Microsoft Photos is the built-in image viewing and photo-management application used by Windows 11 and many Windows 10 installations. It normally opens common image formats such as JPG, JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF, TIFF and other supported media files.

Sometimes Microsoft Photos may stop working correctly. You may experience problems such as:

• Microsoft Photos does not open.
• Double-clicking a JPG or PNG does nothing.
• Photos opens and immediately closes.
• The message "The app didn't start" appears.
• Photos displays a blank or black window.
• Images take unusually long to open.
• Microsoft Photos disappears from Windows.
• Photos cannot be selected as the default photo viewer.
• The application becomes corrupted after a Windows or Microsoft Store update.
• An AppX package or dependency error appears.
• Photos is installed but does not appear to be registered correctly.
• Microsoft Store cannot update Microsoft Photos.
• Resetting Photos does not solve the problem.

Fortunately, you normally do not need to reinstall Windows to solve these problems.

This guide explains several levels of Microsoft Photos troubleshooting, beginning with the safest methods and progressing to PowerShell and Windows component repair.

Important: Will Repairing or Reinstalling Microsoft Photos Delete My Pictures?

Normally, no.

Your actual photographs stored in locations such as:

C:\Users\YourName\Pictures

Desktop, Documents, OneDrive, another hard disk, external USB drive, NAS or other folders are separate from the Microsoft Photos application.

Repairing, resetting, re-registering or reinstalling the Photos application does not normally delete the original JPG, JPEG, PNG or other image files stored in your folders.

However, resetting an application can remove that application's local settings and cached information.

As a general precaution, important photographs and documents should always have a separate backup.

Recommended Troubleshooting Order

Do not immediately uninstall Microsoft Photos.

For most computers, use the following sequence:

1. Restart Windows.
2. Check whether the image file itself is valid.
3. Update Microsoft Photos.
4. Repair Microsoft Photos.
5. Reset Microsoft Photos.
6. Re-register the Photos AppX package.
7. Uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Photos.
8. Check Microsoft Store.
9. Run SFC.
10. Run DISM.
11. Reboot and test again.

This approach avoids unnecessary changes to Windows.

Method 1: Restart Windows

Before performing advanced troubleshooting, restart the computer.

Select:

Start → Power → Restart

Do not simply shut down and power the computer back on when troubleshooting. A proper Restart ensures that Windows reloads services, application processes and components.

After Windows restarts, try opening Microsoft Photos again.

Method 2: Determine Whether the Problem Is Photos or the Image File

Before repairing Windows, test several image files.

Try opening:

• A different JPG
• A PNG
• A screenshot
• An image stored in another folder

You can also right-click an image and select:

Open with → Paint

If the same image opens correctly in Paint but not Microsoft Photos, the problem is more likely related to Microsoft Photos or its Windows file association.

If only one particular image refuses to open, that individual image may be damaged.

Method 3: Update Microsoft Photos

An outdated or partially updated Photos package can sometimes cause application problems.

Open:

Microsoft Store → Downloads/Library

Check for available updates.

Install any update available for:

Microsoft Photos

It is also advisable to install pending Microsoft Store application updates.

Restart Windows after updating and test Photos again.

Method 4: Repair Microsoft Photos

Windows provides a built-in Repair function for supported applications.

In Windows 11:

Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Microsoft Photos → Advanced options

Look for:

Repair

Click Repair.

Repair attempts to correct the application without performing a full reset.

After the operation completes, open Microsoft Photos again.

Repair should normally be your first recovery option.

If Repair works, there is no reason to uninstall the application.

Method 5: Reset Microsoft Photos

If Repair does not work, return to:

Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Microsoft Photos → Advanced options

Select:

Reset

Confirm the reset when Windows asks.

Resetting Photos removes application-specific local data/settings and restores the application to its default state.

It should not be confused with Reset this PC.

You are resetting the Photos application, not Windows itself.

After resetting, restart the computer and test the application.

Method 6: Check Whether Microsoft Photos Is Registered

PowerShell can determine whether the Photos AppX package exists for the current Windows user.

Right-click Start and select:

Terminal (Admin)

or search for:

PowerShell

and choose:

Run as administrator

Run:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Photos

You can also use:

Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.Windows.Photos*

If Photos is registered, PowerShell should return package information including properties such as:

• Name
• Publisher
• Architecture
• Version
• PackageFullName
• InstallLocation

This is useful before removing anything.

