Solved How to access a store app?


Pocah

Pocah

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How do I find the folder of a store app?
I want to run an application but have no idea where the app is actually located on the disc.
By the way, I am not sure why Microsoft seem to want to hide this information.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    12700
    Memory
    32gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    3070ti
    Sound Card
    -
    Screen Resolution
    3840x1600, 2560x1080
Pocah said:
How do I find the folder of a store app?
I want to run an application but have no idea where the app is actually located on the disc.
By the way, I am not sure why Microsoft seem to want to hide this information.
Click to expand...
You cannot run store apps in same way as you might run a non store app.

If app is on pc, it will be listed in start menu, and you can run it from there.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Zenbook 14
    CPU
    I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
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    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
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    Macrium Reflect Home V8
    Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
    Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
cereberus said:
You cannot run store apps in same way as you might run a non store app.

If app is on pc, it will be listed in start menu, and you can run it from there.
Click to expand...

Hello!
I need to trigger it from a task, which means I need to know how to "reference" it in Task Scheduler.
Microsoft seems to try to stop any attempt at doing this.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    12700
    Memory
    32gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    3070ti
    Sound Card
    -
    Screen Resolution
    3840x1600, 2560x1080

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build 22631.5039
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz (4th Gen?)
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4 x LG 23MP75 - 2 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / MX Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    100/40Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build: 22631.4249
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
Pocah said:
How do I find the folder of a store app?
Click to expand...
Right click the app in task manager and select properties or open file location.
Pocah said:
Microsoft seems to try to stop any attempt at doing this.
Click to expand...
MS actually made it even worse, the path changes with each update. "Great" for a firewall.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 8600G (07/24)
    Motherboard
    ASROCK B650M-HDV/M.2 3.18 (07/24)
    Memory
    2x32GB Kingston FURY DDR5 5600 MHz CL36 @4800 CL40 (07/24)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASROCK Radeon RX 6600 Challenger D 8G @60FPS (08/24)
    Sound Card
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    Monitor(s) Displays
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    Screen Resolution
    1920×1080@165Hz via DP1.4
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 NVMe 2TB (05/24)
    ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 512GB (07/19)
    PSU
    Seasonic Core GM 550 Gold (04/24)
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Mini with 3x Noctua NF-P14s/12@555rpm (04/24)
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    Noctua NH-U12S with Noctua NF-P12 (04/24)
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    HP Pavilion Wired Keyboard 300 (07/24) + Rabalux 76017 Parker (01/24)
    Mouse
    Logitech M330 Silent Plus (04/23)
    Internet Speed
    500/100 Mbps via RouterOS (05/21) & TCP Optimizer
    Browser
    Edge & Brave for YouTube & LibreWolf for FB
    Antivirus
    NextDNS blocking 99% TLDs
    Other Info
    Backup: Hasleo Backup Suite (PreOS)
    Headphones: Sennheiser RS170 (09/10)
    Phone: Samsung Galaxy Xcover 7 (02/24)
    Chair: Huzaro Force 4.4 Grey Mesh (05/24)
    Notifier: Xiaomi Mi Band 9 Milanese (10/24)
    2nd Monitor: AOC G2460VQ6 @75Hz (02/19)
TairikuOkami said:
Right click the app in task manager and select properties or open file location.

MS actually made it even worse, the path changes with each update. "Great" for a firewall.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately they seem to have blocked that now. The location is missing from properties.
I eventually found the "Windows Apps" folder, which is hidden and of course they deny access to it.
Its full of Bing News folders, for some reason, and other stuff that no one actually wants. 225 folders of it.
Anyway, somewhere in there I suppose the app is located.
I don't understand why Microsoft do this. I mean, really, all it is doing is making me avoid anything from the Microsoft Store.
I will find a different solution.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    12700
    Memory
    32gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    3070ti
    Sound Card
    -
    Screen Resolution
    3840x1600, 2560x1080
Pocah said:
I don't understand why Microsoft do this. I mean, really, all it is doing is making me avoid anything from the Microsoft Store.
Click to expand...

They aren’t doing that at all. You just need to learn how to call on the app.
If you’d of looked at the TenForum link I provided, you’d of found this link.

learn.microsoft.com

Launching Windows apps and managing background tasks - Windows apps

Learn how to use a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) or a file type to launch a Windows app or manage background tasks in your apps.
learn.microsoft.com
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build 22631.5039
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz (4th Gen?)
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4 x LG 23MP75 - 2 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / MX Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    100/40Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build: 22631.4249
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
antspants said:
They aren’t doing that at all. You just need to learn how to call on the app.
If you’d of looked at the TenForum link I provided, you’d of found this link.

learn.microsoft.com

Launching Windows apps and managing background tasks - Windows apps

Learn how to use a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) or a file type to launch a Windows app or manage background tasks in your apps.
learn.microsoft.com
Click to expand...

