How to repair or reset an app on Windows 11

When your Windows 11 apps are giving you problems, you can try to repair or reset them to get them back to normal. Here’s how.

Screenshot of a Windows 11 desktop with the Settings app open to the app settings page. Options to reset or repair an app are shown.

At one point or another, everyone runs into some problems with their computer, and sometimes, it’s one particular app that’s suddenly decided to stop working. If you’ve ever run into an issue like that, Windows 11 actually lets you repair your apps without having to uninstall and install them all over again.

The caveat here is that only apps distributed through the Microsoft Store or using modern packing formats can be repaired or reset, so not all of them will be supported. Older apps will still need you to uninstall and reinstall the app to get it working, though some may also offer a Repair option within the uninstaller itself.

How to repair or reset a modern Windows 11 app

Repairing or resetting an app is the easiest way to try to get it up and running again. Repairing tries to fix the app without deleting your data, while resetting means you’ll have to sign in again if the app requires it, and you might lose data that’s stored in the app itself (and not elsewhere on the computer or cloud). Here’s how to do it:

  1. Open the Start menu.
  2. If the app you want is pinned, right-click the app icon and choose App settings.
    • If not, click the All apps button then find the app on the list. Right-click it and choose More> App settings.
  3. Scroll down to the Reset section and click Repair to try fixing the app without losing your data.
    Screenshot of the Windows 11 app settings page with the repair button highlighted
  4. Wait for the process to finish and try opening the app again. If it’s working again, you’re all set.
  5. If not, go back to the Settings app and click Reset this time.
    Screenshot of the Windows 11 app settings page with the Reset button highlighted
  6. Wait for the process to complete.

The app will be reverted to its default settings, without your personal data, and it should be functional again. If not, the problem you’re having may be related to a bug in the app or in Windows. Checking Windows Update and for app updates on the Microsoft Store may help with this.

If the app that’s giving you problems doesn’t have the option to reset it (you may not see the App settings button on the Start menu), that means your only solution is to uninstall it and install it again. We have a guide on how to uninstall apps on Windows 10 and Windows 11 if you’re not sure how to go about it. That even includes some tips to uninstall pre-installed apps that you may not need. If you’d like to learn more about other Windows 11 features, check out how to customize Windows 11 to make it your own.