Method 7: Re-Register Microsoft Photos Without Uninstalling It

If the Photos files are still installed but registration is corrupted, re-registering the package may solve the problem without removing it first.

Open PowerShell/Terminal as Administrator and run:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.Windows.Photos | ForEach-Object {
    Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"
}

Allow the command to finish.

Restart Windows.

Then test Microsoft Photos.

What does this command do?

Get-AppxPackage

locates the AppX package.

-AllUsers

checks registered packages across Windows user profiles.

ForEach-Object

processes the package returned by PowerShell.

Add-AppxPackage

registers the application package.

-DisableDevelopmentMode

registers it as a normal installed application rather than a development package.

AppXManifest.xml

contains information Windows uses to register the application.

Method 8: Uninstall Microsoft Photos Using PowerShell

If Repair, Reset and re-registration fail, you can remove Microsoft Photos and reinstall it.

Open:

Windows Terminal (Admin)

or:

PowerShell (Admin)

Run:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Photos | Remove-AppxPackage

Another commonly used form is:

Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.Windows.Photos* | Remove-AppxPackage

Wait for PowerShell to complete the operation.

Microsoft Photos should now be removed for the current user.

Understanding the PowerShell Command

Consider:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Photos | Remove-AppxPackage

It consists of two operations.

Get-AppxPackage

This identifies the Microsoft Photos AppX/MSIX package.

|

The pipe symbol sends the package information returned by the first command to the next command.

Remove-AppxPackage

This removes the selected application package.

This is safer and more precise than manually deleting files from protected Windows application directories.

Method 9: Reinstall Microsoft Photos from Microsoft Store

After removing Photos:

1. Open Microsoft Store.
2. Search for Microsoft Photos.
3. Select the official Microsoft Photos application.
4. Click Install or Get.
5. Allow installation to finish.
6. Restart Windows.
7. Open a JPG or PNG file and test the application.

Installing from Microsoft Store is generally the preferred method when the Photos package has actually been removed.

Method 10: Re-Register an Existing Photos Installation

If Photos exists on the computer but Windows has lost its registration, you can attempt:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.Windows.Photos | ForEach-Object {
    Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"
}

Restart Windows after completing the command.

Important

This method requires the application package to still exist on the system.

If Get-AppxPackage returns nothing because Photos has been completely removed, reinstall it from Microsoft Store instead.

Method 11: Check Microsoft Store

If Photos cannot be reinstalled, test Microsoft Store itself.

Press:

Windows + R

Enter:

wsreset.exe

Press Enter.

Windows will reset the Microsoft Store cache.

After it completes, reopen Microsoft Store and try installing Microsoft Photos again.

Method 12: Check Windows System Files with SFC

If several Windows applications are malfunctioning rather than only Photos, damaged Windows system files may be involved.

Open:

Terminal (Admin)

Run:

sfc /scannow

System File Checker will inspect protected Windows system files and attempt to repair corrupted files.

Wait until it reaches 100%.

Restart the computer afterward.

Method 13: Repair the Windows Component Store with DISM

If SFC cannot resolve the problem, run DISM.

Open Terminal/Command Prompt as Administrator.

First run:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

Then:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Allow DISM to complete.

Depending on the computer and Windows installation, this process may take some time.

After DISM finishes, run:

sfc /scannow

again.

Then restart Windows.

Recommended Advanced Repair Sequence

For a system where Microsoft Photos and other Windows applications are behaving abnormally, an administrator can use this sequence:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

followed by:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

followed by:

sfc /scannow

Restart Windows afterward.

Then test Microsoft Photos.

Method 14: Restore Microsoft Photos as the Default Image Viewer

Sometimes Microsoft Photos works correctly but JPG or PNG files open in another program.

Go to:

Settings → Apps → Default apps

Search for:

Photos

or select the required file extension, such as:

.jpg

.jpeg

.png

Choose:

Microsoft Photos

You can also right-click an image and select:

Open with → Choose another app → Photos

and make it the preferred application where Windows provides that option.

Method 15: Test Microsoft Photos in Another Windows User Account

AppX registration is partly user-specific.

