Windows 10 comes with a variety of pre-installed apps, but you can also add more from the Microsoft Store or other trusted sources. Additionally, the operating system allows you to configure, modify and remove apps to personalize your Windows experience. In this article, we will look at how you can manage both native and 3rd party apps in Windows 10.
Related: How to install and uninstall programs in Windows 10?
Accessing Apps in Windows 10
- Search for the app in the Windows Search box and click it from the results to open.
- You may click the “Apps” tab to limit your search to the apps category.
- Alternatively, click the Windows Start button and click the “All Apps” option. This will list all the installed apps in their alphabetical order.
- At the top of the list, you may find apps that you use frequently or those you have used recently.
- Scroll down the list looking for the app you want and click it to open.
How to Install Apps in Windows 10?
If you don’t find the app you need in the apps list, most likely it is not installed on your PC. Fortunately, you can install any Windows 10 compatible app or program.
Installing Apps from Microsoft Store
Windows 10 comes with Microsoft Store app comparable to Apple’s or the Android’s Google Play, which allows you to download and install a variety of both free and paid apps.
- To install apps from the Microsoft Store, go to Start, look for “Microsoft Store” in the app list and click the app to open.
- You will find a collection of apps under the “Apps” tab. You can also search for an app by typing the search phrase in the search box at the top.
- Click the “Top apps” button to sort/filter the apps further. Here you can click the down-facing arrow to sort the apps by “Charts”, “Category”, “Ratings” and “Platform”.
- Pick the app of interest to see more details about the app. At the bottom of the resulting page, you can check the apps system requirements, reviews and other related apps.
- Click the “Get” button on the resulting page to acquire the app.
- You will see a notification at the top of the page, “Now you own this app” and the install button on the right of this statement.
- Click “Install” and wait for Windows to automatically download and install the app. Once done, you can click the “Launch” button to start running the new app.
Installing Apps from Other Sources
You may need to install apps from other sources/vendors such as installation disks or web-based software vendors.
- Get the app’s executable (.exe) file by downloading it from a website, transferring from another PC or DVD installation.
- Double click the app setup (.exe) file or right-click and select “Run/Open” to start the installation process.
- Confirm the action if prompted to give allow the program to install.
- You may have to select the language, installation mode as well as accept the license terms to start the installation.
- Follow the instruction on the installation wizard to complete the process. Mostly, the installation is a straightforward plug and play process.
- Once the installation finishes successfully, you can now run the app from the Start menu.
Related: How to protect and secure Windows PC?
How to Uninstall Apps in Windows 10?
You can remove/delete apps from your computer in 3 ways:
Uninstall Apps from the Windows Start Menu
- Click the Start button and go to all apps.
- Right-click the app you want to delete, click the “Uninstall” option and confirm the action on the pop-up prompt.
- Windows will automatically remove the app from the list.
Uninstall Apps from the Control Panel
- Open the Control Panel and go to “Program and Features”. Here you will see a list of your installed apps and sort the apps by name, installation date, publisher, version or size.
- Click the app you want to remove and click the “Uninstall” button at the top of the list.
- Wait for the wizard to uninstall and remove all the program files for the app and then click the “Finish” button.
Uninstall Apps from the Windows 10 Settings App
- Press the “Win + I” keys to open the Settings App, select “App Settings” and click “Apps & Features” on the left pane.
- Scroll down to the list of installed apps. You can look for the app you want to remove or search in the search for it in the search box.
- Select the app to expand the options and then click the “Uninstall” button to delete.
How to Restore Apps in Windows 10?
If you have deleted/uninstalled an app accidentally or you intentionally removed the app temporarily, you may need to restore the app to continue using it.
- If you deleted an MS Store app, visit the MS Store and click the three dots located at the top left corner of the window.
- Select “My Library” on the drop-down menu and pick the “Ready to install” category.
- Look for the app you want to restore and click the “Install” button.
- For non-store apps, you can re-install the app by running the setup/executable file.
- Another option to restore apps using the Windows 10 System Restore, which allows you to restore the system to a specific time. However, this is not an effective method as it may remove other recently installed apps.
Additional App Settings in Windows 10
You can configure more app settings to personalize your Windows 10 PC. Some of the options include settings default apps and blacklisting non-Windows Store apps.
How to Blacklist Non-MicroSoft Store Apps?
You can limit installation to apps from the Microsoft store only to enhance your device security.
- To do so, go to the “Apps & Features Settings” page and click the arrow under the “Choose where to…” heading.
- Choose “Microsoft Store Only (Recommended)” and confirm the action when prompted.
Summary
Above are just some of the app management options. You can do more including terminating apps and its process, adjust app permissions, repair/reset apps and manage apps execution aliases among others from the app settings.
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