"Cannot create file because it already exists" error when launching some UWP apps

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Did you try the built-in apps troubleshoot? To see if it can provide some useful information on the cause of the issue.

It looks like taking permission of the Windows App folder and deleting the apps with issue directories might be helpful. That means you would have to re-download them after deleting the directories.

 

Spoiler

1) Open File Explorer and go to ''Program Files'' directory.

2) Click ''View'' tab and select the ''Hidden items'' in File Explorer.

3) Right-click on ''WindowsApps'' folder and click on ''Properties''.

4) Click on ''Security Tab'' and click on ''Advanced'' button.

5) Click on "Change" by the side of "Owner". Next click on "Advanced" and "Find now".

6) Scroll down and click "Users" (for easy permission grant). Click on "OK" and "OK" in next dialog.

7) Select the little box "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects.

8) Click "Audit" tab and add the same "User" permission (as in number 5) and 6) ).

9) Select the little box "Full control" and click on "OK".

10) Do the same thing and click on " Effective access" tab. Beside "User/Group" click on "Change" and grant "User" permission (as in number 5) and 6) ). Click "Apply" and "OK" to close the dialog.

11. Double-click on "WindowsApps" .

12. Look on each error dialog of each UWP app link and use it to locate their directories and delete them.

13. Go back to Store and download them. I hope this will make some difference in the process of finding solution.

 

Possibly, you have a system corruption which might require doing clean install for those apps to work. If I were you I would wait for the next Insider Preview Build because we will soon enter the week Dona promised to release a new Build.

 

Just do a clean install on top of the previous one, transfer your personal files from Windows.old folder. After that use disk clean up command to remove Windows.old folder.

 

Did you ever make it work?