Therefore, Photos may work in one Windows account but fail in another.

Create or use another Windows user account and test Microsoft Photos there.

If Photos works correctly in the second account, the problem may involve:

• User-specific AppX registration
• Profile corruption
• Local Photos settings
• File associations
• User-specific Microsoft Store data

This can help distinguish a Windows-wide problem from a single-user-profile problem.

Current User vs All Users – Important for Administrators

This command:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Photos

checks the current user's registered package.

This command:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.Windows.Photos

checks across users.

This distinction is particularly important on:

• Shared computers
• Windows Server environments
• RDS systems
• Multi-user workstations
• Enterprise PCs

Do not remove AppX packages across every user profile simply because one user is experiencing a problem.

Always identify the scope of the problem first.

What If Microsoft Photos Works for Administrator but Not Another User?

This usually suggests a user-specific problem rather than corruption of the entire Windows installation.

Log in as the affected user and first try:

Repair → Reset

If necessary, run appropriate re-registration troubleshooting for that user.

Avoid unnecessarily removing packages from every Windows account.

Common Microsoft Photos Problems and Recommended Solutions

Problem	Recommended Action
Photos does not open	Repair Photos
Photos opens then closes	Repair, then Reset
JPG does not open	Check default app and test another JPG
Only one image fails	Check whether that image is corrupt
Photos missing	Install from Microsoft Store
Photos package corrupt	Reset or reinstall
AppX registration damaged	Re-register Photos
Store installation fails	Run wsreset.exe
Multiple Windows apps fail	Run DISM and SFC
Photos works for another user	Investigate affected user profile
Photos works but JPG opens elsewhere	Correct default application
Photos disappeared after reset/removal	Reinstall from Microsoft Store
Package dependency/conflict error	Reset, re-register or reinstall package

Common PowerShell Errors

Access Is Denied

Make sure PowerShell or Windows Terminal is opened with:

Run as administrator

Deployment Failed

AppX deployment errors may occur because of:

• Package corruption
• Dependency problems
• Pending Windows updates
• App files currently in use
• Broken AppX registration
• Microsoft Store problems
• User-profile corruption

Restart Windows and retry the operation before proceeding to more invasive troubleshooting.

Package Cannot Be Found

Run:

Get-AppxPackage *Photos*

to see whether Windows detects a related package.

If nothing relevant is returned, reinstall Microsoft Photos from Microsoft Store.

AppXManifest.xml Cannot Be Found

This commonly indicates that the command is referencing an installation location that no longer exists or that the application has already been removed.

Instead of repeatedly attempting to register a nonexistent package, reinstall Microsoft Photos from Microsoft Store.

What You Should NOT Do

Avoid manually deleting Microsoft Photos files from:

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps

This directory is protected by Windows.

Changing ownership or permissions of WindowsApps merely to delete application files can cause additional Microsoft Store/AppX problems.

Also avoid downloading unofficial Microsoft Photos APPX/MSIX packages from unknown websites.

Use Microsoft Store or trusted Microsoft deployment mechanisms whenever possible.

PowerShell Command Reference

Check Photos package

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Photos

Check Photos for all users

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.Windows.Photos

Remove Photos for current user

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Photos | Remove-AppxPackage

Re-register Photos

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.Windows.Photos | ForEach-Object {
    Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"
}

Reset Microsoft Store cache

wsreset.exe

Check Windows system files

sfc /scannow

Check Windows component store

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

Repair Windows component store

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Which Solution Should I Use?

A simple rule is:

Photos opens but behaves incorrectly

→ Repair

Repair doesn't work

→ Reset

Photos package appears installed but doesn't launch

→ Re-register

Photos is badly corrupted or missing

→ Uninstall and reinstall

Microsoft Store is malfunctioning

→ wsreset.exe

Several Windows applications are malfunctioning

→ DISM + SFC

Only one Windows user is affected

→ Troubleshoot that user's profile/AppX registration rather than changing every account.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is Microsoft Photos?

Microsoft Photos is Microsoft's Windows application for viewing, organizing and performing basic editing of photographs and other supported media.

2. Can Microsoft Photos be reinstalled?

Yes. If it has been removed or corrupted, Microsoft Photos can normally be installed again from Microsoft Store.

