs that make apps misbehave, and a pending update can also leave Store components half-installed.

1. Open Settings › Windows Update
2. Click Check for updates. Windows lists any updates it finds and starts downloading them.
3. Install everything offered. If you see a Restart now button, restart the PC so the updates finish installing.
4. Open the broken app again to see whether the problem is gone.

Fixing Microsoft Store Cache

Clearing the Microsoft Store cache fixes many download and distribution glitches. It does not remove your apps or your account.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run box.
2. Type wsreset.exe and press Enter.
3. Wait. A blank command prompt window appears and stays open for a short while. It closes on its own once the cache is cleared, and the Microsoft Store usually opens right after.
4. Try the app again, or try reinstalling it from the Store.

The window looks empty and nothing seems to happen, so don't close it manually. Give it a minute or two.

How to reinstall apps using PowerShell

PowerShell can remove a broken app package from your computer and then force Windows to register or install a fresh copy. This fixes stubborn apps that refuse to open, update, or reinstall through the Microsoft Store itself, because it wipes out the corrupted package data and starts over.

You need to run PowerShell as an administrator. Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal (Admin), then approve the User Account Control prompt. If your account is a standard one, you will be asked for an administrator password.

Be careful here. Read the commands fully before you press Enter.

1. To remove a broken app, run: Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage
2. To reinstall it, run: Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name *YourApp* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
3. Replace YourApp with part of the app's package name, for example the word Calculator. Keep the asterisks on both sides. They act as wildcards.
4. Wait for the prompt to return. Red error text means the command failed. Plain output or no output usually means it worked.

The remove command in step 1 has no name filter. Run exactly as written, it targets every app package, not just the broken one. Add the same -Name *YourApp* filter used in step 2, placed after -AllUsers, so only the app you mean to remove is affected. Do not try to remove core system apps such as the Microsoft Store itself.

If you removed an app that is not built into Windows, install it again from the Microsoft Store. Built-in apps come back with the reinstall command in step 2 or through the Store. No restart is normally needed.

Get-AppxPackage *name* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

Using Winget for Reinstallation

Winget (the Windows Package Manager, a command-line tool for installing apps) installs software from Microsoft's repositories. It gives you another route when the Store interface fails. Open Terminal or PowerShell and run winget install [[SAL_FIXED_47]] . For example, to update the Calculator, run winget install 9WZDNCRFHVN5.

If Windows says winget is not recognized, the App Installer component is missing or out of date on that PC. Updating it through the Microsoft Store usually restores the tool.

Summary

A targeted reinstall clears persistent app glitches. WSReset.exe, PowerShell commands, and the Winget tool are three reliable ways back to a working app. Work in order, from the least invasive fix to the most. Always check for Windows Updates first, since that alone fixes many problems and keeps the system stable.