Notepad fails to launch from Win+R ("notepad") due to missing Microsoft.UI.Windowing.Core.dll (Windows 11 Insider Dev 25H2 build 26220.7052)

Nova 20

Hi,

When I press Win + R, type notepad, and hit Enter, I get this error message:

The code execution cannot proceed because Microsoft.UI.Windowing.Core.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem.

However:

Running C:\Windows\notepad.exe directly works perfectly.

Opening Notepad from the Start menu also works fine.

The problem only happens when launching Notepad via Win + R (or the notepad command).

This makes me think the modern UWP version of Notepad (WinUI 3) is missing a dependency or has a broken link to the Windows App SDK, while the legacy executable still works.

Steps I have tried:

Reinstalled Notepad using:

dism /online /add-capability /capabilityname:Microsoft.Windows.Notepad~~~~0.0.1.0

Ran:

   sfc /scannow DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

None of these solved the issue.

Could you please confirm if this is a known issue in the Dev Channel build 26220.7052, or provide guidance on how to reinstall or restore the missing Microsoft.UI.Windowing.Core.dll / Windows App SDK runtime?

System Info:

Edition: Windows 11 Insider Preview 25H2 (Build 26220.7052)

Channel: Dev

Architecture: x64

Notepad version: UWP (Microsoft Store)

Thanks a lot for your help!

Nova 20 Reputation points

2025-11-10T15:55:12.86+00:00

Thanks for the answer, but how can I reinstall Windows App SDK? I don't know how to reinstall it?
Dragon Mc Fly 20 Reputation points

2025-12-05T16:19:43.9666667+00:00

I had the same problem and the only thing that solved the problem was delete notepad at

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths
(see: https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/143v4gy/cant_launch_notepad_from_the_run_prompt/)
Marcel van den Bosch 0 Reputation points

2026-02-13T09:37:59.8266667+00:00

The solution mentioned by Dragon Mc Fly worked for me!

12 answers

Francis Pike 30 Reputation points

2025-12-10T19:37:57.82+00:00

The comment by Dragon Mc Fly fixed this issue for me.

Dragon Mc Fly • 10 Reputation points Dec 5, 2025, 8:19 AM I had the same problem and the only thing that solved the problem was delete notepad at Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths (see: https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/143v4gy/cant_launch_notepad_from_the_run_prompt/)

I've had this issue for a while and used multiple AI chatbots to try fixing it. Almost all of them followed the same path of Repair,Reset,Re-Install Notepad and or Windows APP SDK but none of them worked. Only by deleting the registry entries did the problem get solved.

For those interested, I asked CoPilot about the fix and the reply was that the path in the registry is actually a stub that is not meant to be opened directly. It is supposed to be run by another shell/app that loads the Microsoft.UI.Windowing.Core.dll prior to running the exe it points to. It also explained that the entries in that registry section override the defaults that Windows has. So deleting it reverts to those (in this case it uses the notepad.exe located in the Windows folder itself).

Something I think is worth noting, NONE of the apps in the \App Paths entry actually work properly if you type them into the WIN+R dialog box. Some will actually open and appear to run but give errors later. For example, typing firefox gives an error saying The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000022). Click OK to close the application. But running Firefox from the start menu or taskbar shortcut works fine. Running olk (the new ad supported Outlook MS pushed on everyone) opens the application but asks me to log in to my email, and when I do it then gives an error, but, again, running from start menu works.

I suspect there is either something interfering with the Microsoft.UI.Windowing.Core.dll causing it to miss the calls from the run dialog or something that should be running as a system process is not running or is corrupted.

At least for now we have a workaround.
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Tim Coburn 5 Reputation points

2025-12-23T15:31:25.6233333+00:00

Just another attempt to throw AI at a problem without anyone trying to understand it first. Welcome to the future, folks...

I had this issue before, and the only fix (tried everything else in this thread) was deleting that registry key. Unfortunately, an update must have put it back later, since I ran into it again, which is why I'm here refreshing my memory on where to find that registry key. I'm guessing it's going to keep happening with future updates... I was going to say "until anyone actually bothers to look into the root issue", but there's zero chance a human at Microsoft is actually going to do that. Just one more nudge in the direction of abandoning Windows outside of the office. At least the folks who develop Linux distros (the commonly used ones, anyway) as a hobby actually make an effort to understand the errors users run into, so they can fix them properly. In nearly 40 years of using Microsoft products (from MS-DOS to 3.1 and forward), I've yet to see any evidence that anyone there listens to direct feedback from users. At best, they hire people to test things internally instead. Notice how you rarely, if ever, see a response from anyone who works at Microsoft in these forums within the microsoft.com domain. They're too busy adding buzzwords to make their products appealing to execs who don't know any better, since that's the only customer base likely to stick around much longer (and the only one they need).