3. Can I uninstall Microsoft Photos using PowerShell?

Yes. For the current user, a commonly used command is:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Photos | Remove-AppxPackage

4. Will uninstalling Microsoft Photos delete my JPG files?

Normally, no. Removing the application does not mean deleting the photographs stored in your Pictures, Documents, Desktop or other storage folders.

5. Does Reset Photos delete my photographs?

Resetting the application is intended to reset its application data/settings, not delete the original photographs stored separately in your folders. Important files should nevertheless always be backed up.

6. Should I use Repair or Reset first?

Use Repair first because it is the less disruptive option. If Repair does not solve the problem, try Reset.

7. Should I uninstall Photos immediately when it stops working?

No. Try Restart, Update, Repair and Reset before uninstalling the application.

8. What is the difference between Reset and Reinstall?

Reset restores the installed application's local state. Reinstall removes the application package and installs a fresh copy.

9. What does re-registering Microsoft Photos mean?

Re-registration tells Windows to register the existing AppX/MSIX package again using its manifest.

10. Why does Microsoft Photos open and immediately close?

Possible causes include corrupted app data, AppX registration problems, dependency problems, a damaged user profile or an incomplete application update.

11. Why can I open an image in Paint but not Photos?

If the image opens correctly in another application, the image itself is probably readable and the problem is more likely related to Photos or its file association.

12. What does Get-AppxPackage do?

It retrieves information about AppX/MSIX application packages registered in Windows.

13. What does Remove-AppxPackage do?

It removes a selected AppX package from the specified user context.

14. Do I need administrator privileges?

Some troubleshooting operations, especially those involving -AllUsers, system repair or broader package management, require elevated administrator privileges.

15. Why is Photos working for one user but not another?

AppX registration and application data can be user-specific. A problem can therefore affect only one Windows profile.

16. Can I reinstall Photos without Microsoft Store?

If the existing package files remain installed, re-registration may restore the application. If the package has actually been removed, Microsoft Store is normally the simplest supported reinstall method.

17. What does wsreset.exe do?

It resets Microsoft Store-related cache components and can help when Store application installation or updating is malfunctioning.

18. Should I manually delete the WindowsApps folder?

No. Manually modifying or deleting files from WindowsApps can damage Microsoft Store applications and package registrations.

19. Why should I run DISM?

DISM can check and repair the Windows component store when broader Windows corruption is suspected.

20. Why run SFC after DISM?

DISM repairs the Windows component source, while System File Checker checks protected Windows system files and replaces damaged versions where possible.

21. Will reinstalling Photos fix every image-opening problem?

No. Problems can also be caused by corrupt image files, incorrect file associations, user-profile corruption or wider Windows problems.

22. Can this procedure be used on Windows 11?

Yes. The general Repair, Reset, AppX/PowerShell and Microsoft Store troubleshooting methods apply to Windows 11.

23. What about Windows 10?

Many of the same commands and troubleshooting principles apply, although menu names and available application versions may differ.

24. Is Windows 10 still supported?

Standard Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025. Systems still running Windows 10 should be evaluated for an appropriate supported upgrade or applicable extended support arrangement.

25. What should I do if Photos still does not work after reinstalling?

Check Windows Update, Microsoft Store, the affected Windows profile and system integrity. Run DISM and SFC, then test using another Windows user account to determine whether the issue is system-wide or profile-specific.

Conclusion

Microsoft Photos problems usually do not require reinstalling Windows.

Start with the least invasive solutions:

Restart → Update → Repair → Reset → Re-register → Reinstall → DISM/SFC

PowerShell becomes particularly useful when the graphical Windows interface cannot correctly repair or remove the Photos AppX package.

The most useful commands for administrators are:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Photos

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Photos | Remove-AppxPackage

and:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.Windows.Photos | ForEach-Object {
    Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"
}

For most ordinary users, however, Repair or Reset should be attempted before uninstalling Microsoft Photos.

Disclaimer

The commands and troubleshooting procedures in this article are provided for educational and technical-support purposes. Windows versions, Microsoft Photos packages and Microsoft Store behavior may change through future updates.

Create a backup of important files before performing advanced Windows troubleshooting. In business, RDS, domain-managed or production environments, test changes carefully and consult your system administrator before applying package changes across multiple users.