How to Fix the Photos App Stuck as a Background Process on Windows
The Photos app on Windows 11 is one of the only decent preinstalled apps on the operating system. It's simple, easy to use and does all the things that a Photo app should do without any of the bloat that Microsoft always seems to push into apps. For some strange reason though it does sometimes get stuck running in the background wasting resources. So follow along as we show you hose to stop the Photos app running as a background app on Windows 11.
How to Fix the Photos App Stuck as a Background Process on Windows
Windows updates will almost always take care of this but if for some random reason they don't. you can manually update the Windows Photos app by doing the following.
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Open the Microsoft Store.
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Navigate to the Downloads section.
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Click Get Updates to ensure all apps, including Photos, are up to date.
Close the Photos App Using Task Manager
This method works great if the issue is just a once-off bug or something that doesn't happen all of the time. However, if you are noticing that it is constantly happening, you'll want to try some of the other steps in this guide.
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Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
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Locate Photos under Background Processes.
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Select Photos and click End Task.
Repair or Reset the Photos App
Restoring the Photos app to its default state can fix issues related to improper closure.
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Right-click Start and select Apps & Features (or Installed apps).
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Find Photos, then click Advanced options.
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Use the Terminate and Repair options.
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If the issue persists, select Reset.
Reinstall the Photos App
If resetting doesn’t work, reinstalling the app can replace corrupted files and resolve deeper issues.
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Type PowerShell in Windows search.
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Right-click the result and choose Run as administrator.
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Approve the User Account Control prompt by clicking Yes.
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Run the following command:
Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.Windows.Photos* | Remove-AppxPackage
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After the command executes, reinstall the Photos app via the Microsoft Store.
Run the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter
The built-in troubleshooter can diagnose and resolve issues with apps downloaded from the Microsoft Store.
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Type Troubleshoot in Windows search and press Enter.
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Select Additional troubleshooters (or Other troubleshooters).
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Scroll down to Windows Store Apps and click Run the troubleshooter.
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Apply the recommended fixes.
Check for Windows Updates
If it's been a while since Windows 11 update you might want to force-check for an update to see if this solves the problem.
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Open Settings via the Start menu.
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Navigate to Update & Security > Windows Update.
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Click Check for updates and install any available updates.
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Restart your computer to apply the changes.