Windows 11 System Restore bug prevents users from accessing apps

Microsoft warns that some Windows 11 users may encounter a bug that prevents them from accessing applications after running the System Restore program.

In an advisory published by the tech giant, devices using the latest version of Windows 11 are affected by a bug that may affect some applications using the MSIX Windows app package format. Confirmed.

According to Microsoft, users have reported problems running numerous applications including Office, Notepad, Paint, Cortana, and Terminal.

The company warns in its advisory that this is not a comprehensive list and may include different apps that run via MSIX app packages.

“This list of apps is not an exhaustive list,” said the tech giant. “Any Windows application that uses the MSIX Windows App Package format may experience this issue.”

Users affected by the bug reported that they received the error message “This app can’t be opened” instead of launching the app, although some apps[スタート]Multiple entries appear in the menu.

In some cases, the app may become unresponsive on launch, says Microsoft. Additionally, the user ran into her I/O error and then the app crashed.

The full list of affected operating systems includes Windows 11 version 22H2, Windows 11 SE, Windows 11 Home and Pro, Windows 11 IoT Enterprise, Windows 11 Enterprise and Education, and Windows 11 Enterprise Multi-session.

Windows 11 System Restore Bug – Potential Workaround

Microsoft has outlined some possible workarounds for users affected by this bug.

This includes restarting the app or attempting to reinstall the app from the Windows Store.

Additionally, users are advised to run Windows Update or reinstall the app “from its original installed source.”

A snowball of problems in Windows 11

Windows 11 users’ problems seem to have gotten worse over the past 48 hours amid claims that IT admins have encountered unresponsive Windows taskbars and Start menus.

Microsoft says it is currently investigating the issue, which is reportedly preventing users from logging into Outlook and Teams.

Multiple reports have revealed that users are repeatedly unable to access the Windows Start Menu and that the Windows Search feature is unavailable to others.

The Windows bug follows a recent high-profile issue affecting Windows Defender that caused significant problems for IT administrators around the world.

Microsoft has confirmed that an update to Windows Defender caused users to experience a “series of false positives” for attack surface reduction (ASR) rules.

Users who encounter this issue have reported that their device’s start menu, taskbar, and desktop shortcuts have been removed.

On Saturday, January 14th, Microsoft published instructions detailing how users can fix the issue. This included updating to build 1.381.2164.0 or later.