Broken modern app shortcuts in Windows 8.1 after updating from Windows 8

Anonymous
2013-10-18T05:50:08+00:00

EDIT: See Page 3 for the solution to this problemNOTE: Please click the "Me too" link to the right of this post if you experiencing this issue so that Microsoft and Avast take notice of it. Thanks.

Short Story: Avast 2014 appears to interfere with the app shortcut cleanup process that occurs during the 8 -> 8.1 update. Also, Windows 8.1 really needs an easy/elegant way to remove dead Modern app shortcuts as you can with dead desktop app shortcuts

I updated from Windows 8 Pro x64 with Media Center on my 2 machines (Ivy Bridge Core i3 & i7) via the Windows Store and have had multiple broken/dead app shortcuts in All Apps on both machines as seen in the red rectangle below (direct image link):

When I attempt to launch any of the apps by clicking the shortcuts, I get the following message (the "Microsoft.Camera" part is specific to 1 of the shortcuts I tried) (direct image link):

Clicking the Go to the Store link only produces this message in the Windows Store app (direct image link):

Returning to All Apps and right clicking any of the dead shortcuts to remove it exposes no such option. There's no way to uninstall the app (it's probably gone already gone anyway) and also no way to remove the dead shortcut. As you can see below. the only options are Pin to Start and Customize (direct image link):

Does anyone know how to remove the dead shortcuts? I've tried going to *C:\Program Files\WindowsApps*, but access to that is denied and I can't find any way to give myself permissions for it. The offending shortcuts aren't listed in Control Panel -> Programs and Features, C:\Users<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs, or C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu either. Microsoft's own Apps Diagnostic utility doesn't fix it, and neither does syncing app licenses within the Windows Store app.

Help? Any ideas? TIA

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Microsoft Store

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2013-10-19T03:11:59+00:00

OK -- I FIXED IT.

Through a lot of trial and error.

Head to users/user/appdata/local/microsoft/windows/applicationshortcuts

Once there do a search for each file within application shortcuts using the search bar in the top right of the explorer, you might need to play with the search terms. For example, mine found the photo app when I searched 'modern' but not 'photo'. Odd.

I used the following terms, camera, microsoft ((for skydrive)), bing, modern.

You need to delete the little white shortcut tile (I had to adjust security settings first and give myself permission to delete within the app shortcuts file, but Windows will guide you through it.)

For the chat app, just delete and reinstall the calendar/people/mail group and its gone.

Hope it works for you guys too...

this worked like a charm, thanks

Was this answer helpful?

1 person found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2013-10-19T00:03:14+00:00

OK -- I FIXED IT.

Through a lot of trial and error.

Head to users/user/appdata/local/microsoft/windows/applicationshortcuts

Once there do a search for each file within application shortcuts using the search bar in the top right of the explorer, you might need to play with the search terms. For example, mine found the photo app when I searched 'modern' but not 'photo'. Odd.

I used the following terms, camera, microsoft ((for skydrive)), bing, modern.

You need to delete the little white shortcut tile (I had to adjust security settings first and give myself permission to delete within the app shortcuts file, but Windows will guide you through it.)

For the chat app, just delete and reinstall the calendar/people/mail group and its gone.

Hope it works for you guys too...

Was this answer helpful?

0 comments

64 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2013-10-19T15:13:45+00:00

    OK -- I FIXED IT.

    Through a lot of trial and error.

    Head to users/user/appdata/local/microsoft/windows/applicationshortcuts

    Once there do a search for each file within application shortcuts using the search bar in the top right of the explorer, you might need to play with the search terms. For example, mine found the photo app when I searched 'modern' but not 'photo'. Odd.

    I used the following terms, camera, microsoft ((for skydrive)), bing, modern.

    You need to delete the little white shortcut tile (I had to adjust security settings first and give myself permission to delete within the app shortcuts file, but Windows will guide you through it.)

    For the chat app, just delete and reinstall the calendar/people/mail group and its gone.

    Hope it works for you guys too...

    *FIXED WITH A DIFFERENT SOLUTION* (for me anyway) - Open Internet Explorer via desktop link (NOT the tile on the Start page), click Tools, Internet Options, click the (Brower-History) Settings button.  If the "Current location" is blank, then click the [Move folder...] button and select/save to a known valid location.

    To recap,  after I upgraded from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1, I experienced a problem with many of my Start page tiles being broken (the apps did not run).  I tried the fixes suggested but unfortunately they were unsuccessful.  While using Windows Explorer, I discovered that my G: drive (AMD RAMdisk) was gone (I had installed this while I was running Windows 8), and this gave me the clue to check my browser settings, since I had previously set both IE and Firefox to point to the G: drive for their temporary internet files.  After fixing the RAMdisk issue (reinstalled and rebooted), I opened the Internet Explorer via the desktop link (NOT the Start page tile), and discovered the "Current location" of the Temporary Internet files was blank.  Once I fixed this using the [Move folder...] button and saved the settings, the Internet Explorer tile worked again, as did the previously broken app tiles.

    NOTE:  Apparently, the Internet Explorer tile relies upon a valid Temporary Internet files location to work correctly, but the Internet Explorer desktop link can work without it.  Also, it appears that the Temporary Internet files folder is also used by many of the app tiles on the Start page.  Once the Internet Explorer tile was fixed, every app tile with a broken link started working.  After I clicked on the first broken app tile, it did a quick "download" and then opened - the rest of the app tiles automatically fixed themselves.  Hope this helps!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2013-10-19T10:23:05+00:00

    Thanks a lot, it works!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2013-10-19T10:02:13+00:00

    Thanks a lot man you are a life saver!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments