How To Access The Windows Apps Directory In Windows 10

You lot need to access the WindowsApps folder if y'all wish to take a fill-in of your Windows Apps or clear some space from the computer hard disk drive drive (HDD).

The Microsoft Windows operating system comes with some restricted and subconscious folders that usually comprise files that assist run Windows 11 or 10 smoothly. Disturbing these files could outcome in system errors or consummate Windows Os malfunction.

Some of these folders are Program Data, System32, AppData, WindowsApps, etc. Among these folders, WindowsApps is of particular involvement since this drive use ups a lot of disk storage when you practice non restrict app installations from Windows Store.

Let'due south acquire more near the WindowsApps folder, its purpose, and how to admission the WindowsApps folder should you need to take fill-in or clear some disk space.

What Is the WindowsApps Binder?

The WindowsApps folder is available in Program Files of your Windows 10 or 11 Bone installation directory and stores app files for Windows Apps. Since Windows 8 OS, Microsoft introduced a set of apps that office differently than conventional software.

In the past, Microsoft called these apps Metro-mode apps, Windows Store apps, Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps, and now simply Windows apps. Windows 10 or 11 Bone stores Windows Apps and other UWP apps similar Your Phone in the WindowsApps folder.

The folder is a highly secure location inside your Windows OS installation directory and is protected by multiple layers of security. First of all, you will non meet the binder unless you unhide information technology.

Secondly, normal user and system administrator user accounts do not accept the necessary files admission rights to access the binder or check its size, subfolders, files, etc. Microsoft reserved the necessary rights for the TrustedInstaller user business relationship, which is a system account.

TrustedInstaller controls write and read access of the WindowsApps folder so that Windows Apps tin can smoothly function without any intervention from the user.

What Is the Purpose of the WindowsApps Folder?

WindowsApps folder is the safety firm for all Windows apps that y'all install or come up with the factory version of your Windows 10 or eleven Bone copy. Here are the utilise cases of this folder:

Stores UWP Packages

Like the Program Files and Program Files (x86) for usual Windows PC software, WindowsApps is the default file location for all Windows apps or UWP packages. However, the subfolder naming convention is dissimilar than the Plan Files.

For example, the Windows apps Netflix will have multiple folders with the following naming: app name, version number, CPU architecture (x64), and the Microsoft Store ID. More than one binder exists to differentiate the same app with different CPU architectures.

Works as Windows Apps Sandbox

Conventional Windows software like a data recovery tool or computer troubleshooter has the power to override system values and brand visible changes in the Windows Os ecosystem. That's why Windows features like User Account Control (UAC), user business relationship rights, and Windows Security exists to go along them in check.

All the same, Windows apps can not brand huge changes in the operating system. Microsoft achieved this past keeping these apps sandboxed inside the WindowsApps binder. These apps cannot themselves access figurer hardware or data and need permissions in all the steps.

User Convenience

Most Windows apps practise non come with executable files like the traditional software. Instead, they are a combination of automatic command prompt scripts and Coffee programs. Users may find information technology challenging to run such apps.

Also, users may make irreversible changes to these system files unknowingly if they can admission the Windows apps files. Therefore, Microsoft Windows shows you app icons in the Start Menu and hides all the back-end data for safety and convenience.

How to Access WindowsApps Folder

There are multiple ways to access the WindowsApps binder. The steps are identical for both Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems.

Using the Task Managing director Program

Accessing the WindowsApps folder for a specific app from the Task Manager program is the simplest way. Information technology also takes less effort. However, yous must run the target UWP (Universal Windows Platform) or Windows app in the background to access its binder. Here are the quick steps that you tin follow on your Windows xi pr 10 PCs:

Footstep #1: Run the UWP app or Windows app for which you want to access the WindowsApps binder. In this tutorial, it is the WhatsApp app. Yous tin effort this or try others similar Netflix, Instagram, Skype, etc.

Stride #2: To launch the Task Manager program, you can press this shortcut key: Ctrl+Shift+Esc. Alternatively, you tin can discover the Chore Director binder by searching the Search Bar.

Footstep #3: Await for the app's procedure in the Task Director by scrolling the listing or sorting it according to their names.

Pace #4: Click on the drib-down arrow beside the app's proper noun to expand its processes. If there is no drop-down arrow, move on to the next step.

Stride #five: Correct-click on the app's icon and select Open file location from the context menu that follows.

Stride #6: Windows Explorer will take you to the sandboxed WindowsApps subfolder for the target app. In this case, the WhatsApp app.

Accessing the WindowsApps folder through the Task Manager gives you lot viewing permission. For example, you tin can become through all the files and folders of the UWP app and check their size. This pace is skilful if you want to take a fill-in of the app's files and folders.

The process does not let you delete or movement files from the WindowsApps folder. To gain write and delete access, you need to follow whatever of the beneath-mentioned steps.

Using Windows File Explorer

The almost practical and user-friendly manner of gaining access into the WindowsApps folder is through the Windows File Explorer program. This process gives yous a full read and write admission to this folder. Thus, yous tin make any kind of alter that y'all want.

This procedure is also reversible, should you need to restrict the access to the WindowsApps folder after making the changes yous need. The File Explorer-based method has two phases. In the showtime phase, you need to unhide the WindowsApps folder.

