“Metro apps” is legacy Windows 8 terminology for Microsoft Store, AppX, UWP, and MSIX apps. In Windows 10, the safest way to remove several of them is to identify the packages you actually want gone, remove those registrations with elevated PowerShell, and separately remove their provisioning so new user accounts do not receive them.
There is no supported command that safely removes every AppX package. Some are Windows components, some are marked non-removable, and Microsoft says removing the Microsoft Store itself is unsupported. Windows 10 standard support ended on October 14, 2025; these instructions apply to existing Windows 10 installations, including 22H2 and compatible earlier builds, but they do not change that support status.
Choose the right removal method
| Situation | Best method |
|---|---|
| One or two Store apps | Start or Settings |
| Several identified Store apps | PowerShell with a reviewed package name |
| All existing user profiles | Elevated PowerShell with -AllUsers |
| Preventing an app for future accounts | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage or DISM |
| Traditional desktop software | Control Panel, Settings, or the program’s own uninstaller |
PowerShell’s AppX commands do not uninstall ordinary Win32 programs. Microsoft describes the package-removal cmdlet in its Remove-AppxPackage documentation.
Before you remove anything
- Create a restore point or a system backup.
- Close Store apps and other running programs.
- Open PowerShell as administrator before using
-AllUsersor provisioning commands. - Export the package lists so you can compare the system later.
- Keep another administrator account available if you are stripping a shared or production PC.
- Do not paste an unreviewed “delete every AppX package” one-liner.
Package availability varies by Windows build, edition, language, and manufacturer image. A failed removal can mean that a package is in use, required, already absent for a particular user, registered under another identity, or being removed without elevation.
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Uninstall one app without commands
From Start
- Open Start.
- Find the app in the list.
- Right-click it and select Uninstall.
From Windows 10 Settings
- Open Start > Settings > Apps.
- Select Apps & features.
- Select the app, choose Uninstall, and confirm.
For a traditional desktop program, use Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, right-click the program, and choose Uninstall or Uninstall/Change. Microsoft lists these routes in its Windows uninstall guidance.
Inspect AppX packages before removal
Current user
Get-AppxPackage |
Select-Object Name, PackageFullName, NonRemovable |
Sort-Object NameAll users
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers |
Select-Object Name, PackageFullName, NonRemovable, PackageUserInformation |
Sort-Object NameSearch for a particular app
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *Xbox*List packages marked non-removable
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers |
Where-Object { $_.NonRemovable -eq $true } |
Select-Object Name, PackageFullName, NonRemovableMicrosoft specifically recommends checking NonRemovable before attempting removal. Do not infer safety from a package name containing “Microsoft”; inspect the package properties and its purpose instead. Microsoft also warns that removing the Store app is unsupported: modern and inbox app troubleshooting guidance.
Remove a reviewed app for the current user
Use the exact PackageFullName from your inventory whenever possible:
Remove-AppxPackage -Package "PACKAGE_FULL_NAME"A narrowly scoped name filter can be convenient after you have inspected its output:
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Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.XboxApp* |
Remove-AppxPackageReplace the example with a package you recognize. Avoid a broad wildcard against every package: it can remove useful apps such as Calculator, Photos, or Notepad and may still fail on dependencies or active registrations.
Remove a reviewed app for all existing users
Run these commands in an elevated PowerShell window:
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name "APP_NAME" |
Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsersOr use a narrow wildcard:
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *Xbox* |
Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers-AllUsers applies to the package objects being piped into the cmdlet; it does not guarantee that every Windows profile has an identical registration. A package can have multiple versions or bundles, and one failure does not prove that every registration failed.
Prevent the app from returning for new users
Windows also keeps provisioned packages in the operating-system image. Provisioning controls what a newly created account receives; it does not remove an app already registered in an existing profile.
