SOLVED Windows constantly trying to uninstall apps that don't exist

[DrWig]

My event viewer is filling up with errors regarding current and seemingly non-existent windows apps....e.g.:
App seems to work fine, but I get loads of these:
0x3D55: Package family Microsoft.YourPhone_8wekyb3d8bbwe runtime information is corrupted. Attempting to correct the issue.
0x80070057: Package family Microsoft.YourPhone_8wekyb3d8bbwe runtime information is corrupted but we cannot repair it at this time.

I can't find any idea that this exists, but I get loads of these:
'Microsoft.Windows.SecondaryTileExperience_cw5n1h2txyewy' uninstall failed for S-1-5-21-326896687-561220311-1123620589-1010. Error: 'Removal failed. Please contact your software vendor.' (0.4268606 seconds)


The Appx operation 'RemovePackageAsync' on 'Microsoft.Windows.SecondaryTileExperience_10.0.0.0_neutral__cw5n1h2txyewy' failed for user 'S-1-5-21-326896687-561220311-1123620589-1010' - Unspecified error
. (Error: Removal failed. Please contact your software vendor.)

'Microsoft.Windows.HolographicFirstRun_cw5n1h2txyewy' uninstall failed for S-1-5-21-326896687-561220311-1123620589-1010. Error: 'Removal failed. Please contact your software vendor.' (0.4778438 seconds)

The Appx operation 'RemovePackageAsync' on 'Microsoft.Windows.HolographicFirstRun_10.0.17134.1_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy' failed for user 'S-1-5-21-326896687-561220311-1123620589-1010' - Unspecified error
. (Error: Removal failed. Please contact your software vendor.)

'Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy' uninstall failed for S-1-5-21-326896687-561220311-1123620589-1010. Error: 'Removal failed. Please contact your software vendor.' (0.4818434 seconds)

The Appx operation 'RemovePackageAsync' on 'Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_1.9.6.16299_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy' failed for user 'S-1-5-21-326896687-561220311-1123620589-1010' - Unspecified error
. (Error: Removal failed. Please contact your software vendor.)

Where do I start trying to fix this? It seems like they're leftovers from a previous version of windows, but I can't find much good detail on what to do to fix......

Any pointers/help appreciated.

Bruce

 

[Bighorn]

Those entries remind me of a security scan that found PUP/PUA files that had references to them in the Registry. An issue can exist when programs have been uninstalled whether wanted or maybe unwanted and entries are left behind in the Registry. Finding and deleting some works but may be in more that one location and difficult to remove. Recommendation to reinstall programs with the issue do work most times then properly uninstall clears it up.

NOTE: the Registry is made up of 5 text files known as Hives, tells Wndows how to run things but one mistake in it can be as disastrous as killing Windows.

 

[DrWig]

Thanks. That sounds plausible. I'm not sure how to reinstall them, though, as they're windows apps that I think got deleted when windows was upgraded. I'll check that, though.

thanks for a quick reply, Bighorn.

DrWig

 

[DrWig]

aha, ok. So I've found that Microsoft.Windows.SecondaryTileExperience was part of the 'people hub' and stopped being a thing since Windows 1709 (info from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/application-management/apps-in-windows-10)

So....could I just search the registry for Microsoft.Windows.SecondaryTileExperience and delete what I find, do you think? Is a registry cleaner perhaps the way to go (I tend to avoid those, usually)

cheers

DrWig

 

[DrWig]

aha, ok. So I've found that Microsoft.Windows.SecondaryTileExperience was part of the 'people hub' and stopped being a thing since Windows 1709

So....could I just search the registry for Microsoft.Windows.SecondaryTileExperience and delete what I find, do you think? Is a registry cleaner perhaps the way to go (I tend to avoid those, usually)

cheers

DrWig

 

[DrWig]

so, windows is constantly trying to clean up apps that don't exist anymore (and haven't for a long while, it seems....I'm actually pretty sure I've done a whole system refresh since then.......').

I've found some interesting help with a similar problem in Miracast https://www.tenforums.com/software-...03-these-two-errors-windows-miracastview.html which suggests I just need to find some registry entries which it's using in order to run the removeasync bit....I'll try looking in the same places:

REG DELETE "HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\Upgrade\Appx\AppxAllUserStore\EndOfLife\S-1-5-21-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-100X" /f REG DELETE "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Appx\AppxAllUserStore\Deleted\EndOfLife\S-1-5-21- XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-100X" /f

 

[DrWig]

interestingly, the SID (which I now understand is a user ID) is my son's.....non admin, family managed account! The plot thickens.....

