Did you know that you can open Microsoft Store and any Microsoft Store app from Command Prompt?
The Microsoft Store app comes built into Windows 10 and allows you to download and install dozens of apps and games (free or paid) and purchase Microsoft devices and digital media.
Microsoft Store contains a vast library of apps from every category, including productivity and entertainment. Microsoft continues to change Microsoft Store by introducing new improvements and features.
There are several ways to access Microsoft Store. So, before we show you how to start the Windows 10 store app from the command line, here are other ways to do that:
How to Open Microsoft Store from Run
Press the Windows + R shortcut, type ms-windows-store: and press Enter.
How to Open Microsoft Store from the Start Menu
Press the Windows logo on your keyboard or click on Start, type Microsoft Store, and hit the Enter key.
How to Open the Windows 10 Store App from the Command Line
- Press the
Windows logo key + Rcombination, type cmd into the Run input field, and press Enter. If you want to open an elevated Command Prompt, type cmd and hit theCtrl + Shift + Entercombination.
- In the Command Prompt window, type
start ms-windows-store:and then press the Enter key. Don’t forget to add the colon at the end of the command – otherwise, it won’t execute.
If you plan to use the Microsoft Store app frequently, it’s wise to pin it to the taskbar. To do that, simply right-click the Microsoft Store icon in the taskbar (after you launch it), and then select Pin to taskbar.
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Also Read: CMD Navigation: How to Change Directory in CMD (Command Prompt)
How to Open Microsoft Store Apps from Command Prompt
Now, we mentioned that it’s possible to open any Microsoft Store app from Command Prompt. But, to be able to do that, you need to know the app’s Package Family Name and App ID.
Yes, every Microsoft Store app has a unique Package Family Name and App ID.
If you’re wondering how to get this information, don’t worry – we cover everything in our guide below:
- Open the Run dialog box using the
Windows + Rkey combination. - In the text field, type the command
shell:AppsFolder, and hit Enter. This opens File Explorer with a list of the Microsoft Store apps installed on your PC.
- Locate the Microsoft Store app that you wish to open. We’ll use the Camera app as our example.
- Right-click on it and click Create shortcut.
- Click Yes on the warning prompt that appears.
- Next, go to your desktop, right-click on the Camera shortcut you just created, and select Properties.
- In the Properties window, the Shortcut tab should be selected by default. If it’s not, be sure to click on it. Next to Target Type, you’ll see a specific description. Note it down somewhere.
- Now, go to your Start menu, type PowerShell, and hit Enter. Alternatively, press the
Windows + Xkeyboard shortcut and select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- Click Yes on the system prompt.
- Type or paste the following command next to the blinking cursor on the Windows PowerShell screen:
get-appxpackage > ABC.txt.
- The idea is to create a text file containing the details of the apps installed on your system. Replace the ABC part with any suitable name.
- Launch the Run dialog box again and type or paste the command
%UserProfile%followed by Enter. This command opens the User profile page in File Explorer.
- Here, you should see the text file you just created. Double-click on it to find the app’s PackageFamilyName. To do that, use the Find function. Press the
Ctrl + Fshortcut and paste or enter the Target Type details (those you noted in step 6 above). You don’t need to type the complete information as shown in Target Type. All you need are the first few characters. You can also use the Target name, which in our case is Microsoft.WindowsCamera.
- Click on the Find Next button to continue.
- Next, copy the details next to InstallLocation to copy the installation location or path of the app and paste it into the File Explorer address bar.
- Press Enter. You should see a file labeled AppxManifest. Double-click on it to open it.
- By default, the XML file will launch in Internet Explorer. The next step is to locate the APP ID. To do that, press the
Ctrl + Fshortcut, type Executable= and hit Enter. You should see the App ID in the same line.
- Now, launch Command Prompt by pressing the Win + R keyboard shortcut, type the command cmd into the “Run” dialog box, and press “Enter”.
- In the Command Prompt window, type or paste the command
exe shell:appsFolder\<PackageFamilyName>!<App ID>and press Enter. Replace <PackageFamilyName> and <App ID> with the correct PackageFamilyName (refer to step 11) and App ID (refer to step 16). In our case, the PackageFamilyName is Microsoft.WindowsCamera_8wekyb3d8bbwe and the Application ID is App. So, the command line will look something like this:
explorer.exe shell:appsFolder\Microsoft.WindowsCamera_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App
That’s it. The command should open the Camera app on your desktop.
Related: Windows Command Prompt: 28 Most Useful CMD Commands [with Examples]
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