How to downgrade windows 10 version 1709 to 1703

Hi Jestoni,

Microsoft is investigating reports of missing apps after installing the Fall Creators Update.  You can try the following troubleshooting steps to restore any missing apps: 

1. Repair or Reset the missing apps
   • Open Settings, and select Apps. 
   • On the Apps & features tab, find the name of the missing app.  Click the app and select Advanced options (if available).
   • If a Repair option is available, click Repair.  If this option is not available, or if Repair does not resolve the issue, you may also try the Reset option, though you might lose any app data that was saved.
   • Once the repair or reset is completed, the app should again appear in the app list and can be pinned to the Start Menu.
2. Uninstall and reinstall the missing apps
   • Open Settings, and select Apps. 
   • On the Apps & features tab, find the name of the missing app.  Click the app and select Uninstall.
   • Open Store and then reinstall the missing app.  Once installed, the app should appear in the app list, and can be pinned to the Start Menu.
3. Re-register the missing apps using PowerShell – If you have a lot missing apps, advanced users can instead attempt to restore all of them at once using the following PowerShell commands.  Note, however, that if Steps 1 and 2 were already attempted and did not restore your missing apps, this PowerShell solution will also likely not succeed.
   • In Cortana, type PowerShell.  In the search results, right-click Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator.
   • In the Powershell window type the following commands.  These steps may take a few minutes to complete.
     • reg delete “HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\TileDataModel\Migration\TileStore” /va /f
     • get-appxpackage -packageType bundle |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + "\appxmetadata\appxbundlemanifest.xml")}
     • $bundlefamilies = (get-appxpackage -packagetype Bundle).packagefamilyname
     • get-appxpackage -packagetype main |? {-not ($bundlefamilies -contains $_.packagefamilyname)} |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + "\appxmanifest.xml")}
   • Once the PowerShell commands are completed, the apps should appear in the app list, and can be pinned to the Start Menu.

If none of these troubleshooting steps restore your missing apps, you may be able to go back to the previous version of Windows.  We will update this forum post as better solutions become available.  Check back with this forum post later to see if the problem has been resolved and then retry installing the Fall Creators Update.

To go back to the previous version of Windows, go to Settings > Update & security > Recovery > Go back to your previous version of Windows.   (This option will not appear if more than 10 days have elapsed since you installed the Fall Creators Update, or if other conditions apply that prevent this option.)

Finally, if none of these options resolve your problem, as a last resort you can Reset your PC.  Resetting the PC will remove all apps and drivers you may have installed and any changes you made to settings.  After the reset is completed, you will need to go to the Store and reinstall all your Store apps, and possibly reinstall your non-Store apps as well.  To Reset your PC, go to Settings > Update & security > Reset this PC > Get started and choose an option.  (We recommend choosing the Keep my files option to keep your personal files.)

Regards.

Hi Meliton,

I have tried your steps to recover my missing Core apps after the Fall Creator Update. I was successful to get back the "Calculator" app, but I couldn't get back the "Store" , "News" apps. The "Store" app has also disappeared from my Apps & Features list on the Settings.

Any advice?

Many thanks.

The FCU is weird. I also upgraded to FCU using Microsoft account. My user folder suddenly changed; In the Creators Update itself, my username and user folder name are truncated from say 'Johndoe' to 'Johnd' after upgrading from Anniversary Update. Now moving from CU to FCU, my username changed back to Microsoft account name 'Johndoe'. I lost access to 'Store' app and many UWP apps and my files in library. Upon seeing 'C:\Users' folder, i found my old user folder 'Johnd' and new user folder 'Johndoe' in there. I noticed also in the upgraded FCU my desktop preferences and custom cursor is back to default Windows, as if FCU created me a new user and delete the old user but leaving old user folder in 'C:\Users'. I already changed registry to point my user folder to old folder 'Johnd' from CU. Now I have my old files in library, but still can not find 'Store' app and many UWP apps I've installed in CU. It is weird, because I can see the app in the Settings/Apps/Apps & Features. I wonder what is wrong with Windows 10 messing up with our names.

The FCU is weird. I also upgraded to FCU using Microsoft account. My user folder suddenly changed; In the Creators Update itself, my username and user folder name are truncated from say 'Johndoe' to 'Johnd' after upgrading from Anniversary Update. Now moving from CU to FCU, my username changed back to Microsoft account name 'Johndoe'. I lost access to 'Store' app and many UWP apps and my files in library. Upon seeing 'C:\Users' folder, i found my old user folder 'Johnd' and new user folder 'Johndoe' in there. I noticed also in the upgraded FCU my desktop preferences and custom cursor is back to default Windows, as if FCU created me a new user and delete the old user but leaving old user folder in 'C:\Users'. I already changed registry to point my user folder to old folder 'Johnd' from CU. Now I have my old files in library, but still can not find 'Store' app and many UWP apps I've installed in CU. It is weird, because I can see the app in the Settings/Apps/Apps & Features. I wonder what is wrong with Windows 10 messing up with our names.

I have spent the past 4 hours struggling to figure out how to get back my old user account, settings, apps, etc. but no success so far. I think the solution lies in "changing registry to my user folder to old folder" but I do not know how to do that. Could you or someone help? Thanks.

Hi Meliton,

saw ur reply. do u work at microsoft? anyway i have a question that was IGNORED by the developers for some time now.  pls see this link

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-update/no-error-code-windows-creators-update-1703-on-asus/37cd7bcb-0b2b-431c-a83d-52501c265e04

thank you

I have aso problems with missing links of my desktop applications in start.

My question to Microsoft is why change name of folders in this update?

In some applications the start folder is hard coded(if i am saying this correctly)

most important the name(in the Dutch version) of the start menu has changed:

old : C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start menu

new: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\menu start

example

HP software is looking for the old folder.

After installing the Fall Creators Update from Windows Update to my desktop on 10/22/17, from alean install of Creators Update only a month before:

'Groove Music' and 'Movies & TV' were missing.  They were not even installed anymore.  Went to 'Default Apps', 'Music Player', 'Look for an App in the Store' - there was 'Groove Music' (the only listing).  Clicked 'Get'.  Did the same for 'Video Player' with 'Movies & TV'.

Additionally, every other app is flagged as 'New' in the start menu, the folder and shortcut 'Date Modified' dates are now today's date for all of the start menu folders under '\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs' (except for the Windows* folders).

Installed Fall Creators Update from Windows Update to my laptop at the same time - ~6 months old install of Creators Update.  No missing apps there, or start menu silliness.

Thanks,

DB