 

[DrWig]

to continue documenting my progress (as I found very little useful info on this), the problem seems to be remnants of old Windows 10 apps (possibly even windows 7!) somewhere in the accounts. The fix is reasonably straight forward in that I made a new account and moved all the contents of documents/picture etc. over (they're already on a separate hard drive anyway). This stopped all the failure to install non-existant apps errors (and a ton of others, too) associated with my user. I'm still getting the errors with the other accounts on the computer, but now I'm confident that this is a fix, I'll do this for all five accounts.

It must be something to do with me reinstalling windows 10 (when I got a new SSD a year ago) and then pointing all the accounts at the existing folders that contained the documents etc.. This (from memory) used to be on the same hard drive as windows, so it'll have contained the hidden user account files etc. and perhaps windows got confused. My daughters account is flagging up errors on Zune software....that was a long time ago, I think!

Anyway....hope this all helps someone......

DrWig

 

[DrWig]

so....although making a new account fixes this. As soon as I sync the account to a Microsoft one, all the errors come back. Basically, all the issues are synced/stored in my Microsoft accounts.....well that's just great!

 

[Wolfie]

Hi DrWig,

are you running the latest version of Win 10?.

How to upgrade Windows 10 to the latest version | Windows 10 Forums

 

[DrWig]

yea. All updated. I'm trying my best not to have to completely blow away and reinstall windows (or at least have some confidence that it would help!)

Two adults, three kids on the install (all three kids are registered with family accounts). I get tons of errors regarding that, too if I make them an account the microsoft way (MDM applocker errors all over the place about familysafety).

 

[Wolfie]

Have you tried booting into Advanced Startup Options and running "Troubleshoot"?.

Advanced Startup Options | Windows 10 Forums

 

[DrWig]

Hi Wolfie

I've done a 'download windows media and do an upgrade repair'. That didn't help, really. The making a new account does (but I've still only done this on 2 of 5 accounts), so that's good. I have a feeling that when I logged my son back in on his Microsoft account, it merged him with an old account as the child accounts are always present in the accounts settings page, but can be disabled. No idea why family safety stuff is such an issue with applocker, though....... (the new accounts are performing seemingly better).

 

[Wolfie]

Hi DrWig,

back up any data you might need from the troublesome accounts and then delete them and keep the new accounts that are working for you!. I really don't have another solution for you sorry.

 

[DrWig]

Thanks for your replies, Wolfie. I do appreciate you taking the time.

I'm at a loss, too, but thought I'd document my updates here in case it helps anyone else. The new account for everyone is the only way I can see (and it does help, at least!), and I'll be doing that with the other accounts when I get a chance....just experimenting with my youngest's as he had the least amount of documents to move around ;-)

The familysafety/MS account issues will still bug me, but I can live with it ;-).

Family features/safety have always been an issue....I used to get a pop up every time I logged in about permissions (a problem lots had) which didn't go away until I noticed my windows 10 hadn't updated it's major version for a long time.......

cheers

DrWig

 

[Wolfie]

Hi DrWig,

assuming you have a family account set up with your MS account, log in to the following page and you might possibly find an answer to the problem there?. Good luck.

Microsoft Family Safety

 

[DrWig]

Thanks. I'm getting closer. I realised that I'd never deleted the 'family accounts' that appear when I look at accounts in settings (there isn't a delete option - my family actually all just used local accounts that I added their MS accounts to for historical reasons). So, when I tie my kids accounts to the MS account, it must have somehow grabbed stuff from there (?)

Anyway, I cleared all MS accounts from my admin account and made it local. Family accounts then disappeared in the settings tab. I was then able to delete the accounts left over in CMD using net user and clear up any remaining remnants in the C:/Users folder.

Now, I've logged in my son using his proper family MS account (after putting my MS account back on) and I'm only left with all the family account errors.....all the old apps have stopped trying to be deleted.....this is good progress!

cheers

DrWig

 

[DrWig]

I will hopefully mark this as solved soon.......promise!

 

[DrWig]

So, moving all my accounts over to fresh accounts fixed the problem detailed in the first post....hooray

Making sure the old blocked family accounts were totally deleted...that was the important bit...otherwise, putting MS account onto new one re-introduced the problems for my kids' accounts.

 

[Wolfie]

Glad you are sorted!. I never use my MS account as it is a pita, a local account does all I need!.