Uninstall Apps in Windows 10

Brink · 07 Feb 2016

@jnanavich,

Thank you for sharing your results. :)

Scottyboy99 · 08 Feb 2016

Hi guys,

I am so sorry for bringing this up again. The built in photos app not working for some of our users accounts continues to bug me quite a bit. I want to try and fix it without having to delete these user accounts and start all over again.

I really do not want to risk upsetting the app on the accounts (my own) where the photos app works just fine. So I want this to only happen on specific user account (these are standard accounts and not administrator accounts). So first question is do these accounts need to be administrator before attempting any powershell related fix? Second question, I am extremely wary of powershell causing more damage than it fixes under this current build, so if I want to remove the photos app from a specific user account, am I safe to open powershell and type Get-AppxPackage *photos* | Remove-AppxPackage or have I interpreted that all wrong. I want to be absolutely sure this will only happen for this user and affect nobody else. Having done this, do I then go into windows store and search for the photos app and choose to install it (will this again only effect the current user)

Or is their a much easier way of doing this? If only MS apps had the option to right click and choose uninstall for their own in built apps it might be easier. But unfortunately this is always greyed out.

Brink · 08 Feb 2016

Yep, that would be the correct command to uninstall the Photos app from only the current user.

If it still doesn't fix the app after reinstalling it, then doing a repair install should be able to without losing anything.

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

Scottyboy99 · 08 Feb 2016

Thanks Brink. And will it work even though the user account I will be trying it whilst logged into is only a standard account? I would also be then attempting it on my son's account after this which is only a child account. Am I going to run into problems because neither is an administrator account?

Thanks,
Wayne

Brink · 08 Feb 2016

The command will work in a standard user, but a repair install can only be done by an administrator.

Scottyboy99 · 09 Feb 2016

Just got round to trying it. The command to uninstall the photos app certainly worked. I then rebooted logged back into my wife's user account and went to store to re download the photos app. This worked but upon clicking it to launch nothing happened again (as before). So unfortunately it was either a case of wait for the next photos update to see if that sprung it back to life (which could be ages) or delete her user account and then recreate it (a time consuming exercise). I went for the latter and she now has usable photos app once again. Just thought I'd share the experience in case others find themselves in a similar boat.

Cheers, Wayne

Magissia · 11 Feb 2016

Looks like i'm not the only one annoyed by Twitter, Minecraft, Flipboard and so on.
Surprisingly, most people on TechNet are complaining about problems with Miencraft and not the fact it is pre-installed en professional machines ... what ???

Tried to ask how to get rid of these apps Microsoft force up to our throats, but I don't expect anything ...
How to get rid of Minecraft, Flipboard, Twitter and CandyCrush ?

Brink · 11 Feb 2016

Hello Magissia, and welcome to Ten Forums. :)

Those apps are only suggested apps (advertising) pinned to Start. They are not actually installed, so you can just unpin them from Start to remove them.

If you like, you can also use the tutorial below to turn off app suggestions on Start.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3...dows-10-a.html

Geoff Daniell · 19 Mar 2016

Hi Shawn,

(1) If one uninstalls apps using this tutorial, can they be restored/re-installed at a later date if the user wishes it? Is this the correct tutorial to use? {How to Reinstall and Re-register All Built-in Windows Apps in Windows 8 and 10}

(2) Secondly, it is correct to assume if an App in the list under apps and features shows up with the options for move and uninstall are greyed out, that these apps will not be removed using the procedure in OPTION TWO of this tutorial?

(3) If one uninstalls xbox, then all xbox related apps such as the solitaire collection stop working?
best

Geoff

Brink · 19 Mar 2016

Hello Geoff, :)

Q1) If it's a built-in app, then the user can restore the app using that tutorial only if the app was uninstalled for their account and not for all users. Being able to restore an app that was uninstalled for all users using the PowerShell command is currently broken in Windows, and break all built-in apps if used. The only way to restore them then is to do a repair install.

Q2) That's correct. If a built-in app is not listed in under step 3 in OPTION TWO, then it can't and be uninstalled. Those would be apps that are used by Windows, and shouldn't be uninstalled. For example, Microsoft Edge.

Q3) I haven't tied it to know, but I would assume that to be so.