Whenever any app was installed on the system it was basically downloaded from the Microsoft Store or any third-party sources need to be updated, re-registered or uninstalled, the users execute the Get-Appxpackage commands using the PowerShell app.
These commands are essential when something needs to be changed about the application for the current user profile only.
But recently many windows users have started reporting that they are facing an issue where they are not able to execute the Get-Appxpackage commands in the PowerShell app and instead it throws an error saying Access is denied, not recognizable or this service is not installed, etc.
We researched a lot about this issue and figured out that it might have been caused because PowerShell has no admin privileges. Also, there is a service called AppX Deployment Service which if it is not running creates such problems while executing these commands.
In this article, we have compiled a few fixes which will resolve this problem on your system.
Fix 1 – Ensure the AppX Deployment Service is running
AppX Deployment Service is mainly responsible for carrying out all the commands of Get-Appxpackage in the PowerShell app. If by any chance, this service is stopped and not running correctly then this creates a problem mentioned above in this article.
So we recommend our users to first try checking the status of the AppX Deployment Service and if it is stopped, then start this service using the steps elaborated below.
Step 1: Open the PowerShell app by first opening the Run command by pressing the Win+R keys together.
Step 2: Then type powershell in the textbox and press Enter key.
Step 3: Once the PowerShell app window opens, type Get-Service “AppXSvc” and press Enter.
Step 4: This will display the status of the Appx service.
Step 5: Now if the status says Running, it means the Appx Deployment Service is running perfectly.
Step 6: Otherwise, it needs to start in order to resolve this issue.
Step 7: Now close the PowerShell window.
Step 8: Open the elevated command prompt by pressing Win+R keys together and typing cmd in it.
Step 9: Then press Ctrl+ Shift+ Enter keys together and click Yes on the UAC prompt to continue.
Step 10: This opens the elevated Command Prompt.
Step 11: Type net start AppXSvc and hit Enter.
Step 12: This command gets executed and it starts the Appx Deployment Service on your system.
Step 13: You can now close the Command Prompt window.
Fix 2 – Run the PowerShell app as an Administrator
The lack of admin privileges can cause such problems with the PowerShell app for executing any commands including the Get-Appxpackage commands. So we will show you how to open the PowerShell app as an admin.
Step 1: Firstly, open the Run command box on your system by pressing the Windows + R keys together.
Step 2: Next type powershell in its textbox and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys simultaneously.
Step 3: You might have to accept the UAC prompt by clicking Yes to continue.
Step 4: Now the PowerShell is opened as an admin.
Fix 3 – Allow Permissions to the Destination Folder
If the problem is created on the PowerShell app while installing or uninstalling any app package from a destination folder, then it indicates that there are no required permissions for the current user for that particular folder. Therefore, we suggest our users check if the necessary full permissions are being given to the current user for the destination folder.
Here are the steps on how the user can do it.
Step 1: Go to the folder where you want to install some app or uninstall the app which was installed in this folder.
Step 2: Right-click on this folder and select Properties from the context menu as shown in the below screenshot.
Step 3: Once the Properties window opens, click the Security tab and search for your username in the Group or user names section as shown below.
Step 4: After choosing your user profile, check if all the permissions are allowed or not in the section just below that.
Step 5: If there are some permissions not allowed, then click the Edit button to change the permissions.
Step 6: In the Permissions window, select your user profile again in the Group or user names section.
Step 7: Then, ensure all the checkboxes are selected under Permissions for your User profile at the bottom.
NOTE – If you do not find your user profile, you can click Add button and follow the instructions on the popup window to search for your profile and add it.
Step 8: Finally, click OK.
Step 9: Once done, you can close all the windows that were opened by clicking OK in all of them.
Now try and see if the commands are executed without any errors.