FIX: Windows 8.1 Metro apps do not work or crash

Windows 8.1 comes with a number of built-in Modern apps which are suitable for touch screens. While they are generally stable, sometimes, due to various causes, these apps can stop working or crash when they start. There are several general recommendations to restore normal Modern apps behavior in Windows 8.1 and get them working again.

Display resolution

Check your display resolution. If it is lower than 1024x768, Metro apps will not work. You cannot change this or override it; it is by design. You can upgrade to a monitor that supports a higher resolution. If your built-in display doesn't support a higher resolution, the only way to fix it is to use an external display connected to your laptop or tablet.

Check your third-party firewall/antivirus settings

If you use some third-party malware protection software, it can prevent you from using Modern apps. Try to disable it and check if it helps. Change its settings or replace the software with another application which is compatible with Windows 8.1.

Built-in Administrator Account

Do not use the built-in Administrator account for daily work. It is unsafe and prevents Metro apps from working due to UAC policy settings applied to that account. Instead, use any other account.

AMD Radeon graphics users: disable morphological filtering

1. Open the AMD Catalyst Control Center (Vision Engine Control Center)
2. Switch to Advanced View
   • Preferences > Advanced View
3. Select "Gaming" from the left, sidebar menu.
4. Select "3D Application Settings" from the sub-menu that appears.
5. From the options available, use the drop-down menu to set "Morphological Filtering" to OFF.
6. Click 'Apply'.

See the tutorial here.

Re-install Modern apps for all PC users

If nothing above helps you, try the following:

1. Log in into all user accounts of your computer and remove all modern apps installed.
2. If some of them can't be removed by uninstalling them by right click, then use PowerShell to remove them.
3. Install all available critical and important updates via Windows Update.
4. Reinstall Modern apps by downloading them again using the Windows Store.

Also, see the following article: How to fix Windows 8 apps slow start or app errors. Tips which are mentioned there can be useful in Windows 8.1 too.

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