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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesSoftware Center is installed automatically with the Microsoft Configuration Manager client; it is not a separate download. If its Start-menu shortcut is missing, try opening the executable directly. If the executable is absent, check the client settings or reinstall the Configuration Manager client.
Try these three methods in order:
- Open the existing Software Center directly.
- Check the current Software Center experience and tab settings in Configuration Manager.
- Reinstall the Configuration Manager client if its files are missing or damaged.
1. Open the existing Software Center directly
A missing shortcut does not prove that Software Center is uninstalled. On a Windows device with the Configuration Manager client installed, Software Center is installed automatically.
Use Windows Search
- Open Start.
- Type Software Center.
- Select Software Center from the results.
If Search does not find it, open the Run dialog with Windows + R, enter C:\Windows\CCM\SCClient.exe, and press Enter. You can also enter this path in File Explorer’s address bar.
If the application opens, the client is present and the shortcut or Start-menu registration may be damaged. You can create a shortcut to SCClient.exe for convenience, but that will not repair a missing executable.
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If SCClient.exe is not present
If C:\Windows\CCM\SCClient.exe does not exist, recreating a shortcut will not fix the problem. The Configuration Manager client may not have been installed correctly, may have been removed, or may no longer be functioning properly. Continue to method 3.
Your organization may instead use Microsoft Intune for software management. Co-managed devices can be configured to use Company Portal for both Intune and Configuration Manager apps. If that applies, search for Company Portal or ask your IT administrator which app to use.
2. Check the Software Center experience and tabs
This method is for Configuration Manager administrators. The setting controls which Software Center experience an installed client uses; it does not install the client or restore missing files.
- Open the Configuration Manager console.
- Go to Administration → Client Settings.
- Open the default client setting or the custom client setting that applies to the affected device.
- Select Computer Agent.
- Set Use new Software Center to Yes.
- Select OK or Apply.
The current default for Use new Software Center is Yes. Custom client settings deployed to collections override default settings, so check the setting that actually applies to the device. After policy reaches the computer, allow time for the client to evaluate it. You can trigger policy retrieval from Control Panel → Configuration Manager → Actions by selecting the machine policy retrieval actions and clicking Run Now.
Control Software Center tabs
Tab visibility is configured separately in the applicable client setting’s Software Center group.
| Setting | Controls |
|---|---|
| EnableApplicationsTab | Applications tab |
| EnableComplianceTab | Compliance tab |
| EnableOperatingSystemsTab | Operating systems tab |
| EnableOptionsTab | Options tab |
| EnableStatusTab | Installation status tab |
| EnableUpdatesTab | Updates tab |
The supported Configuration Manager PowerShell cmdlet is Set-CMClientSettingSoftwareCenter. Run it from the Configuration Manager site drive. For example, this enables the Applications tab in the default client setting:
Set-CMClientSettingSoftwareCenter -DefaultSetting -EnableApplicationsTab $true
This changes tab visibility only. It does not install the client, create SCClient.exe, or make applications appear automatically.
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Why applications may still be missing
Software Center can open correctly while showing no applications. Tab visibility and application availability are separate: an application must be deployed to the affected device or user with an availability setting that includes that target. The client receives deployment information through policy from the Configuration Manager management point.
Also check the client setting’s Install permissions. If it is set to No Users, signed-in users cannot install software, software updates, or task sequences from Software Center. Required deployments can still install when their deadlines arrive.
The old Application Catalog is no longer supported. The former Application Catalog link in Software Center is hidden by default.
3. Reinstall the Configuration Manager client
Use this method when SCClient.exe and other client files are missing or the client installation is damaged. You need local administrator rights and access to a valid Configuration Manager site server or management point.
Manual installation from the site server
The supported client installation source is the Client folder on the site server:
\\<site server name>\SMS_<site code>\Client\
For example: \\CM01\SMS_ABC\Client\. The folder contains CCMSetup.exe and supporting installation files.
- Sign in with an account that has local administrator rights on the target computer.
- Open the site’s Client folder.
