I would say a BIG THANKS you to @Badiboy for this answer that I'd like to upgrade a little bit:
Note: After spending 2 days and many hours for digging, especially on M**Soft forums, including useless upgrading Windows 10 :((( seems that:
Microsoft native applications like
- CAMERA
- CALCULATOR
- PHOTOS
- STORE
- etc
Get's easily corrupted when you try to block them from UAC policy, disable relevant services, uninstall them, etc. When does, the phenomenon is like APP is starting for a fraction of a second, then crashes.
If you don't have WindowsStore anymore, you cannot do anything (my case)!
What's happens?
Somehow, this folder get's trashed, wrong ownership, etc.
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps
Solution that 100% works
Go to a Windows 10 machine (the same version as you have) that could be a VBOX one.
Take ownership of this folder
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps
Get relevant folders and ZIP them together ! <-- this is important
This way you will not loose permissions or any file that cannot be copied.
Now go to your machine, unzip somewhere and COPY & OVERWRITE into your
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps
Of course, you have to be OWNER of this folder too.
Finally, re-register them as usually with a elevated PowerShell.
In case of errors, read them and install dependencies
Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsCamera_2018.826.98.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml"
Add-AppxPackage : Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x80073CF3, Package failed updates, dependency or conflict
validation.
Windows cannot install package Microsoft.WindowsCamera_2018.826.98.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe because this package depends
on a framework that could not be found. Provide the framework "Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.1.7" published by
"CN=Microsoft Corporation, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US", with neutral or x64 processor
architecture and minimum version 1.7.25531.0, along with this package to install. The frameworks with name
"Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.1.7" currently installed are: {}
NOTE: For additional information, look for [ActivityId] 89a20470-2867-0003-d225-a2896728d701 in the Event Log or use
the command line Get-AppPackageLog -ActivityID 89a20470-2867-0003-d225-a2896728d701
At line:1 char:1
+ Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "C:\Program Files\W ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : WriteError: (C:\Program File...ppxManifest.xml:String) [Add-AppxPackage], IOException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : DeploymentError,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.AddAppxPackageCommand
PS C:\Windows\system32> Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.1.7_1.7.25531.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml"
PS C:\Windows\system32> Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsCamera_2018.826.98.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml"
PS C:\Windows\system32> Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_10.1906.55.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml"
PS C:\Windows\system32>
Now all relevant APPS should work instantly.
Finally, you can safely delete/uninstall/block WindowsStore as usual.
Remove-AppxPackage
+Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage
removes all traces of metro apps from the system - including the Windows Store App - which makesGet-AppxPackage
fail. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the question is how do you restore the Store App at that point?