Apps deleted after windows update

Question

I recently updated my windows 11 and now all my apps are gone besides certain ones. Im not sure what couldve caused this but theyre not on my desktop anymore.

Answer 1

Hi! Did you upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11, or was it just a cumulative update for Windows 11?

• Check if you're not in a temporary user account. Press Windows + R > Type C:\Users > Press Enter > See if any folder named TEMP or similar appears.
• Open Windows Settings > Apps > Installed Apps > See if your apps that aren't on the desktop are listed here.
• Press Windows + R > Type %userprofile% > Press Enter > See if all your files are listed here.

Answer 2

After a Windows 11 update, apps are often still installed but may no longer appear on the desktop or may seem missing. Use these steps to locate and restore them:

1. Check if apps are still installed
   • Select Start and look through the All apps list for the missing apps.
   • If an app opens from Start but its desktop shortcut is gone, recreate the shortcut by right‑clicking the app in Start > More > Open file location, then right‑click the app and choose Send to > Desktop (create shortcut).
2. Reinstall Microsoft Store apps If apps came from Microsoft Store, reinstall them:
   1. Select Start, then Microsoft Store.
   2. In Microsoft Store, select Library.
   3. Find each missing app and select Install.
   If an app doesn’t appear in Library, it may have been installed from outside the Store and must be reinstalled from the publisher’s site.
3. Repair or reset apps that don’t open If an app appears installed but won’t run after the update:
   1. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
   2. Select the More icon next to the app > Advanced options.
   3. Select Repair. If that doesn’t fix it, select Reset.
4. Reinstall traditional desktop programs If classic desktop programs (not Store apps) are missing or broken:
   1. Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
   2. If the program is listed but not working, right‑click it and select Repair or Change and follow the prompts.
   3. If it’s not listed, reinstall it from the original installer or vendor site.
5. Check for apps removed during upgrade Some apps are removed during upgrades because they are incompatible with Windows 11 or the upgrade process. Those that are known not to work with Windows 11 cannot be reinstalled; for others, check the app publisher for an updated version that supports Windows 11.
6. Find files that seem missing after the update If documents or files associated with those apps seem gone:
   1. Right‑click Start and select File Explorer.
   2. Select This PC in the left pane.
   3. Use the Search This PC box (top right) and type the file name or use wildcards like *.doc to search by type.
   4. If search doesn’t find them, run the Search troubleshooter from Settings > Privacy & security > Search > Advanced indexing options > Advanced > Troubleshoot search and indexing.

If many apps truly uninstalled and cannot be found in Start, Microsoft Store Library, or Control Panel, they must be reinstalled individually from their original sources.

---

References:

• Fix problems with apps from Microsoft Store
• Repair apps and programs in Windows
• Upgrade to Windows 11: FAQ
• Find lost files after upgrading Windows