Honestly, I don't see how that is relevant to what I am trying to do. I'm sure that's my fault, but my feelings on the matter are that if I need to read a book to just enter a parameter in Task Scheduler, then Microsoft are doing something wrong.

I have repeatedly found that not having access to application folders has caused me problems. As long as Microsoft continue to hide everything away, then I will avoid the Store as much as is humanly possible.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    12700
    Memory
    32gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    3070ti
    Sound Card
    -
    Screen Resolution
    3840x1600, 2560x1080
UWP (or Store) apps have a different programming and execution model. They were originally created back when Windows was supposed to run on both smartphones (Windows Phone) and PC's. The App folders are protected by folder permissions to prevent tampering.

The correct way to run UWP apps from a script is to use their registered AppID's.

1. Run this PS command to list available AppID's:
Code: 
C:\Windows\System32>powershell "Get-StartApps | Where-Object { $_.AppId -notmatch '{' } |Sort-Object Name"

Name                        AppID
----                        -----
Calculator                  Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Calendar                    microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps_8wekyb3d8bbwe!microsoft.windowslive.calendar
Camera                      Microsoft.WindowsCamera_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Clipchamp – Video Editor    Clipchamp.Clipchamp_yxz26nhyzhsrt!App
Clock                       Microsoft.WindowsAlarms_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Control Panel               Microsoft.Windows.ControlPanel
Cortana                     Microsoft.549981C3F5F10_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Feedback Hub                Microsoft.WindowsFeedbackHub_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
File Explorer               Microsoft.Windows.Explorer
Get Help                    Microsoft.GetHelp_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Get Started                 MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!WebExperienceHost
Mail                        microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps_8wekyb3d8bbwe!microsoft.windowslive.mail
Maps                        Microsoft.WindowsMaps_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Media Player                Microsoft.ZuneMusic_8wekyb3d8bbwe!Microsoft.ZuneMusic
Microsoft Edge              MSEdge
Microsoft News              Microsoft.BingNews_8wekyb3d8bbwe!AppexNews
Microsoft Store             Microsoft.WindowsStore_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Microsoft To Do             Microsoft.Todos_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Movies & TV                 Microsoft.ZuneVideo_8wekyb3d8bbwe!Microsoft.ZuneVideo
Notepad                     Microsoft.WindowsNotepad_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Office                      Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub_8wekyb3d8bbwe!Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub
OneDrive                    Microsoft.SkyDrive.Desktop
Paint                       Microsoft.Paint_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Photos                      Microsoft.Windows.Photos_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Power Automate              Microsoft.PowerAutomateDesktop_8wekyb3d8bbwe!PAD.Console
Quick Assist                MicrosoftCorporationII.QuickAssist_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Remote Desktop Connection   Microsoft.Windows.RemoteDesktop
Run                         Microsoft.Windows.Shell.RunDialog
Settings                    windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy!microsoft.windows.immersivecontrolpanel
Snipping Tool               Microsoft.ScreenSketch_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Solitaire Collection        Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Sticky Notes                Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Terminal                    Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Tips                        Microsoft.Getstarted_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Voice Recorder              Microsoft.WindowsSoundRecorder_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Weather                     Microsoft.BingWeather_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Windows Backup              MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy!WindowsBackup
Windows Media Player Legacy Microsoft.Windows.MediaPlayer32
Windows Security            Microsoft.SecHealthUI_8wekyb3d8bbwe!SecHealthUI
Windows Tools               Microsoft.Windows.AdministrativeTools
Xbox                        Microsoft.GamingApp_8wekyb3d8bbwe!Microsoft.Xbox.App
Xbox Game Bar               Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
Your Phone                  Microsoft.YourPhone_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App

2. I want to launch the Xbox app, from a command-line or script.
Code: 
explorer shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.GamingApp_8wekyb3d8bbwe!Microsoft.Xbox.App

Your scheduled task must run with Admin rights to avoid the UAC prompt.
Code: 
C:\Windows\System32>schtasks /create /sc ONCE /tn RunXboxApp /tr "explorer shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.GamingApp_8wekyb3d8bbwe!Microsoft.Xbox.App" /rl HIGHEST /st 00:00 /f
WARNING: Task may not run because /ST is earlier than current time.
SUCCESS: The scheduled task "RunXboxApp" has successfully been created.

C:\Windows\System32>schtasks /run /tn RunXboxApp
SUCCESS: Attempted to run the scheduled task "RunXboxApp".
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
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