Also note that the AI-generated response references both "Resolved issues in Windows 11, version 22H2" and "Windows 11, version 25H2 known issues and notifications". So, it thinks it was resolved in 2022, but also a known issue in 2025. Probably the most insight I've ever seen from an AI response.

Camilo Andres Cardozo Gonzalez 0 Reputation points

2026-02-28T21:58:03.2833333+00:00

Me funcionó, tanbién me sucedía lo mismo con mspaint.exe. Gracias por compartir la solución

CatNap 0 Reputation points

2026-03-14T02:31:44.08+00:00

For me the problem was mspaint then I try this, well its work perfectly fine now thanks
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Petr Sors (DHL IT Services), external 6 Reputation points

2026-01-14T11:21:50.4166667+00:00

I also have the issue, Windows 11, Version 24H2 (OS Build 26100.7462).

File version of Notepad.exe in "c:\windows\system32" is 10.0.26100.7309 and file modification date is 12/9/2025

File version of Notepad.exe in "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsNotepad_11.2508.38.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\Notepad" is 11.2508.38.0 and file modification date is 11/8/2025

Executing "notepad.exe" in the run window throws the error "Mivrosoft.UI.Windowing.Core.dll was not found..."

Same error is thrown when notepad.exe is executed from the path "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsNotepad_11.2508.38.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\Notepad"

Running notepad.exe directly from c:\windows\system32 works fine and the modern version opens.

Running reset did not help.

Running repair did not help.

Setting the default Path value in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\notepad.exe to c:\windows\system32\notepad.exe (which before was pointing to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsNotepad_11.2508.38.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\Notepad) solved the issue for me.

I cannot resist to mention it again - How does Microsoft keep getting away with the plethora of bugs in their products? @Microsoft I suggest you use Copilot to get a list of broken things in your products to fix them.
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CrazyKats 16,670 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-01-14T13:51:55.23+00:00

Your build of Windows is also not up to date.

Build is now at .7623.

杰文刘 0 Reputation points

2026-01-14T14:43:36.29+00:00

Hope MS has real human. This small problem should never be there for years.

Karl Mierzejewski 0 Reputation points

2026-04-28T19:25:41.4066667+00:00

This worked out exactly as you specified, Petr. No major searching, editing or DLL download and installation. Just a quick line of code swap, and bingo, it works!

Shay Lehv 0 Reputation points

2026-06-29T04:53:34.18+00:00

Thank You. that worked! :-)
"Setting the default Path value in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\notepad.exe to c:\windows\system32\notepad.exe (which before was pointing to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsNotepad_11.2508.38.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\Notepad) solved the issue for me."
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Lance 10 Reputation points

2026-01-30T18:08:45.6+00:00

I have had the same issues and have tried uninstalling/reinstalling, using DISM and SFC but these had no effect. I checked the registry entry at Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\mspaint.exe

and it had two keys: (Default), and Path. Both had the same value. I just deleted the string value in (Default) and now mspaint works just fine from Win+R. Same for Notepad.
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Martijn Langeveld 11 Reputation points

2025-11-30T20:05:04.7966667+00:00

I have the same problem. Not only with notepad but also with mspaint.
When I had this before, uninstall / reinstall by windows store resolved it. Now it is back and reinstall doesn't solve it anymore.
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John E. Miller III 0 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2026-03-01T17:17:24.0533333+00:00

Remove-Item "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\notepad.exe" -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Remove-Item "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\notepad.exe" -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Fixed it for me ... will see how long it lasts and I also wonder how many of us affected have bypassed MSA sign-in and are signed in w. local admin accounts?
(winver 23H2 22631.4037)

EDIT: Noticed just now that:
WIN+R now launches: Notepad w. a memory of previous text and allows me to close it w.o. prompting for save (and keeps text) - launching from Start menu behaves different ... but they are the same version ... odd. This will have to suffice for now ... not sure muscle memory WIN+R: notepad is ever going to go away after 30 years.
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Notepad fails to launch from Win+R ("notepad") due to missing Microsoft.UI.Windowing.Core.dll (Windows 11 Insider Dev 25H2 build 26220.7052)

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