Start UWP(Universal Windows Platform) Application with windows explorer(explorer.exe)

Question

I am developing a project which use our own file explorer to replace windows explorer for windows 8.1/10/11. So I killed explorer.exe when my project is running.

Also I need to open the application on windows. I have tested that the original desktop application can be run, But I cannot start the UWP application.

Finally I found that when explorer.exe is not exists, windows cannot start UWP application. Also When UWP have some other problems when explorer not running.

Is there a way to start UWP application and normally use UWP application when explorer not running?

Answer 1

Hello,

Explorer.exe is mandatory to run an UWP application as expressed here and can't be opened using a custom shell: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/customize/enterprise/shell-launcher

For example, if you start Calc (which is now a UPW app), and then kill explorer.exe, then Calc stays there, hosed. Nothing is displayed anymore on it, you cannot interact with and you cannot close it. Then if you restart explorer.exe, it kind of unlocks the hosed Calc that just goes away. This is the same with all UWP apps I tried.

So it looks all UWP apps need explorer.exe running all along.

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