What to Do When Sticky Notes Can’t Run on Windows 10/11?

Sticky Notes is a helpful app in Windows 10/11 for tracking tasks and reminders. Microsoft recently updated it to version 3.0, allowing users to access all their notes with one Microsoft account. However, users may encounter issues with the app not opening.

Many users have raised the issue on Microsoft’s support forum. One user mentioned that the Sticky Notes app closes every time he tries to launch it, while another user reported that the Sticky Notes icon shows up on the taskbar, but when he tries to open a new note, nothing happens. Most of the grievances are from Windows 10/11 users.

If you run Windows 10/11 and your Sticky Notes stopped working, please hang on because we will provide useful suggestions to help you fix Sticky Notes that can’t open on Windows 10/11.

How to Fix a Sticky Notes App That Has Stopped Working

Before you try any fix, we highly recommend that you create a backup of your current Sticky Notes files. Some fixes will delete all the notes you saved in the Sticky Notes app. The easiest way to save old notes is to copy them to a safe place, such as a Word or Excel document. You can also use a third-party data recovery program to back up the files.

Reset Sticky Notes

Resetting the Sticky Notes app involves restoring the default settings, which can eliminate emerging issues. Please note that the process erases all the data for the app. To reset your Sticky Notes, follow the steps below:

• Open the Settings window by pressing the Windows and I keys on the keyboard.
• Go to System > Apps & features.
• Select Sticky Notes > Advanced options.
• Hit the Reset button to restore the Sticky Notes app to its default settings.

Alternatively, open Settings, then:

• Go to Apps > Sticky Notes > Advanced Options.
• From here, click the Reset button.
• Sticky Notes will be reset to the defaults.

Run Windows Apps Troubleshooter

To fix many known app issues and improve app experience with Windows 8/10, Microsoft developed the Windows Apps Troubleshooter. If you have used the Windows 10/11 Settings panel, then you probably know how to find Windows Apps Troubleshooter. You do not need to download any software to activate the troubleshooter. To run it, please follow these instructions:

• Go to Windows Settings by pressing the Windows + I combination.
• Select Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
• Look for the Windows Store Apps option on the right-hand side and click it.
• After that, hit the ‘Run the troubleshooter’ button.
• To complete the process, follow the on-screen directions. Once the process has finished, check if it resolved the issue.

Repair Sticky Notes

You always have an option to repair any Window Store app that doesn’t work on your computer. You can accomplish this task via the Repair option. The good thing with this option is that neither your files nor settings will be changed during the repair process. To get started, go to Windows Settings and take the following steps:

• From the Windows 10/11 Settings, select Apps > Apps & features.
• Look for the Sticky Notes app on the right-hand side and highlight it.
• Select Advanced options to be taken to the Repair button.
• Hit the Repair button.

Disable the Insights Feature

Essentially, the Insights feature in Windows 10/11 allows you to create Cortana reminders right from your Sticky Notes. You can sync the reminders across all your Windows devices. Useful as it may be, the Insights feature is known to affect the functioning of the Sticky Notes app. Sometimes when the feature is active, Sticky Notes will not pop up. Try to disable this feature and see if that helps. Follow these steps to disable the Insights feature:

• Hit on the three dots in the upper right corner of your Sticky Notes and choose All notes.
• Locate the Settings icon in the top-right corner and click it.
• Under General, deactivate the Insights feature.

Uninstall and Reinstall Sticky Notes App via PowerShell

If you have tried the above tips and your Sticky Notes app can’t open, consider uninstalling and reinstalling the Sticky Notes app. Sometimes, the issue occurs when there is a conflict between some apps or features and the corresponding registry files. To resolve the problem, use Windows PowerShell. Here is how the process goes:

Uninstall Sticky Notes

• Hit the Windows + X shortcut on the keyboard to open the WindX menu.
• Choose either of these two options: Windows PowerShell (Admin) and Command Prompt (Admin).
• The Windows PowerShell will open.
• Enter this command: ‘Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes | Remove-AppxPackage’ (without quotes), then hit the Enter key on the keyboard.
• Wait for the uninstallation process to complete. You have now removed the Sticky Notes application from your PC, so the next step is to reinstall the latest version of the app.

Reinstall Sticky Notes

• Go to the Windows Store app, then type ‘Sticky Notes’ in the search box and wait for the search results.
• Select Microsoft Sticky Notes.
• Hit the Get button to download the latest version of the Sticky Notes application. Once the download finishes, install the app. Now, check if the issue persists.

Recover Deleted and Old Sticky Notes

If you have created a backup as we advised earlier, you should be able to recover the deleted Sticky Notes files after a reset or reinstall.

Additional Fix: Scan and Repair Your PC

Sticky Notes not running on Windows 10/11? Probably you need to tune your PC for the best performance. We all understand how annoying it can be when a PC takes ages to perform a simple task. Fortunately, there is a cure for this problem. The first thing you can do is diagnose your Windows system by running a complete checkup to identify the issues that are slowing down your PC, such as junk files, malware, invalid entries, and corrupt keys. The best tool to help you accomplish the task is Outbyte PC Repair.

That’s all. With the above fixes, you should be able to use your Sticky Notes again and enjoy all the nice features that come with this app. Let us know which of the above suggestions helped you fix the issue.