Microsoft Photos app - "Add a folder" function is broken


MaxMAn01

New member
Local time
2:28 PM
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4
OS
Windows 11
Hello!

So the issue is simple, but very annoying: when I open the Microsoft Photos app and trying to add a new folder (by clicking on the "Add a folder" icon) it just doesn't do anything and juts nothing happens at all. It was working fine previously for month, but somehow suddenly it get broken.
I have tried the app troubleshooter, by repairing and resetting the app, and also to uninstall it via powerhell and than install it back trough the Microsoft Store, but it's still broken the same way.

As I have searched through the net, have found, that this is a very common issue with the app, but couldn't find any more suggestions for the solution to fix it.
I have a suspicion, that the issue happens because some folders, that have bee previously added to the Photos app are no longer reachable on their previous location (i.e. deleted, moved, or renamed). Don't know how and why this could affect negatively the function of the Photos app, and it's still just a clue, but somehow it may could be the reason.

Please, if you know any, advise me a solution to fix this issue...

Thank you!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
Under Folders in the app click on the more icon (3 horizontal dots) and select settings. See what you can do there.

2022-03-25 08_23_51-Photos.png
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro & 🐥.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700U with Radeon Vega Mobile Gfx
    Motherboard
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. X509DA (FP5)
    Memory
    12GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    RX Vega 10 Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1080@60Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080@60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 2TB NVMe 1.3
    Internet Speed
    25 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ACER NITRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800H / 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    CZ Scala_CAS (FP6)
    Memory
    32 GB DDR4 SDRAM 3200 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio. NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" LED backlight 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 144 Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB NVMe M.2
    PSU
    180 Watt, 19.5 V
    Mouse
    Lenovo Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    25 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
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Already done that, deleted all the previously added folders, but the Add a folder option still doesn't work even from there.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
I usually use Geek uninstaller to remove store apps.


You could try that to uninstall the Photos app then reboot and install it again. Might work better as it removes a lot of the registry. Just ran it and reinstalled. Failing that just use the import icon for now.

2022-03-25 09_27_07-Geek Uninstaller 1.4.8.145.png
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro & 🐥.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700U with Radeon Vega Mobile Gfx
    Motherboard
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. X509DA (FP5)
    Memory
    12GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    RX Vega 10 Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1080@60Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080@60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 2TB NVMe 1.3
    Internet Speed
    25 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ACER NITRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800H / 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    CZ Scala_CAS (FP6)
    Memory
    32 GB DDR4 SDRAM 3200 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio. NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" LED backlight 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 144 Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB NVMe M.2
    PSU
    180 Watt, 19.5 V
    Mouse
    Lenovo Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    25 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
Have tired also with Geek uninstaller, both removed all the registry entries it has found, rebooted, installed back via the Store, but it's still the same, the Add a folder option is totally useless... The Import option in the Photos app is not an option for me, it creates redundant duplicates from my pictures, that is totally unnecessary. I simply want to browse and view my pictures as they are sorted in my folders.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
Have tired also with Geek uninstaller, both removed all the registry entries it has found, rebooted, installed back via the Store, but it's still the same, the Add a folder option is totally useless... The Import option in the Photos app is not an option for me, it creates redundant duplicates from my pictures, that is totally unnecessary. I simply want to browse and view my pictures as they are sorted in my folders.
It works for me and I have no further suggestions to try except look for another app. :(
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro & 🐥.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700U with Radeon Vega Mobile Gfx
    Motherboard
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. X509DA (FP5)
    Memory
    12GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    RX Vega 10 Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1080@60Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080@60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 2TB NVMe 1.3
    Internet Speed
    25 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ACER NITRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800H / 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    CZ Scala_CAS (FP6)
    Memory
    32 GB DDR4 SDRAM 3200 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio. NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" LED backlight 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 144 Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB NVMe M.2
    PSU
    180 Watt, 19.5 V
    Mouse
    Lenovo Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    25 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
You have not completed your computer profile but I suspect you are running an insider version of windows. I am on the release channel and have no issues making new folders using the Photos app.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
Sorry, but I think it would be rather useless to complete my configuration profile here (and no, I'm using the regular retail version a Win 11 Pro), as I didn't mention, but it's time now, that exactly this kind of issue with the Photos app has also happened with me before on a completely different PC with Windows 10 Pro. And also in the very similar way: it was working fine for like a couple of months, than it got broken suddenly, and from than, no way I could find to fix it... So it's surely not a "user error" kind of issue...

Yesterday I have asked for help also on the official Microsoft forums, and the only solution they suggested that worked is that I have created a brand new user Account, and with that account signed in the Photos app is working all-round properly. But it's surely not what I really want, I want of course the Photos app to get back to normal with my regular and inhabited account I have used to.

So this whole misery with this Photos app calvary seems rather very strange and somehow still unexplainable...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
get back to normal with my regular and inhabited account I have used to.
It is not uncommon for user accounts to become corrupted for a lot of reasons. If by creating a new account your problem was solved, then account corruption is definitely the problem.

It is not difficult to get all your personal files and folders into the new account. In order to not encounter permission problems, you COPY the files onto an external drive, log out of your old account, log in to the new account, the COPY and PASTE the files from the external drive into your new account. Once done, delete your old account.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
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