In the second phase, yous need to gain sectional read and write rights of the folder by irresolute folder ownership. Past default, Microsoft assigned the read and write permission to the TrustedInstaller user account of your Windows ten/eleven calculator. Without further ado, let's unhide and have control of the folder of interest:

Stride #1: Click on the File Explorer of the Taskbar to access This PC window.

Step #2: On the top ribbon, select View.

Step #3: Yous volition come across Options in the View menu. Click on that.

Step #4: At present, click on the Modify folder and search options to open the Folder Options window.

Step #5: You volition encounter three tabs in the Binder Options window. Select the one in the middle, the View tab.

Step #half-dozen: The View tab has two sections: Folder Views and Avant-garde Settings.

Step #vii: In the Avant-garde Settings section, select the Show hidden files, folders, and drives choice.

Step #8: Now, click the Apply button to save the changes.

Step #9: If you go to the Program Files folder in the Windows eleven installation directory, you should now find the WindowsApps folder in the unhidden state.

The WindowsApps folder is now visible. Merely, you can not access it yet. You need to manually take ownership of the folder to get read and write access.

For ownership changing purposes, you lot need a user account with administrative rights. If you are a non-admin user of your computer, you lot need to log out from that account. Then login again using the administrator account.

Once you are done switching the Windows user account, you lot tin can go ahead with the following steps for ownership transfer of the WindowsApps binder:

#i. Right-click on the WindowsApps folder and click on Properties.

#2. While on the Properties screen, click on the Security tab to reveal Advanced options. Click on Avant-garde.

#three. In the Advanced Security Settings for WindowsApps screen, click on Change.

#4. You will see the Select User or Grouping screen.

#five. In the Object Proper noun field, enter the name of the user account of your PC that has authoritative rights.

#6. Yous tin can simply write downward the proper name of the user business relationship in small-scale messages. The organization will automatically recognize it. However, you demand to blazon the correct user name.

#seven. At present, click on Cheque Names to populate the full user account address.

#viii. Click Ok to utilize the changes.

#9. You lot volition at present encounter your user account name in the Advanced Security Settings for WindowsApps window.

#10. Below your user account proper noun, you will see a checkmark filed for Supplant owner on sub containers and objects. Checkmark that box.

#11. At present click on Apply push button and hitting Ok to initiate the buying change process.

#12. One time the procedure finishes, click Ok on the notification that follows.

#13. Refresh your PC and attempt to admission the WindowsApps binder again from Programme Files by double-clicking on it.

#14. You lot will get full access to the folder with read and write permissions.

You tin can now movement or delete files from the WindowsApps binder if you accept taken ownership of the WindowsApps binder using the procedure mentioned above. Withal, practice caution when making any changes in the subfolders. Considering if y'all delete vital app files, the respective Windows app may not function anymore.

This step is specially useful when you demand to make clean up deejay infinite. If you have stopped using certain Windows apps or take uninstalled them, you lot tin can delete their back-finish files from the WindowsApps folder to save disk space.

Using Windows Powershell

The Windows File Explorer-based ownership change process for the WIndowsApps binder is somewhat tricky. You need to follow the steps correctly, or you volition waste product valuable time.

There is an easy and automated procedure that you lot can also try by using Windows Powershell. It is a robust configuration and task automation program for Windows. All Windows operating system versions since Windows 7 come with this program.

Therefore, y'all can utilize this process to take ownership of the target folder on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers. You besides do not need to unhide hidden files, folders, and drives.

In situations where you can not accept the risk of unhiding Windows system files, the Powershell-based method is a perfect selection. Here are the steps to execute a Powershell command that assigns the necessary permissions to you to admission and alter the WindowsApps binder:

Step #1: Click on the magnifying glass of your Windows 11 Search.

Step #2: Type in Powershell and expect for the app to come up upwardly.

Pace #3: Yous volition come across the Windows Powershell app on the right side of the search console.

Step #iv: The app will prove options like Open, Run as administrator, Open file location, etc.

Step #4: Click on Run as administrator to open the program.

Step #6: Once the program is up and running, execute the following command. You can copy the below command and paste it as is in Powershell and hit Enter.

          takeown /f "C:\Plan Files\WindowsApps" /r        

Step #seven: The Powershell command takeown restores file or binder ownership to the organization administrator. Advanced users utilize this command to facilitate ownership transfer for batch files.

Step #8: After the takeown syntax, you need to use /f parameter to specify the file, folder, or directory name.

Step #9: The closing /r parameter tells Powershell to transfer ownership of all the files and subdirectories to the administrator.

Stride #10: Powershell will take some fourth dimension to transfer the ownership of the WindowsApps folder and its content to your administrator user account.

Step #11: A flashing cursor will testify upward when the procedure is complete.

The admission y'all gain by executing the above process is similar to that of the Windows File Explorer-based method. You have just automated the process and eliminated unhiding of system files. At present y'all can backup, clear some infinite, or make changes in the Windows apps back-end files.

Terminal Words

Now that you lot have an in-depth agreement of the WindowsApps folder, you can brand changes in your Windows 10 or eleven Os responsibly. Before deleting any files from this binder, it is necessary that you know the folder inside out and so that you do non make any fatal mistake that could damage the entire operating arrangement.

Should you face any Windows x issues and need some automatic tools to resolve those bug, you tin can check out these 7 repair tools to solve Windows 10 issues.

Source: https://geekflare.com/windowsapps-folder-access/

Posted by: noonjons1983.blogspot.com

Share this post