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List provisioned packages
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online |
Select-Object DisplayName, PackageName |
Sort-Object DisplayNameRemove one provisioned package
Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage `
-Online `
-PackageName "PACKAGE_NAME"Use the exact PackageName returned by the inventory command; it may differ from the friendly display name. The equivalent DISM command is:
DISM.exe /Online /Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage /PackageName:PACKAGE_NAMEMicrosoft documents these image-servicing operations in its Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage reference, DISM AppX/MSIX servicing options, and DISM provisioning guidance. For a complete cleanup, remove the package from existing users first, then remove its provisioned copy.
Optional aggressive cleanup: review first
The following loops skip packages whose NonRemovable property is true, but they are still aggressive and are not a guaranteed or universally safe “remove all” solution. They can target apps you want, encounter duplicate registrations, fail on dependencies, and leave provisioned packages untouched.
Current user
Get-AppxPackage |
Where-Object { $_.NonRemovable -ne $true } |
ForEach-Object {
Remove-AppxPackage -Package $_.PackageFullName -ErrorAction Continue
}All users
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers |
Where-Object { $_.NonRemovable -ne $true } |
ForEach-Object {
Remove-AppxPackage `
-Package $_.PackageFullName `
-AllUsers `
-ErrorAction Continue
}A safer review filter produces a list without deleting anything:
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Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers |
Where-Object {
$_.NonRemovable -ne $true -and
$_.Name -match 'Xbox|Solitaire|Bing|Zune|YourPhone'
} |
Select-Object Name, PackageFullNameInspect the results, then remove only the names you approve. Never include the Microsoft Store or Windows shell components in a blanket cleanup.
Thorough cleanup and verification
- Save installed-package inventory:
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers |
Select-Object Name, PackageFullName, NonRemovable |
Export-Csv "$env:USERPROFILEDesktopappx-installed-before.csv" -NoTypeInformation - Save provisioned-package inventory:
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online |
Select-Object DisplayName, PackageName |
Export-Csv "$env:USERPROFILEDesktopappx-provisioned-before.csv" -NoTypeInformation - Remove the selected package for existing users.
- Remove its matching provisioned
PackageName. - Restart Windows to release files and refresh registrations.
- Check both stores of information:
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *APP_NAME*
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online |
Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like "*APP_NAME*" }
The first command checks registrations in existing profiles; the second checks whether new accounts will still receive the app.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot failed or incomplete removals
“Deployment failed with HRESULT…”
Confirm elevation, use the exact package identity, and inspect registration details:
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *APP_NAME* |
Select-Object Name, PackageFullName, NonRemovable, PackageUserInformationTypical causes are an in-use package, a required or non-removable component, a dependency, a wrong package name, or a package registered under another user.
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The icon still appears
Check whether another profile still has the package, whether provisioning remains, whether Start has not refreshed, or whether a feature update restored a different package with a similar name. Run both verification commands above.
The app returns for a new account
Remove its provisioned PackageName; uninstalling it from one profile does not change the image used for new accounts.
An app was removed accidentally
- Reinstall it from Microsoft Store if the Store is available.
- Use the app’s Settings repair or reset option where offered.
- Restore a system backup or restore point.
- If core components were damaged, use Windows repair or an in-place repair installation.
There is no universal recovery command that restores every inbox app. Removing an app also does not delete Microsoft-account data, OneDrive files, Xbox records, personal photos, profile folders, or every app-specific setting.
What not to remove
- Packages with
NonRemovable=True. - Windows shell and other system components you cannot identify confidently.
- The Microsoft Store; Microsoft classifies its removal as unsupported.
- Files directly under
C:Program FilesWindowsApps; Windows manages package permissions and registration.
Historically, Microsoft documented removed provisioned apps returning during feature updates on Windows 10 versions 1703 and 1709; that specific recurrence issue was fixed in version 1803 and concerned first-party apps and feature updates rather than ordinary monthly updates. Verify after major upgrades instead of assuming an app can never return: Microsoft’s update guidance.
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Microsoft ended standard Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. If the PC is not covered by an applicable Extended Security Updates arrangement, moving to a supported Windows release is the broader security decision. See Microsoft’s support announcement and Windows 10 lifecycle notice.
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