Crazy stuff happening; every app I normally use is totally failing now.
Crazy stuff happening; every app I normally use is totally failing now.
I just wanted to start by saying I've been really interested and committed to tackling this issue on my own. I've tried almost everything possible, and now I feel like the only viable choice is reaching out to the forums. I'm not sharing this because I'm not trying to be lazy; I'm just really confused. I've already invested a lot of time without seeing much progress. Recently, I upgraded to a current XPS 15 when I moved in, and it's performing well. For some time, I had a clean Windows 11 Home setup with only essentials and no unnecessary files—except for Steam. One day, while trying to sync my calendar with my phone, I pressed the Windows key and typed "calendar." Nothing happened. The PC remained silent. It seemed to work with other programs too; Chrome and Steam booted up fine after entering their names. I figured a restart would help later. Then, when I opened a .txt file to edit a game's settings, nothing occurred. Eventually, I started checking other applications—Xbox app, Microsoft Store, MS Paint, even built-in tools. All of them gave me the same frustrating response. It felt like these apps were just basic utilities, not full executables. When I tried opening a .txt file directly in Notepad without launching it from the start menu, they all refused. I thought maybe a restart would fix it. Recently, I noticed the issue was consistent across multiple programs. I began testing other options and still faced the same problem. After much trial and error, I realized these files weren't opening properly, which made debugging even harder. I'm hoping this list helps anyone who might have encountered similar issues. Thanks in advance for your time and support—I really appreciate it all."
Ensure all adjustments are applied properly. Always create a restore point, as it has saved me numerous times. It might be related to the Winaero tweaker or WSL—try uninstalling one at a time to identify the issue. Also consider running a corrupted Windows installation repair in Command Prompt with admin privileges: sfc /SCANNOW
Have you turned off any Windows services? Often the apps remain open and cause errors. You might try reinstalling now that you have limited resources. After reinstalling and updating everything, create a system image for cloning. If you ever need to reinstall again, reload the image using software such as Acronis.