On Windows, the Microsoft Photos app is the default way to view, edit, and organize images. It's an excellent little app with a simple interface and straightforward features. However, you may occasionally encounter problems, such as it not opening, crashing unexpectedly, not displaying the images, or something similar. This can be really frustrating, especially if you rely on it exclusively to view and edit photos on your Windows device.
Fortunately, troubleshooting Microsoft Photos issues isn't difficult, and there are several solutions you can use.
The steps in this guide are performed on the Windows 11 system, but similar settings and options are available on Windows 10 as well.
Methods to Repair Microsoft Photos App
Restart the computer
It's not rocket science, but restarting your computer actually solves many common Windows problems. It clears system memory, gives your PC a fresh start, and in the process may fix the temporary issue that's causing the Photos app problem. Just save your current work, restart your PC as normal, and see if that fixes the problem.
Restart the app
Close and restart all current instances of the Photos app to resolve any temporary glitches. Follow these steps to do it properly and thoroughly.
- Right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager.
- Search for Photos Process under the Processes and expand it by clicking on the Arrow symbol on the left.
- Right-click on one of the subprocesses and select the Go to details Option.
- Now right-click on the selected photo process and select End process tree.
- Finally, click on the End process tree button in the warning message.
This will immediately terminate all active processes in the Photos app.
Check for an update for the Photos app
An outdated application may contain unfixed bugs and issues with the app working properly. To check if your Photos app is up to date, follow these steps.
- Enter the Microsoft Store in the search box and click on the corresponding icon to launch it.
- Now search and select the Downloads section. Depending on which version you are using, it may be in the top right corner or bottom left.
- Then click on the Get updates Button to check for app updates in the Microsoft Store.
- If Microsoft checks for updates and finds an update for the Photos app, click the Update button next to it.
After updating the app, it is best to restart the system for the changes to take effect.
Check for a Windows update
Like an outdated app, an outdated Windows operating system can cause Microsoft Photos to malfunction. Here's how to check for available Windows updates.
- Click on the start and select Settings from the menu.
- Switch to WindowsUpdate section on the left and click on the Check for updates button. This will trigger the download of the latest updates.
- Finally, click on the Install everything button to install any downloaded updates.
Repair and reset the Photos app
It is possible that the Photos app is corrupted and therefore not responding as expected. Fortunately, Windows has a built-in feature that allows you to repair and reset Microsoft apps. Don't worry, this will not affect your personal files. To repair the Microsoft Photos app, follow these instructions:
- Press Windows + I on your keyboard to start Settings.
- Switch to Apps in the left pane and select Installed Apps right.
- Now use the search bar or just scroll down to find the Photos App.
- Click on the three points under the “Photos” section and select Advanced options.
- Scroll down to reset and then click on the Repair Button.
- Windows will now attempt to repair the Photos app.
- Once the repair process is complete, you will see a check mark next to the Repair button.
Run the Photos app to check if it is working properly. If not, next try resetting it by following the steps below.
- Follow steps 1 to 4 of the instructions above.
- Under the heading “Reset”, click on the Reset Button.
- In the warning message, click the Reset the button again.
- Windows is trying to reset the Photos app.
- When the reset is complete, you will see a check mark next to the Reset button.
Reinstall the Photos app
If none of the methods above have resolved your Photos app issues, a clean install may be able to resolve more stubborn problems. This process involves uninstalling the app using Windows PowerShell and then re-downloading it from the Microsoft Store, as follows.
- Press Windows + X on your keyboard and select Terminal (Administrator) from the menu. If you are using Windows 10, select Windows PowerShell (administrator).
- Now copy and paste the following command into the command line and press Enter to uninstall the Photos app: Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.Windows.Photos* | Remove-AppxPackage
- Check if the app has been uninstalled.
- Now start the Microsoft Store via the start menu or by searching for it.
- Search for Microsoft Photos and click on the corresponding icon.
- Then click on the Receive button to start downloading and installing the Photos app. The app is about 360 MB in size.
- Finally, click on the Open button to launch the app and check if it now works as intended.
Restore Windows to an earlier point
If the Photos app issue started recently and isn't resolved even after trying any of the methods above, as a last resort you can restore your Windows to a previously saved point. This will undo any recent system changes that caused the issue. However, for this to be an option you must have a recovery strategy in place that involves a restore point. Once you have this in place, Windows will automatically create a save point every seven days or before any significant changes are made to the system.
To restore Windows to a backup point, follow these steps.
- type recreation in the search box and click on the corresponding icon to launch it.
- Under “Advanced recovery tools” select the Open System Restore (if available).
- Now click on Next to start the recovery.
- Select the save point to continue. If there are several, select the oldest one to be safe.
- Finally, click Finish to reset your Windows operating system to the selected save point.
Why is the Photos app not working?
The Microsoft Photos issues can be caused by various reasons. The most common ones are corrupted app files, an outdated application or Windows operating system, and conflicts with other apps. Sometimes, the internal settings or corrupted system caches are also responsible for the slow performance of the Photos app. In some rare cases, malware attacks can affect the functionality of various Windows apps, including Photos. The troubleshooting steps above should basically cover the various cases.
Easily display images on Windows
Windows 11 or 10 issues, such as a broken Photos app, can cause unnecessary frustration. However, with the methods listed in this guide, you can easily fix the problems and view your pictures without any problems again. If you often have problems with the default Windows apps, you may simply want to use their alternatives instead of relying on the built-in Windows apps.