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If Microsoft Photos will not open, opens and immediately closes, or crashes while viewing an image, work from least disruptive to most disruptive: close and reopen it, update Windows and Microsoft Store apps, run Photos’ built-in Repair and Reset tools, reinstall the app, check media-library permissions, and try Photos Legacy. Only use Windows’ recovery reinstall when other Windows components are failing too. Back up important originals before any reset, reinstall, or system-recovery step.
First, identify how widely Windows is failing
The repair that fits a Photos-only failure is different from the repair for a damaged Windows installation. Try opening another built-in app, such as Settings, and check whether Windows Update opens normally.
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- Only Photos fails: stay with the app-level steps in this guide—updates, Repair, Reset, reinstall, permissions, and Photos Legacy.
- Several Windows components fail: investigate Windows Update and, only after app-level work, the Windows recovery reinstall described below.
- Photos opens but one file causes a crash: close Photos and test with a different picture or video. This separates an app launch problem from a problem tied to a particular file without changing the app’s stored data.
Microsoft publishes procedures for these repairs but does not publish a success rate for Photos launch crashes, so no single step can be promised as a universal fix.
Use this repair order
| Fix | Disruption | Data risk | Scope | Feature impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close and reopen Photos | Lowest | No app data change | Photos process only | None |
| Windows and Store updates | Low; restart required for Windows updates | No intentional Photos-data reset | Operating system and app packages | May change app behavior after updates |
| Repair | Low | Preserves the app’s stored state | Photos installation | None intended |
| Reset | Moderate | Clears Photos’ stored state; back up originals first | Photos installation and settings | App preferences may return to defaults |
| Reinstall Photos | Moderate | Back up originals first | Photos package | Use the currently offered Store version |
| Media-library permission check | Low | No file deletion | Pictures, Videos, and Documents access | None; restores access where blocked |
| Photos Legacy | Low to moderate | Does not replace your originals | Photos experience | Older workflows and a different feature set |
| Reinstall current Windows version | Highest in this guide | Recovery options can involve data loss; back up first | System-wide | Designed to preserve apps, files, and settings when offered |
1. Close and reopen Microsoft Photos
A hung Microsoft Store app can recover when its process is closed and started again. This is the least disruptive action and should come before changing settings.
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- If Photos is visible, close its window with the X in the upper-right corner.
- Wait a few seconds, then open Start, type Photos, and select Microsoft Photos.
- Try a picture that previously worked. If the app opens, check whether the original file or a particular action triggers the crash.
If Photos still will not open, continue without repeatedly launching it; the next steps address the app package and Windows components.
2. Update Windows 11, then restart
Windows Update and Microsoft Store updates are separate. Install both rather than assuming one updates the other.
- Open Start > Settings > Windows Update.
- Select Check for updates.
- Install every available update. If Windows asks for a restart, restart before testing Photos.
- Open Photos again from Start.
Microsoft also directs Windows 11 users to the automated Windows Update troubleshooter in Get Help. Use it when Windows Update itself will not scan, download, or install updates; fixing that component can be necessary before app repairs can complete.
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The Photos package is delivered through Microsoft Store, so a pending Store update can leave Photos on an older or damaged build even after Windows is current.
- Open Microsoft Store from Start.
- Select Library.
- Select Get updates.
- Allow Photos and any other listed Store apps to finish updating.
- Close Microsoft Store, restart Windows if it requests one, and test Photos.
If the Store does not show Photos in the library or Get updates cannot complete, note that behavior and proceed to the Installed apps repair options.
4. Repair Photos without clearing its stored state
Repair is the first built-in recovery option because it attempts to fix the installation while retaining the app’s stored state.
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- Open Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Find Microsoft Photos. Use the search box if the list is long.
- Select the app’s three-dot menu, then choose Advanced options.
- Scroll to Repair and select it.
- Wait for Windows to finish, then launch Photos from Start.
Repair may not display a detailed completion message. The practical test is whether Photos now stays open and can load a known-good image. If the Repair control is unavailable or the crash remains, use Reset on the same Advanced options page.
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Reset is more disruptive than Repair because it clears the app’s stored state. It can remove Photos preferences and other locally stored app data. It is not a substitute for a backup of the image and video files you care about.
Back up before changing app state
Copy important originals to a separate location—such as an external drive or a trusted cloud storage service—before Reset, reinstall, or Windows recovery. Confirm that the copies open from the backup location. Microsoft warns that some recovery options can result in data loss, so do not treat a copy that exists only inside a Photos view or an unsynchronized folder as a backup.
Run Reset
- Return to Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft Photos > three-dot menu > Advanced options.
- Select Reset and confirm the prompt.
- When Windows finishes, open Photos and check whether it launches.
- Reapply any preferences that were cleared and test a representative picture and video.
Microsoft’s guidance is explicit: If it isn’t available or doesn’t fix the problem, select Reset.
