All windows 8.1 apps and metro interface apps show error and fail to opem help

[assybish]

Can anyone please help a weird issue that has developed with win 8.1?

 All apps show on tiles an error and greyed x in the corner and all fail to open with error .. refresh your computer etc ...
 But all metro interfaces also fail with an error message for example settings, windows update, also can't even add a new user as I thought may be creating a new user would over come corruption and then I could transfer the files from main user to new user but no can't as the metro screen to add a new user crashes too with same error message.

 I tried using the powershell commend to change apps store but it failed to find or open
 tried wsreset etc
 tried all troubleshooters and fixits

Tried win repair which was unable to run DISM due to not finding source error and some of the registry fixes seem not to work as they cannot be accessed
Event vwr shows apps error  id 5973 task category 5973 every time an app/metro app tries to open

 I think it may be linked to permissions or a user profile corruption but I cannot fix it despite trying everything I know eg SFC scannow - no corruption found
 DISM online fails with cannot find the source ...

 My last resort but am holding back is to try an inplace repair using upgrade from a win 8.1 ISo.

 Has anyone any ideas what can be done to restore win apps and metro interface. The standards explorer works as does control panel. Getting close to going back to win 7!!

Any ideas please?   

[Boggin]

I've never used Win 8.# but have read that sometimes booting up into Safe Mode and then a reboot can resolve some problems,

Have you tried the Windows Repair program in Safe Mode with Networking - use Option 5 to back up the registry before running the repairs.

[assybish]

I will try but booting to safe mode in Win8 is a complete pain in the A** thanks for the reply This really is odd damn metro and modern apps and their separate permissions etc !!

[Boggin]

Use the Windows Repair program to boot up into Safe Mode with Networking.

www.tweaking.com

[assybish]

OK forgot that option thanks  - networking doesn't work with win 8 or 10 as the wifi is not possible only a LAN wired connection - another piece of Microsoft idiocy so DISM online fails anyway!

[Boggin]

Yes, I miss that troubleshooting a wireless connection in Safe Mode in Win 10 - can't be done.

[assybish]

Well used safe mode ran sfc DISM both said they completed correctly.
Ran Chkdsk no errors
ran full repairs in win repair which completed successfully BUT STILL metro and apps fail to open with error message refreshing your pc might help blah bullsh** etc.
Time to go back to win 7 I thnk as 8 and 10 clearly are irreparable when it comes to apps. The windows system works fine but the modern apps and metro interface are a F** disaster.

[Boggin]

Have you had the same problems in Win 10 ?

I'd give Win 10 another go - you can install it using the Assistive Technologies link as I have for one of my laptops.

I think it still works and upgrading may resolve your problem - https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/accessibility/windows10upgrade

I don't use any of the apps as I haven't created a MS account.

[assybish]

Thanks I have win 10 on another identical laptop and to be honest I prefer win 8.1 especially the apps and the lack of cortana a waste of CPU and RAM if there ever was one - I am a "windows insider" involved in the development of win 10 and M'soft ignored much of the insider feedback just so they could say "we have restored the start menu " - which anyone could do for free with Classic start menu and much better than windows too!.

Unless I can get 8.1 working very soon I'm doing an in place upgrade to win 7 as this is ludicrous that some idiot permissions issue is screwing up the whole apps system and worse the metro interface so 40% of the system functionality has gone - like changing or adding a user account as windows settings fails to open with the same error message!

Have spent days Googling this and there are many out there with similar/same issues and no solutions except fresh install and lose all installed programs I the good old days of XP and 7 I would repair anything or at worst do an in place repair using the ISO eve just copying across files from the ISO to windows itself but 8 and 10 ?? No way jose. Anyone for Unix?

[Boggin]

It's possible to do a repair install of Win 8.1 as you have an install disk and that way you won't have to reinstall all of your programs or does it affect your personal stuff.

I've done a few repair installs on my Win 10 by booting up Windows - Windows Explorer - My PC - stick the disk in and click on the Setup.exe although I disable my Norton Security first.

https://www.winhelp.us/non-destructive-reinstall-of-windows-8-and-8-1.html

[Tone111]

booting to safe mode in Win8 is a complete pain in the A**

OK forgot that option thanks  - networking doesn't work with win 8 or 10 as the wifi is not possible only a LAN wired connection - another piece of Microsoft idiocy so DISM online fails anyway!

