Basic Apps (notepad, calculator) not starting

The basic apps like notepad and calculator have stopped working. I can see the old version of notepad with the 'install new version' option. I also d/l and tried to install notepad from the windows store (it said it couldn't install it).

What is going on? Any suggestions?

Hi, RuffHi
rather than see you unanswered:

Is it only “notepad & calculator” not working? If so, have you tried repairing or resetting them?

My favorite question at the moment is; do you have update KB5035853 installed? If so, try uninstalling/rolling back and see if that helps. There have been reports that this update is causing problems. See if that fixes your problem.

Please type “Winver” into search and opening it. Please add the version and build that it reports to your “System Specs” OS section (first on the list where you have placed Win 11)
For example: Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build 22631.3296

This link will open your System Specs.

Good advise from @antspants. If you do not know how to reset an app, Settings>apps>installed apps. Find calculator (and notepad) in the list. To the far right of the app click 3 dots. Select advanced. Select reset.

Thanks for the reply. I updated my system specs with my Win version. I do have KB5035853 / uninstalling that now.

Is it only calc / notepad? Those are the only 'micro' apps that I have noticed.

Removing that patch didn't bring back calc or notepad.

I couldn't reset notepad as it is not on the list of installed apps.
Resetting calc (I tried repair first) didn't work.

The one change I got is that I get a little progress bar under the app on the start menu when I click on it

You could try running a DISM
Go to search, type cmd, right click on the icon, open cmd as admin

Type or copy/paste

DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

Click enter on your keyboard. (Be patient with it)

That fails you could try removing them and re-adding them from Microsoft store perhaps.



Failing those, a repair install might do it.

DISM completed clean but no impact on calc or notepad. Installing them just results in a loop where the PC is trying to take me to the MS Store App. I did manage to get there and now Calc install is stuck checking my system requirements :).

I will try the in-place repair.

RuffHi said:

DISM completed clean but no impact on calc or notepad. Installing them just results in a loop where the PC is trying to take me to the MS Store App. I did manage to get there and now Calc install is stuck checking my system requirements :).

I will try the in-place repair.

Click to expand...

That's a shame,RuffHi.
In-Place repairs are harmless if you follow the tutorial properly. If followed properly all your file/software/apps should be as they were.
Read, it, then when you've read it follow it. Always good to read first then apply. Let us know how you go

7:15 - Repair install started
7:16 - Option 2, Step 1 - remove AV programs
7:30 - removal complete ... one more reboot for super clean system
bitlocker not relevant
I have win 11 on USB
7:33 - step 5a - open Win 11 USB
7:34 - step 6 - run setup.exe
7:36 - finished preparing, not right now selected
... and we are off
... accepted terms
... making sure you're ready
(7:38 - nag from windows 11 about firewall)
7:40 - install process started

and now I wait. Or (re)read Dune. Or both.

Google suggests that my Win11 install file might be an older version. I will create a new USB with the latest install version and try again.

Just tried again with the correct version ... this time it failed in the SECOND_BOOT.

I did get a boot menu with 5 options (Win10, Win11, Win11 setup, Win11 backup and something else that I couldn't remember). Which should I pick? I tried Win11 setup and got the 'failed with 2nd boot' that I mentioned above.

RuffHi said:

Just tried again with the correct version ... this time it failed in the SECOND_BOOT.

I did get a boot menu with 5 options (Win10, Win11, Win11 setup, Win11 backup and something else that I couldn't remember). Which should I pick? I tried Win11 setup and got the 'failed with 2nd boot' that I mentioned above.

Click to expand...

Which option in that tutorial are you using? Option One or Option Two?

Option Two - install from USB.

RuffHi said:

Option Two - install from USB.

Click to expand...

My apologies, I hadn’t quite finished my first coffee before asking that silly question. You obviously stated the steps you took.
I am not sure what happened there.
Could be a driver issue… but first
What is your internet speed like?
Perhaps you could try option one?
However if you have driver (or other issues) it might yield the same result. But it would possibly be faster to try Option One before tackling the FIRST_BOOT issue.

There is a thread here, but again, I would rule out Option One as yielding the same result before trying anything in this post… Or you could just try what is in post number 1 in this thread.

I don't think that Option One is an option for me as I don't have the required build. It isn't in my settings.

Brink said:

Option One

Repair Install Windows 11 via Windows Update

If you do not have an Insider build below installed, you will need to use Option Two instead.

This option is only available starting with Windows 11 build 25905 (Canary), build 23601 (Dev), and build 22635.2915 (Beta).

Click to expand...

I might reinstall Win11 and go from there.

RuffHi said:

I don't think that Option One is an option for me as I don't have the required build. It isn't in my settings.

Click to expand...

Well that’s new to me

I only swapped to Win11 earlier this year. I have a multi-boot system that can boot to Win10, Win11 and a Win11 backup. All of my data, config files, etc are stored away from by system implementation so swapping OS is fairly straight forward.

I am going to run two Win11 installs, one on a Samsung SSD and one on a WD SSD (easier to tell apart in Disk Manager / BIOS than two Samsung SSDs). One will be called Win 11 ODD and the other will be Win 11 EVEN. They will have different lock screens (hence, different log-in screens) and I can put a file in each Win11 folder that my rainmeter setup will display (eg Win11-Samsung - EVEN.txt). That way, I know which system I am logging into (March is ODD, April will be EVEN) and I get visual clues to which system I am in.

The plan is to keep them in sync and have a fall back when (not if) my system is borked and something simple like calculator.exe stops working. It will also force me to keep a record of program installation details.

Update: I am really close to having a system where I can swap back and forth between two windows disks at the beginning of a new month.

Background: I have a multi-boot system (Win10 and a couple of Win11 SSDs). One of my Win11 SSDs got borked (calc, notepad, snipper stopped working) so I reverted back to an older SSD, got that updated and behaving very nicely. I am now ready to clone this new Win11 SSD to my old SSD.

I have Acronis HO (something) that says it can clone a disk - didn't work.
I also tried backup up my system drive, then restoring it to the new disk - didn't work.
EaseUS Partition Master Pro (Plus?) has the ability to clone a system disk - it sort of worked

But - while I can boot to my new, shiny Win11 SSD, I can't boot to the new (cloned) SSD. I have ready and executed way too many bootrec commands lately.

From what I can see, the two drives (C and D) look identical (compared using 'Beyond Compare'). D reports a boot issue with file in D:\EFI\Boot

Edit:
It is actually \windows\system32\winload.efi
error code: 0xc0000225

Edit2: googled that error code and found this
... which suggested that my boot menu (editbcd) was borked (it was - fixed the device and osdevice) - trying a reboot now :|

Edit3: Hot diggity dog - this is a post from the other Win11 environment.

Any suggestions?