In other words, Reset is the next choice when Repair is missing or ineffective, not a requirement to run both repeatedly.
6. Reinstall Photos from Microsoft Store
Reinstalling replaces the Photos package. It is appropriate when Repair and Reset do not restore launching or when the Store package itself appears incomplete.
- Open Microsoft Store.
- Select Library and locate Photos.
- If the library offers an Install button, select it and let the installation finish.
- Launch Photos from Start and test files from a location you have already backed up.
The Store may show a different control when Photos is already installed or when the package is managed by Windows. Do not delete your image folders to “clean up” the app; reinstall the application rather than the files it displays.
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7. Check access to Pictures, Videos, and Documents
Windows privacy controls can prevent photo and video apps from opening, editing, or saving files when access to the relevant libraries is blocked. Review all three libraries if you use Photos with more than pictures.
- Open Start > Settings > Privacy & security.
- Review the permissions for Pictures, Videos, and Documents.
- Turn on the access required for your files and for apps to use the relevant library when those controls are present.
- Close Settings and start Photos again.
Permission labels can vary with the Windows 11 release and device policy. If a control is unavailable, the computer may be managed by an organization; contact its administrator rather than changing unrelated security settings.
8. Try Photos Legacy when the current app still fails
Microsoft continues to make Photos Legacy available for people who prefer the older experience. It is an official fallback, not an identical copy of the current Photos app.
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What changes between the two apps
- The newer Photos app includes newer capabilities such as iCloud integration.
- Photos Legacy retains older workflows that some users find more familiar.
- Menus, supported services, and available features differ, so a guide written for one app may not match the other.
Look for Photos Legacy through Microsoft’s Photos experience or Microsoft Store listings when it is offered for your Windows 11 installation. Install or open it without deleting the current app, then test the files and workflow you need. If Legacy opens files successfully, you have a usable way to view or manage media while deciding whether to revisit the current app later.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.9. Reinstall the current Windows version only for system-wide failures
Windows 11 includes a recovery option named Fix problems using Windows Update. Its Reinstall now action reinstalls the current Windows version to repair system files while preserving apps, files, and settings when the option is available. This is a system repair, not a Photos reset, so reserve it for cases in which multiple Windows components are malfunctioning or the preceding app-level steps cannot run.
Before you start
- Complete the backup described earlier, including files outside the Pictures library that matter to you.
- Connect the PC to power.
- Use a reliable internet connection; the reinstall obtains Windows components through Windows Update.
- Save work and close open applications.
Start the recovery reinstall
- Open Start > Settings > System > Recovery.
- Find Fix problems using Windows Update.
- Select Reinstall now if Windows presents the option.
- Follow the on-screen instructions and keep the computer connected to power and the internet until it completes.
- After Windows restarts, install any remaining Windows and Store updates, then test Photos.
If Reinstall now is not shown, do not force a different recovery method merely to repair Photos. Availability depends on the Windows installation and configuration. Microsoft’s instructions for this feature are at Fix issues by reinstalling the current version of Windows.
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Choose the next step when a fix does not work
Photos still closes immediately after Repair
Confirm that Windows and Store updates are complete, then use Reset after verifying your backup. A Repair that leaves the crash unchanged does not indicate that the whole operating system is damaged.
Reset completes but Photos remains unavailable
Reinstall the app from Microsoft Store. If the Store cannot offer an installation or update, resolve the Store or Windows Update problem first rather than repeatedly resetting Photos.
Photos works only for some folders
Recheck Pictures, Videos, and Documents permissions and test a file from a different location. A folder-specific result points toward access or file conditions rather than a universal launch failure.
The current app is unusable but you need a working viewer
Try Photos Legacy and verify that its available features match your workflow. Legacy is a fallback with different capabilities, not a promise that every current Photos feature will be present.
Other Windows apps also fail
Run the Windows Update troubleshooter in Get Help and finish pending updates. If the failures remain system-wide, consider Settings > System > Recovery > Fix problems using Windows Update > Reinstall now when Windows offers it, following the power, internet, and backup precautions.
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- Do not jump straight to Reset or system recovery before protecting important originals.
- Do not assume Windows Update also updates Microsoft Store apps; check Microsoft Store > Library > Get updates separately.
- Do not remove image and video files while troubleshooting an application that merely displays them.
- Do not treat Photos Legacy as feature-identical to the newer Photos app.
- Do not infer a guaranteed fix from a procedure alone; Microsoft provides the steps but no published universal success rate for Photos crashes.
When the problem is resolved
Open Photos several times, browse a picture, play a video, and save an edit if those are part of your normal use. Test files from the libraries you rely on and confirm that permissions remain enabled. If you used Reset, reinstall, or Photos Legacy, restore only the settings and integrations you actually need; this makes it easier to identify a remaining trigger if the app fails again.
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