First available in 19.1 patch release.

Windows 10 store apps may stop working over a period of time. This can happen if the OS layer is switched to one that has older versions of store apps than the previous OS layer, for instance, or when some change is made in the way store apps are installed and/or operate. Here is a procedure for resetting the store apps for one to all user layers making them work again and, hopefully, for good.

Automatic Reset for Major OS Upgrades

Testing of major OS upgrades against established user ulayers exposed store-app issues with just about every transition from 1607 through to 1809. Store apps have been evolving, and it's now apparent we cannot move to a new OS release (major) without a good chance of having issues. For that reason, the store-app reset described here has been made an automatic step in the ulayer upgrade process.

Store-app problems that "show up" over time or that are inherited from earlier usage can be resolved by following the steps below.

Arming the Store App Reset mechanism

These are the prerequisite steps in preparing for a store-app reset where user(s) will be brought up to the app level of the underlying OS/image.

1. Update to the latest App Layering release
2. Update OS layer store apps by pulling them using "Downloads and updates" from the store application
3. Deploy new OS layer
4. Get users to move to new OS layer

Next, a store-app reset can be armed for all users using a registry GPO, or for an individual user through a file edit.

• For a global reset affecting all users (as they log in), create a registry GPO to Update 'HKLM\Software\Unidesk\ULayer\ResetUserLayerStoreAppsReason' [string]. Set the string text to any 'reason' for the reset. The mechanism is re-armed by simply changing this string to a new value. Be aware this string is evaluated using a case-sensitive compare. Example: "reset for 1803 upgrade".
• For a localized per-user reset, edit the user-layer file c:\program files\unidesk\etc\UserLayer.json and change the "ResetStoreApps" value from false to true. This will require domain admin privs. If you do not see '"ResetStoreApps":false' in the file then you are not running with the latest Application Layering software and will need to update, or log out and back in if it's been staged. If the "ResetStoreApps" flag is not already present in the UserLayer.json file it means you are not yet running the updated OS layer and will need to log out and back in before setting up the reset.

What will happen

[GPO] When user's log in and prior to their ulayer being attached, the GPO 'reason' string will be compared to the last-processed 'reason' stored in the ulayer container hive (if any). If 'reasons' are different,  a new reset cycle will occur during the logon. The last-processed 'reason' in the ulayer will be updated making this a one-time operation (per user).

[Manual] The "ResetStoreApps" value will be set back to false, and the store apps will be reset.

In either case, user's will observe the "Hi" logon dialog as if they were logging in for the first time (or when a major OS upgrade occurs). However, without an actual upgrade of the OS involved this will be a relatively short delay to logon completion. Again, this will be a one-time experience per reset 'reason' (GPO) or when the next manual reset is requested.

Store-apps may feel sluggish and some may be unresponsive while Windows rebuilds its necessary structures. Also, some store apps may need to be updated before they will work right. Windows will do this automatically over a period of time, but it can be accelerated by going to the Store app itself, selecting "Downloads and Updates", and "Get Updates".

There is no harm in leaving the ResetUserLayerStoreAppsReason GPO in place permanently. Should another reason arise, changing the 'reason' string will cause another reset cycle for each user on their next login.

Deleting the GPO, or setting it to a reason of "", will cancel further checking and reset processing.

Side effects

The store-app reset will bring the ulayer into alignment with the OS layer, meaning store apps may revert to older versions and/or be replaced with newer versions. This is why updating the OS layer store-apps is recommended, as it will normalize the base for all users and make the transition more in a positive direction. Additionally, as store apps have evolved they have become more stable. Again, the Store application can be used to "Get Updates" and accelerate the recovery from the store-app reset.

Privately installed store-apps will need to be re-installed. If such apps have been pinned to the start button (as a tile) those tiles will not work (if present at all) until the app is re-installed and re-pinned as necessary. To re-install private apps (such as twitter or any other app that was downloaded and installed), the users will need to use the store app itself to locate and re-install them. Because a store-app reset is included in a major OS upgrade, this will need to be done following those transitions.