The Windows 10 message “This app can’t open” is a symptom, not a diagnosis. It usually means Windows cannot activate an app’s AppX package, but the underlying problem may be a damaged package, broken Microsoft Store cache or registration, a profile-specific permission issue, a deployment policy, or an outdated Windows component. Start with the reversible cache and Settings repairs, then re-register the Store only if those fail. Use Event Viewer, error codes, and a second user profile to identify the cause instead of making risky registry changes.
What “This app can’t open” means in Windows 10
Windows displays this error when an installed Windows app cannot be activated. Affected apps may appear dimmed in the Start menu. The message can affect Microsoft Store itself, one downloaded app, or several Windows apps, and the same wording does not identify which component failed.
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Microsoft’s activation documentation associates this symptom with AppX package state. Error 0x80073CFC, named ERROR_NEEDS_REMEDIATION, means “The app can’t be started. Try reinstalling the app.” That code points toward an app package that needs repair or replacement, while other codes can indicate missing dependencies, policy blocks, insufficient disk space, deployment conflicts, or repository corruption.
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- The exact app name and whether its Start-menu icon is gray or dimmed.
- Any hexadecimal error code shown in a dialog or Event Viewer.
- Your Windows edition, version, and build from
winver. - Whether Microsoft Store opens normally or fails with the same message.
- Whether the failure affects every Windows user account or only one.
Those observations distinguish a Store-wide failure from an app-specific package problem and a damaged user profile.
Use the least invasive fixes first
The sequence below moves from reversible cache cleanup to package registration and then to diagnosis. Restart Windows after each repair that asks you to do so, and test the same app again before moving on.
1. Reset the Microsoft Store cache with wsreset.exe
- Press Win+R to open the Run dialog.
- Type
wsreset.exeand press Enter. - Allow the blank command window to finish. It may remain open while the cache is cleared, then close automatically.
- Restart Windows and try to open Microsoft Store and the affected app.
This resets Store cache data; it does not reinstall every app or repair unrelated disk, policy, or profile problems. If the Store was failing because of stale cache state, it may open after the restart. If nothing changes, continue to the Settings repair.
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2. Reset Microsoft Store in Settings
- Open Settings.
- Choose Apps, then select Microsoft Store.
- Open Advanced options.
- Select Reset and confirm.
- Restart Windows and test the Store and the original app.
This is the least invasive Store repair exposed in the cited Windows 10 instructions. It targets the Store app’s local state. A reset can require you to sign in to the Store again, so have the account credentials available. If another Windows app alone is affected while Store works, use that app’s own Advanced options page when Windows provides one.
3. Re-register the Store package in elevated PowerShell
Re-registration rebuilds the Store package’s registration entries without downloading a new copy. Use it only after the cache and Settings reset have failed.
- Open Start and search for PowerShell.
- Right-click Windows PowerShell and choose Run as administrator. Approve the User Account Control prompt.
- Paste this command exactly and press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage *WindowsStore* -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}- Wait for PowerShell to return to a prompt. Red error lines indicate that registration did not complete cleanly; note their text rather than ignoring it.
- Restart Windows, open Microsoft Store, and retry the affected app.
The command changes package registration; it is not a universal repair. It cannot by itself correct a full disk, a deployment policy that blocks the package, damaged repository files, or a profile with incorrect permissions. If the command reports that a path or dependency is missing, move to the logs instead of repeatedly running it.
Diagnose the failure with Windows logs
When the first three repairs fail, the exact event and error code are more useful than another generic reset. Open Event Viewer and expand Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows. Review these channels around the time of the failed launch:
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- AppXDeployment-Server/Operational for installation, update, and registration failures.
- AppxPackagingOM (also shown in some systems as the AppxPackaging operational log) for package integrity and manifest processing events.
- Microsoft-Windows-TWinUI/Operational for activation failures involving the Windows app user interface.
Record the event ID, hexadecimal code, package name, and the first stated cause. From an elevated PowerShell window, Get-AppxLog displays recent AppX deployment events and can be easier to scan than the full Event Viewer history.
