Remove Microsoft Store apps in Windows 11

Stefan
Remove Microsoft Store apps in Windows 11

If you have downloaded and installed apps via the Microsoft Store, you can also uninstall these apps. Removing Microsoft Store apps is not possible via the Microsoft Store.

To remove apps from the Microsoft Store, the app must be deleted via the settings. You might expect that apps in the Microsoft Store can also be deleted via the Store, but this is not the case.

To delete a folder or a file from a specific app you need to delete the location where the Microsoft Store apps are installed to open. This is the location “c:\program files\WindowsApps\”. This folder contains all apps installed through the Microsoft Store.

However, it is advisable to uninstall an app via the settings and not via the direct location where the installed files are stored. This is how it works.

Remove Microsoft Store apps in Windows 11

Remove Microsoft Store apps via settings

Open the settings. In the settings Click on “Apps” and then on “Installed Apps”.

Installed Microsoft Store apps

Click right next to the Microsoft Store app you want to remove at the three horizontal dots. In the menu click on “delete”.

Uninstall Microsoft Store apps

You have now deleted a Microsoft Store app.

Uninstall Microsoft Store apps via Control Panel

You can also uninstall Microsoft Store apps from the Control Panel. You will find all installed apps in the control panel.

Open Control Panel. Click on “a uninstall program”.

Uninstall a program

Click on the Microsoft Store app you want to uninstall and click “uninstall” to start the uninstall process.

Uninstall Microsoft Store app via control panel

Are you having trouble uninstalling a Microsoft Store app?

If you are unable to uninstall a Microsoft Store app, you can try deleting the individual files.

Read also
Enable or customize enhanced indexing in Windows 11

Also read: Microsoft Store not working.

Open Windows Explorer. Go to the folder: c:\program files\windowsapps\. What you notice when you try to open this folder is that you have no rights. The WindowsApps folder is managed by the “TrustedInstaller” account on your computer. A administrator or user account has no rights by default to this folder.

You can obtain rights to the “WindowsApps” folder in the following way. To start, I recommend that you create a restore point. After this, click on the Start button and search for “PowerShell“. Right-click on “Windows PowerShell” and click “run as administrator".

Then enter the command below:

takeown /f "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\" /r

This makes your account “owner” or administrator of this folder via the “takeown” command. This may take a while.

takeown windowsapps folder

Now open the folder “c:\program files”. In the ribbon, click “show,” “show” again, then “hidden items” to reveal hidden folders. The “WindowsApps” folder is a hidden folder.

show hidden items

You now have access to the contents of this folder. You can now delete files and folders.

Access to WindowsApps folder

I hope this helped you. Thank you for reading!

Read this 16 tips for Windows explorer.

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