Lost apps

[[email protected]]

Apps were lost when I tried a community solution for resolving the continual appearance of a catalyst control host not working alert. The solution involved going to C: drive and then to Users and it's properties - then clicking on hidden and so on, the problem is that I couldn't see how to complete the process involving the unclicking of the hidden box in "a tree on the left hand side". Thus leaving me with a mass of lost apps, mostly Bing ones, but also People and other apps which I own according to the Windows Store. I have reinstalled these apps, but they still won't open even after I have asked Windows Store to repair them.

Additionally, photos cannot be found on my Picasa 3 or in my Photo Gallery even though all my pictures are available in my Pictures Library and the Photos App.
I have uninstalled and reinstalled Picasa 3, but still no photos can be found.

Further, some of my Windows Systems have disappeared from apps vision e.g. Panel Control and File Explorer, although I can still access them from my toolbar.

I'm desperate to have my computer back where it was before this issue occurred on May 9. I did a recovery by using a recovery point, but it was not successful, suggesting I should try another recovery point or an advanced recovery - which I don't know how to do.

I will be eternally grateful if I can get some assistance with this matter.

Thank you. Marlene

[Alan2273]

I am assuming you are using Windows 8.1.

You cannot do an advanced recovery because you need a system image, which Microsoft in there wisdom have disabled in Win 8.

Your best chance is to do another system restore to an earlier time.

If you feel you are familiar with the registry and command line you could try this, but back up your important files first.

A.) Fixing the app store:

1. Open registry editor typing regedit.exe from a command line.


2. Browse to the registry key at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\appmodel\repository\packages.


3. Right click on the “packages” key and bring up the “Permissions” tab.


4. Click the “Advanced” button located at the bottom right corner.


5. Check to see the account name that shows up as the “Owner” (this is the first line of text on the “advanced security settings” dialog for the “packages” key). It should say “SYSTEM”. (For me this showed the built-in local Administrators group)


6. If it is any other account, click on the “Change” button next to it.


7. Type SYSTEM in the “select user” dialog. If “Multiple Names Found” window comes up, select the row for “SYSTEM”.


8. Click OK to the dialogs and close them all.


9. Run from admin command prompt: Powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRoot\WinStore\AppxManifest.xml
   

[[email protected]]

Thank you for your reply, I appreciate the time you have taken to do so. I shall enlist some local assistance and have a go at what you have suggested.

Again many thanks.