I have W 8.1 on my Toshiba laptop and the easy way to boot into safe mode (without using Tweaking Repair) is to use msconfig and then Restart. Also networking DOES work with wifi, or at least it does on mine, although the taskbar icon is different in safe mode and it looks unavailable, but I do have Classic Shell installed so I'm not sure if this makes a difference...

[Boggin]

I've never used Classic Shell but I know I have to wire up my Win 10 to get Internet in that mode, so perhaps Classic Shell does make a difference.

[assybish]

Nothing to do with Classic shell I have it on both machines and neither connects wirelessly, this post might give some insight into the issue? http://forum.screenconnect.com/yaf_postst8901_Automatic-wireless-connection-in-Windows-8--8-1--10-in-safe-mode-with-networking.aspx

[Boggin]

Have you tried the repair install yet ?

[assybish]

no not yet 2 issues I have to find an ISO that is correct as the machine came pre loaded with win 8 (complete wih  bios key - another issue!) If one gets the wrong language it refuses to install as I have found when trying previously with Win 8 - it is an awful system to repair vs XP and 7!
2 I need to clear about 20 GB from the drive to allow setup!

[Boggin]

When you perform a repair install your install disk has to match the current volume, so you wouldn't be able to use a base Win 8.0 install disk.

You can create Win 8.1 install media through https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows8 and I think it would sense the language you are using - but to ensure you get the right download site, Google how do I create a win 8.1 iso

As I'm in the UK, the one I've linked gives me en-gb but when you Google a website from your locale, you should get the correct one.

As your machine came with Win 8.0, the product key will probably be built into the motherboard and should digitally activate 8.1 on completion of the repair install.

[assybish]

I'm in the UK too but my machine is American so I have a language pack installed so I have UK English language and a US keyboard this seems to give win 8/8.1 indigestion , I have downloaded several ISO and none will work as they say thay are the "incorrect" version I also have pro 8.1 installed with media centre over the original 8 home edition so there are 3 keys on the machine 1 in bios and 2 in registry to support 8.1 pro and then media centre . This causes massive issues that Msof't techies remote can't solve they have tried in the past when I had permissions issues and they gave up - sorted that myself but this is a whole new can of worms. They checked all 3 of my keys are genuine and even gave me a new one too but Win install doesn't like accepting them as it goes to the bios key which is for home not pro !! Win 8/10 really is a balls up 

[Boggin]

I see you like to keep things simple

The only way I can see around that would be to do a clean install after backing up your personal stuff and then all of what goes after a clean install.

Do you have hard copies of all of those keys ?

See if this article will help with using an American keyboard with an English UK OS.

http://www.pushon.co.uk/blog/how-to-fix-the-windows-8-1-us-keyboard-problem/

[Boggin]

This Win 8.1 ISO website is listed as en-us whereas the normal Google link gives en-gb so you may get the correct ISO as your machine came pre-loaded with Win 8.# in the US and that may resolve the conflict with the keyboard, but you could also try the key board fix as well.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows8

[Rick]

Boggin, what I found re-installing using the upgrade method is to set the compatibility mode;

its hard to give examples because we don't know which system is being repaired, restored,reinstalled etc...

but it safe to say, the last one on the compatibility mode list.

[assybish]

I have found that the apps store file in users name apps package msoft windows .store is missing presumably windows deleted it at some time recently for reasons best know to itself Yes I have all keys backed up and already have the ketboard fix but the issue it creates is that the ISO isn't recognised as the correct language when one has the regional language as say GB  and the keyboard as US - as I said win 8 and 10 are not good as they are effectively 2 OSs soldered together ie Windows + metro /apps system in Msofts poor attempt to make 1 OS suitable for both computers and mobile phones so they do not communicate and work together. The stupid thing is that there is no way to do a "repair/upgrade" install of just the metro/apps interface or just the windows OS which would have been the smarter way to do it When I have a spare few hours to waste I will again try an inplace upgrade install with win 8.1 iso - trouble is with limted bandwidth I can't keep downloaded 4 GB isos trying to find the 1 that will work with my system . Thanks for your input.
Maybe my comment about repairing/reinstalling the 2 parts of win 8and win 10 is something winrepair could look at like the "reimage" repair image system all it needs is to supply a vanilla copy of the metro/apps files as SFC and DISM fail to deliver in that field ? It seems there are many examples of users having their apps/windows store files deleted especially in Win 10.

[Boggin]

Could you leave the keyboard as US and then see if the ISO is recognized to do the repair install and then sort the keyboard ?

[assybish]

You read my mind 

[Boggin]

Hope that works