Interpret the evidence conservatively. A dependency or missing-package error suggests that the app itself needs reinstalling. A policy or deployment error points to organizational controls or Windows servicing rather than Store cache. A repository or access error suggests a broader system problem. Do not apply a registry “fix” merely because a forum post associates the same message with one; the wrong registry edit can make Windows unstable and, according to Microsoft, may ultimately require reinstalling the operating system.
Decide whether the problem is the app, Store, or user profile
When only one app fails
If Microsoft Store opens and other Store apps launch, concentrate on the named app. For error 0x80073CFC, Microsoft’s documented action is to reinstall the app. Remove the affected app through Settings > Apps > Apps & features when the uninstall option is available, restart, and install it again from Microsoft Store. If uninstall is unavailable or the package is partially present, use the AppX deployment event to identify the package and dependency problem before attempting more commands.
When Microsoft Store and several apps fail
A Store reset, Settings reset, or Store re-registration is more appropriate when multiple Store-delivered apps show the same symptom. If those steps leave identical deployment errors in the logs, investigate Windows updates, available disk space, and organizational policy. The error text alone cannot tell you which of those is responsible.
Test with a second Windows user account
Create or use a separate local Windows account and try to open Microsoft Store there. If the Store works in the second account, the evidence points to the original profile’s package permissions or user-specific state. This experiment narrows the scope; it is not proof that creating a new account repairs the original one. Preserve the event details from the failing account before migrating files or adopting the new profile.
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Install Windows updates when the build is old
Windows servicing has fixed this exact style of UWP launch failure before. Microsoft’s bulletin KB4041676, for Windows 10 version 1703 and OS Build 15063.674, addressed some UWP and Centennial apps that showed a gray icon and displayed “This app can’t open” when launched. That bulletin is historical and applies specifically to version 1703; it is not a claim that every current Windows 10 build needs that update.
Run Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates, install applicable updates, restart, and test again. Note the build shown by winver so you can match any documented fix to the release you actually use.
Compare the available repair routes
| Route | Primary scope | Invasiveness | Diagnostic value | What it changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
wsreset.exe |
Microsoft Store cache | Low | Low | Clears Store cache data |
| Settings > Apps > Microsoft Store > Advanced options > Reset | Microsoft Store app state | Low | Low | Resets Store local state |
Elevated PowerShell Add-AppxPackage registration |
Store package registration | Moderate | Moderate | Re-registers the Store manifest |
Event Viewer and Get-AppxLog |
Deployment and activation cause | None | High | Reads recorded events |
| Second Windows user account | Profile scope | Low | High | Provides a comparison environment |
| Registry editing | System configuration | High | Variable | Changes registry values |
The order matters: cache reset and restart are easy to reverse, while registry changes carry substantially greater risk. Logs and a second profile often reveal more than repeating a repair command.
Common failure modes after a repair
- The Store still will not open after
wsreset.exe: perform the Settings reset, then check Event Viewer for deployment or activation errors. - PowerShell shows red errors: copy the package name, path, and error code. A missing dependency or damaged installation requires a targeted repair, not repeated registration.
- The Store works but one app remains dimmed: treat it as an app-package issue and reinstall that app when possible.
- A second account works: the original profile is implicated; back up data and investigate profile permissions before making system-wide changes.
- The error appears after an organization changed settings: ask the administrator to check deployment policy. A local reset cannot override a policy block.
- Registry advice appears online: do not apply it without a backup and an error-code match. Microsoft warns that incorrect Registry Editor changes can cause serious problems.
What to report when you need support
Provide the app name, exact wording, numeric code, Windows version and build, whether the icon is dimmed, whether Store itself opens, the time of failure, and the relevant Event Viewer entries. Include whether wsreset.exe, the Settings reset, and Store re-registration changed anything. This information lets support distinguish activation, package deployment, profile, policy, and servicing failures without asking you to repeat unrelated resets.
Bottom line
“This app can’t open” on Windows 10 is a package-activation symptom. Run wsreset.exe, reset Microsoft Store from its Advanced options, and restart. If the failure persists, re-register the Store package in elevated PowerShell. Then use AppX and TWinUI logs, a second user profile, the exact error code, and your Windows build to identify the real cause. Reinstall an app when 0x80073CFC or another app-specific event calls for it, and avoid unsupported registry edits.
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