Solved missing icon on Metro desktop

kris44dad

New Member
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2
I installed windows solitaire and classic shell broke the link to the icon on the metro desktop.

I can't reinstall the app. Windows store says I have it.
Couldn't uninstall the app. No uninstall button.
Clicking on the tile just opened the store not the app, so I unpinned it.

Any suggestions on how one might

Repair links to missing apps on the metro desktop?
Or allow it to be uninstalled and reinstalled from the store?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8 64 bit
I wish you luck. Hope someone here can help. I can't.

My big E on the desk top somehow got cross linked with my Avery business card file. Instead of opening IE10 it opened Avery. Too, it disappeared from the start menu entirely. AND my MSN home page Metro appearance became the regular classic view without Outlook for E-mail.

I have a professional Guru tech support on annual contract. I called them 3 times and each time they did not fix it. Said it was a Microsoft problem *( They are the officially sanctioned Microsoft tech support ). So you know what I wrote in the evaluation report.

Next day they called back and typically took over my computer remotely. 45 minutes later it was fixed ! The technician said he "copied" from someone else and either pasted or installed on me.

My new computer is an HP. It came with Windows 8 *( OEM/regular ). While I was having the above problem I decided to upgrade to Win 8 Pro with a disk I had. It upgraded but didn't fix the problems just described. Much to my chagrin.

Normally the computer manufacturer is responsible for tech support on Windows 8. HP told me that the warranty on the software was 80 days and on the computer 1 year. However, I had voided the warranty when I upgraded with Win 8 Pro. That wasn't a problem. I had Guru on contract anyway. I didn't even bother contacting Microsoft. I have unlimited calls with Guru.

Worst case scenario. You can reinstall Win 8 IF you have a disc. Or you can run the recovery disc if you made one. Or you can buy a recovery set from your computer manufacturer. But you probably know it will take EVERYTHING else off and restore only Win 8 if you go that route or reinstall what was on your computer at the time of purchase.

Please let us know how you make out. I like to keep the records.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP
I installed windows solitaire and classic shell broke the link to the icon on the metro desktop.

I can't reinstall the app. Windows store says I have it.
Couldn't uninstall the app. No uninstall button.
Clicking on the tile just opened the store not the app, so I unpinned it.

Any suggestions on how one might

Repair links to missing apps on the metro desktop?
Or allow it to be uninstalled and reinstalled from the store?

Here is how you can fix it. Open this folder: %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Application Shortcuts. Locate the folder of the Modern app there and move the shortcut on the desktop back inside that folder (cut-paste). Then it will show up in "Apps" in the Start Menu.


To get it back on the Start screen, you may have to restart Explorer.exe or logoff/login back.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Microsoft Windows
    Other Info
    I do the testing and give feedback on User Experience and ideas for Classic Shell.
In addition to his instructions above, I had to re-pin the app to the Metro page.

I should mention that it was fortunate for me that I still had the original shortcut in the recycle bin. Windows had replaced the missing app file with a newer one that obviously didn't work. I can tell right now there is going to be a HUGE market for utilities that are able to correct this linked mess MS has left us with. A possible enhancement for classic shell would be to track link changes and have an undo/restore of the original links.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8 64 bit
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