Windows 8 programs provided such as Reader, Photos stopped

All those programs that are present when you first open a Windows 8 desktop like Reader, Photos, etc. You know, the one's you want to replaces real fast with good programs have stopped working. Not that I want to use them or depend on them but it does bug me they all stopped. I don't see a way to uninstall them if they are not going to work. If they have to remain on the pc I would like them to work in any case.

Does anyone know why all these minimum use programs have stopped. And if the fix is drastic of course I wouldn't attempt it. But why? Thanks for any help! Jack ":-D

What are you using Reader for? I use it to view and print my XPS files. It works well for that. Are you trying to open Doc or PDFs with it? Might now work for those. Are you saying they just won't start, or they are not there anymore? They should still be there if you right click on the Windows 8 Metro Screen and you click "All apps" down on the right.

That's some name. I'll address you as Mr.X. You know these Windows 8 programs that come installed in the Metro mode. If I have a jpg file, I say open it with ... and one of the choices is the Metro programs I think called Photos that opens all images. The screen does that all one color thing with a white icon in the middle ... at which point you'd expect the file to open, but it flips right back to the Metro start page. Same thing with a pdf file. I goes that one color screen with the white icon in the middle ... you expect the file to open and it flips right back to the Metro start page, not opening the files at all. I just wondered why they stopped working. Of course I have some better programs to use these files but it makes you to wonder why all the Metro programs that come with Windows 8 all of a sudden don't work?

Are you an old rocker. Sorry if you're young. The photo looks old:

Fat Rabbit Days of Gory | Facebook

Its actually a year ago, that pic - Ok, so the apps are choking on the files you are trying to open, which may be an error in the file itself, or your Metro apps are loused up. If you do not have many Desktop Programs installed, you can do a "Refresh" - Which will remove all desktop applications, just reinstall the applications. If you are like me and cannot do that, maybe because you don't have the disk anymore or cant find it, then do an In-Place Install. Just stick the Windows 8 Disk you used for the install into the drive and start the setup program while in Desktop mode. At the proper place in the install, chose "Update" rather than install windows. This will repair any Metro apps that got corrupted AND it will save all of your regular desktop applications. But it must be the exact disk you used for installation, it cannot be a different one. Some Windows 7 and Vista install disks contained all versions of the OS, so you can use one of those disks if you have one, for those OSs - But Windows 8 is more picky, it wants the very same disk you used.

The other thing you can do, is run an SFC /SCANNOW which will find any corrupted files and replace them.

Hmmm ... not sure how that would work here the recovery is on the HD itself, a recovery drive not a recovery disk.

Nope, you need the actual Windows 8 disk that came with the system. What is it, Pro or Pro with Media Center? 32 or 64? You can maybe borrow a Windows 8 disk from a local repair shop. The Computer Makers are pi88ing me off with this NOT giving a real windows 8 disk with new systems! You may be able to call whoever made the system and order a disk, they should just give you one, they may try to charge you for it. One thing they do not tell you is that the recovery partition usually works in concert with a Disk that is labelled "recovery" - and that disk is usually a regular windows 8 install disk, just labelled "recovery". Ive seen Dells and HPs like this, I located the "recovery" disk in the bundle of disks that came with the system- All you need to do is stick it in the drive, and if it pops up a Windows 8 install screen, you've got it.

Whenever I buy a new system from a store, its the first thing I look for, if it is not in the box, I bring it back.

You cannot run an SFC without it. You may try a system restore back to when you knew these programs were running, if the restore point is still there. I've got all of my restore points from the day I installed it on this machine.

You might be able to do a Refresh, if you don't have any programs installed you can't live with losing, try that.

I guess we can learn something each day. I am running sfc /scannow at this moment without a disk. I went to the CHARMS (lovely name) SEARCH > typed in Command Prompt > Right clicked and RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR and then at the command window typed this in and it's running. Have you tried that?

Hm, I've been assuming the disk had to be in for it to work, like with Windows 2000 through 7. If Windows 8 can do it and it pulls the needed files from a repository somewhere, that should work just as well. as long as it can find replacements for any corrupt files it finds.

I also use Yamicsoft Windows 8 Manager, which has a bunch of repair scenarios, it has a whole system built in for fixing bad Metro apps.

hello ,not sure if all metro apps are all considered store app ,but this fix might or might not apply to all apps ,my quess is it will not hurt to run it . i just ran the repair and my app still work so i will running it cant hurt and may fix you problems if they are not cause by the file you are trying to open
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...apps-troubleshooter-fix-apps-windows-8-a.html

That looks like it should work - Give it a show and let us know. I didn't know about that method