[Solved] Problem with windows calculator

Discussion in 'Windows 11' started by ohenry, Aug 7, 2022.

  1. ohenry

    ohenry MDL Senior Member

    Aug 10, 2009
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    #1 ohenry, Aug 7, 2022
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2022
  2. atgpud2003

    atgpud2003 MDL Addicted

    Apr 30, 2015
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    Try update Microsoft Store see there is Calculator updates apps? Have you try that part?

    ATGPUD2003
     
  3. ohenry

    ohenry MDL Senior Member

    Aug 10, 2009
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    #3 ohenry, Aug 8, 2022
    Last edited: Aug 8, 2022
    (OP)
    Yes, I tried looking for an update in Microsoft Store. What I'm hoping for here is that someone can tell me what happens differently when Microsoft store "opens" the application, versus what happens when it is run normally (Win+R, cmd prompt, or File Explorer).

    On edit: Okay, I found it, kinda sorta. Another weird Windows oddity, and yet another reason why I really like the straight forward simplicity of Unix and Linux.

    This is what, in effect, the store is running:

    explorer.exe shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App


    And guess what? That will also work from the command line, or from Win+R, or invoked via a batch file, or whatever. Not from File Explorer, because you cannot traverse that path (permission denied).

    From Task Manager, if you go into details, what is really running is apparently "CalculatorApp.exe", not the "calc.exe" that is found in c:\windows\system32\calc.exe.

    Weird weird and even weirder.

    Edit 2:
    This will also work:

    "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_11.2206.0.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\calculatorapp.exe"

    Edit 3:
    Yet another way to launch:
    start ms-calculator:
     
  4. ohenry

    ohenry MDL Senior Member

    Aug 10, 2009
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    Okay, now I can't run the cygwin setup program:

    Faulting application name: setup-x86_64.exe, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x00000000
    Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 10.0.22621.440, time stamp: 0x122ad441
    Exception code: 0xc0000409
    Fault offset: 0x00000000000c8585
    Faulting process id: 0x0x4058
    Faulting application start time: 0x0x1D8B1B1D7BE9809
    Faulting application path: C:\cygwin64\setup-x86_64.exe
    Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
    Report Id: 9b110a35-0152-46a3-9b42-a25d23aa85b8
    Faulting package full name:
    Faulting package-relative application ID:

    This time, running as admin worked, that didn't help with the calculator. I may have to start thinking about a clean install.
     
  5. kaljukass

    kaljukass MDL Guru

    Nov 26, 2012
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    A clean installation is not a bad idea at all, but I can tell you in advance, this problem cannot be changed with a clean installation either, because the so-called Windows apps are launched in a different way than you do. They don't have to start like that. Here, the application_name.exe files have a completely different meaning than they did in the old standard programs. Everything changes and You should change. How things worked on previous century is different how they work today.
     
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  6. ohenry

    ohenry MDL Senior Member

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    The Cygwin setup program is NOT an "app". It is a very straightforward, old fashioned executable written in c / c++. About as far from from an "app" as you're likely to get.

    Now calc is a different story, I'll freely admit that. I have tried it on 2 other computers around here running Windows 11, with no problems. The weirdness I have encountered seems to be limited to this one computer. Yesterday, Explorer up and died on me. It restarted after a few seconds, and the event log showed the same type of error, "sihost.exe" crashed in "ntdll.dll".

    I am giving some thought to going back to Windows 10 when or if I do a clean install. I have nothing against Windows 11, but I rather suspect Windows 10 might be more stable right now. And there is nothing in Windows 11 that I would miss.
     
  7. kaljukass

    kaljukass MDL Guru

    Nov 26, 2012
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    You're absolutely right about that, and it's likely to remain that way for a long time.
     
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  8. ohenry

    ohenry MDL Senior Member

    Aug 10, 2009
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    In case anyone gives a ____ (probably not), here are some updates. I did in in-place upgrade (from 22622.575 to 22622.575 - don't laugh, it worked). That did not fix the problem.

    Today I just got in a new M.2 SSD (generation 4 to replace my generation 3). I decided to do a clean install of 22622.575, using an image downloaded from UUPDUMP. Everything went well, and after the install, calc would start. After installing about a bazillion programs, guess what? c:\windows\system32\calc.exe is once again failing. Also the Cygwin setup program.

    Obviously something I installed is causing the problem. If I were really OCD about this, I would start all over, clean install of Windows, and test running calc after each program gets re-installed. Somehow I just don't feel like going to that much trouble (smile).
     
  9. gareths

    gareths MDL Senior Member

    Jun 5, 2017
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    When in doubt run Process Monitor!
    Keep Calm and run Procmon!
     
  10. ohenry

    ohenry MDL Senior Member

    Aug 10, 2009
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    Thank you, that was what I needed. The culprit was "Directory Opus", which surprises me, but I guess it shouldn't. Nothing about this should surprise me anymore.