Key Takeaways
- To fix Photos app issue on Windows 11, IT admins should manually install the latest Windows App SDK following specific steps.
- The problem is due to enabled policies non-admin users rarely apply in home editions of Windows, preventing Photos app from starting.
- Microsoft advises applying the workaround while waiting for the bug’s permanent fix in a future Windows 11 release, without providing exact timelines.
Back in June, Microsoft began tracking an issue in Windows 11 where the Photos app may fail to start under certain conditions. This typically happened after the June 4 update was applied on the Photos app, which caused the app to display a spinning circle and then close immediately after launch. In its initial investigation, the Redmond firm discovered that the problem was likely to occur if certain policies were applied on a machine. Now, it has offered a workaround for the bug, while it works on a permanent fix.
What workaround is Microsoft offering?
The issue in question is less likely to happen on Home editions of Windows, since it occurs when the Prevent non-admin users from installing packaged Windows apps or the BlockNonAdminUserInstall policies have been enabled, and it is fairly unlikely that regular consumers would apply them in home environments.
As spotted by Neowin, the following workaround has been offered for IT admins:
- Get the latest version of the Windows App SDK from Microsoft
- Download the installer specific to your system, such as x64, x86, or arm64
- Right-click the windowsappruntimeinstall-x64.exe file and run it as an administrator
- A command prompt window will open and automatically close once the process completes; don’t take any action while this window is open
- IT admins can execute this installer in their environments in the system or admin context, and it only needs to be run once per device, rather than once per user
This is a fairly manual process, so Microsoft has emphasized that it is working on a more robust resolution in an “upcoming release”. As usual, there are no concrete timelines yet, so if you are suffering from the aforementioned bug, you should probably apply the patch described above. The problem only affects client versions of Windows 11; those being versions 23H2 and 22H2. And for those tracking these sorts of things, it is interesting to know that Microsoft has now resolved or mitigated all documented issues in Windows 11 version 23H2, including the annoying Taskbar bug.
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source: https://www.xda-developers.com/microsoft-workaround-broken-photos-windows-11/
