Starting from Windows 10 1703 (Creators Update), several new built-in universal apps appeared in the system and you cannot remove them using the standard procedure. For example, when you try to remove the built-in universal apps using the Remove-AppxPackage cmdlet, the following error appears: “HRESULT 0x80073CFA Removal failed”. In this article, we’ll consider a trick that allows to force remove any built-in app in Windows 10.
Suppose you have an error when trying to remove the built-in universal application:
Remove-AppxPackage: Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x80073CFA, Removal failed. Please contact your software vendor.
(Exception from HRESULT: 0x80073CFA)
error 0x80070032: AppX Deployment Remove operation on package
Microsoft.XboxGameCallableUI_1000.16299.15.0_neutral_neutral_c5as4n4uizeyw from:
C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.XboxGameCallableUI_c5as4n4uizeyw failed. This app is part of Windows and cannot be uninstalled on a per-user basis. An administrator can attempt to remove the app from the computer using Turn Windows Features on or off. However, it may not be possible to uninstall the app.
NOTE: For additional information, look for [ActivityId] b2516df1-c2fa-2201-f028-1af9ae2ba901 in the Event Log or use
the command line Get-AppxLog -ActivityID b2516df1-c2fa-2201-f028-1af9ae2ba901
At line:1 char:1
+ Remove-AppxPackage Microsoft.XboxGameCallableUI_1000.16299.15.0_neutr …
+ ~~
+ CategoryInfo : WriteError: (Microsoft.XboxG…l_c5as4n4uizeyw:String) [Remove-AppxPackage], IOException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : DeploymentError, Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.RemoveAppxPackageCommand
To remove the Windows 10 application, you will need two free tools:
- Psexec by Sysinternals;
- DB Browser for SQLite.
- Download pstools.zip, unpack it to the C:\PS folder and then install (or download a portable version) DB Browser for SQLite;
- Using psexec, run the interactive command prompt under the Local System:
psexec.exe -i -s -d cmd.exe
- In the next window run on behalf of the SYSTEM the executable file C:\Program Files\DB Browser for SQLite\DB Browser for SQLite.exe or SQLiteDatabaseBrowserPortable.exe;
- Then click Open Database in DB Browser window and open the following file: %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\AppRepository\StateRepository-Machine.srd;
- Go to the Browse Data tab and select the Package table;
- Now find the name of the app you want to remove in the PackageFullName column. (In our example it is Microsoft.XboxGameCallableUI_c5as4n4uizeyw.) Change the value in the IsInbox column from 1 to 0 for this app;
- Save the changes using File->Write changes (or press CTRL+S);
- Then try to remove the app from PowerShell:
Remove-AppxPackage Microsoft.XboxGameCallableUI_1000.16299.15.0_neutral_neutral_c5as4n4uizeyw
It should be removed without any errors or warnings.
Having searched the web, I found that the IsInbox flag for built-in apps had appeared in the local system base for Windows apps since Windows 10 Anniversary update (1607). When trying to remove a built-in app with the IsInbox flag enabled, the error 0x80073CFA appears.
