The Photos app is a default tool in Windows 10 and Windows 11 that lets you view your local photos (and videos as well), but sometimes it might not work as expected and might even crash in some occasions. Users often face problems like the app failing to open, crashing unexpectedly, or displaying high-quality images as blurry.
In this guide, we’ll show you several fixes you can try to resolve these issues with the Photos app in Windows.
Also see: How to Hide Photos on Windows 11 Photos App
How to fix Windows Photos app not working issue
First, try to check for updates in the Windows Update section of the Settings app or update the Photos app from the Microsoft Store. If your system is up to date and the app still isn’t working, here are some steps you can try to get it running again.
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Restart the Photos app process
If simply closing the Photos app doesn’t fix the issue, its background process might still be running. Follow the steps below to fully restart the Photos app.
- Click on the Start menu and select Settings (the gear icon on the left) or press Win+i on your keyboard.
- In the Settings app, select Apps, then Apps & features from the left pane.
- Scroll down the list of apps until you see the Photos app. Select it and click on the Advanced options link.
- In the Photos app settings, look for Terminate and click on the Terminate button. Note that the button may not turn gray after clicking it.
- After terminating the process, retry opening the Photos app and see if it works.
Reset the Photos app
If restarting the background process doesn’t help, resetting the app might do the trick. This can fix most issues with the Windows 10 and Windows 11 Photos app.
- Go back to the Photos app settings as outlined above – Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Photos app > Advanced options.
- Scroll down and look for Reset. Click on the Reset button.
- Restart your computer and try opening the Photos app again. Verify if your issue is resolved. If not, try the next solution.
Reinstall the Photos app
If resetting doesn’t work, reinstalling the app might be necessary. Since there’s no exe installer for the Photos app, you’ll need to use Windows PowerShell to do this.
- Click on the Start menu and search for Windows PowerShell. Right-click it and select Run as administrator.
- In the Windows PowerShell, enter the following command:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Photos
- Look for and copy the entire line of PackageFullName. When you have it copied, enter the following command with the copied Package Full Name:
remove-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Photos_2018.18041.15530.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
Note that the package full name shown here is just an example. You may have a different version of the Photos app’s package full name. Be sure to copy your version of it. Entering this command will uninstall the entire Photos app. To install it again, go to the Microsoft Store and search for Microsoft Photos. Click on Get or Install to install the Photos app again.
Do a System File Check
A System File Check (SFC) is a built-in tool in Windows that scans your system files for problems and fixes them. This can help sort out issues with the Photos app that might be caused by corrupted files.
- Click on the Start menu and search for Command Prompt. Right-click it and select Run as administrator.
- In the Command Prompt, enter the following command:
sfc /scannow
- Wait for the scan to complete. This may take some time.
- After the scan is complete, the SFC utility will show you a short message telling you whether it found any issues and whether it was able to repair them. If it was not able to repair some of the files, you may need to consider resetting or reinstalling Windows.
Use the Windows store apps troubleshooter
Windows comes with a special tool to help fix problems with apps you got from the Microsoft Store. You can use this tool from the Troubleshoot area in the Settings app. It finds and fixes problems by itself.
Check for app permissions
If the Photos app isn’t working right, it could also be because it can’t access your files. To fix this, go to Settings > Privacy > App permissions. Make sure the Photos app can get to your pictures and other important folders.
Check for conflicts with other software
Other programs on your computer can sometimes mess with the Photos app. If you recently added new software, try turning it off for a bit and see if the Photos app starts working better.