- Right-click CCMSetup.exe and choose Run as administrator, or open an elevated Command Prompt in that folder.
- Run CCMSetup.exe with installation properties appropriate for your site.
- Restart Windows if requested, then check for C:\Windows\CCM\SCClient.exe.
If Configuration Manager installation properties are published in Active Directory Domain Services, the minimal command may be:
CCMSetup.exe
In that configuration, the client can obtain values such as the site code, management point, and fallback status point from Active Directory.
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When automatic discovery is unavailable, specify the site details explicitly. A certificate-based example is:
CCMSetup.exe /MP:mpserver.contoso.com /UsePKICert SMSSITECODE=ABC CCMHOSTNAME=server05.contoso.com CCMFIRSTCERT=1 FSP=server06.contoso.com
Another example uses a management point and automatic site assignment:
CCMSetup.exe /mp:SMSMP01 /logon SMSSITECODE=AUTO FSP=SMSFP01
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Parameters beginning with / are CCMSetup parameters and must come before client installation properties such as SMSSITECODE, CCMHOSTNAME, and FSP.
Do not run Client.msi directly. Microsoft states that CCMSetup.exe copies prerequisites and then calls Client.msi; bypassing the bootstrapper can produce an incomplete or unsupported installation.
Important warning about /logon
The /logon switch stops setup if an existing Configuration Manager client is detected. Do not use it when your goal is to reinstall or repair an existing client.
Use Client Push instead
Administrators can push the client from the Configuration Manager console:
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- Go to Administration → Site Configuration → Sites.
- Select the site, then choose Home → Settings → Client Installation Settings.
- Open Client Push Installation and configure the installation account and options.
- Go to Assets and Compliance → Devices.
- Select the target computer and choose Home → Install Client.
Client Push is not available for workgroup computers. The device must be discovered, the push account needs administrative rights, and Windows Firewall must allow the required traffic. Configuration Manager can retry a failed push for up to seven days.
Workgroup computers
Workgroup clients require manual installation. They cannot use Client Push or locate management points through Active Directory Domain Services. They also cannot receive user-targeted software deployments and may require manual approval, depending on the site’s configuration.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.After reinstalling: verify the client and policy
- Open Control Panel, then open Configuration Manager.
- Check the General tab for client information and site assignment.
- Review C:\Windows\CCMLogs\ccmsetup.log for installation failures.
- If the client is installed but receives no applications or settings, review LocationServices.log and PolicyAgent.log in C:\Windows\CCMLogs.
- Launch C:\Windows\CCM\SCClient.exe.
If the Configuration Manager site was recently upgraded, make sure the client was upgraded as well. Microsoft notes that newer Software Center functionality may not work completely until the site, console, and client are all current.
FAQ
Is Software Center a separate download?
No. On a Windows device managed by the current branch of Microsoft Configuration Manager, Software Center is installed automatically with the Configuration Manager client. Downloading a separate copy is not the supported fix.
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No. The setting selects the Software Center experience for an installed client. It does not reinstall the Configuration Manager client or recreate missing files such as C:\Windows\CCM\SCClient.exe.
Why is Software Center missing from the Start menu but present on the computer?
The shortcut or Start-menu registration may be missing even though the executable remains installed. Try opening C:\Windows\CCM\SCClient.exe directly.
Why does Software Center open but show no applications?
The Applications tab may be hidden, the device or user may not be included in an application deployment, policy may not have arrived, or client settings may prevent users from installing. Changing tab visibility alone does not deploy applications.
What should I use instead of Software Center?
If your organization uses Intune or configured co-management for the modern management experience, use Company Portal. Ask your IT administrator which portal applies to the device.
The Bottom Line
Start with C:\Windows\CCM\SCClient.exe; a missing shortcut may be the entire problem. If the client is installed but the experience or tabs are wrong, review Administration → Client Settings. If the executable and client files are absent, reinstall the Configuration Manager client with CCMSetup.exe or use Client Push. A missing application deployment is not the same as a missing Software Center installation.
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