Win10 shows "Cannot open this application. Please go to the Windows App Store to check..."

The error message "Cannot open this application. Please go to the Windows App Store to check..." on Windows 10 is a specific and definitive system-level notification indicating a critical failure in the application's licensing or identity verification. This is not a generic compatibility or corruption error; it is a direct result of the Windows operating system's app-enforcement subsystem, AppX, determining that the application package's digital signature or its associated license is invalid, missing, or has been tampered with. The system is programmed to block execution and redirect the user to the Microsoft Store as the sole authorized source for remediation, effectively enforcing a digital rights management (DRM) and security protocol. This mechanism is most commonly triggered for pre-installed "inbox" apps like Photos, Calculator, or Mail, or for any application originally installed via the Microsoft Store, including games and utilities from third-party developers distributed through that platform.

The root causes are typically structural rather than superficial. A primary culprit is corruption within the Windows user profile, specifically the hidden `AppData\Local\Packages` folder where application-specific data and licenses are stored. If these license files become damaged—often due to disk errors, aggressive "cleaning" utilities, or incomplete updates—the app loses its proof of purchase or valid installation status. Another frequent cause is a mismatch between the application's package identity and the system's registered applications list, which can occur after manual deletion of app folders, failed version updates, or the deployment of system images that do not properly transfer user-state data. In rarer instances, significant system file corruption or a compromised Windows Component Store can break the trust chain for all Store applications. The error is a security feature; the operating system will not allow an app with an unverifiable identity to run, as it could be a modified or malicious package posing as a legitimate one.

Resolving this issue requires targeted administrative actions that re-establish the application's verified identity, as simply reinstalling from the Store may not be possible if the underlying catalog is damaged. The most effective and comprehensive solution is to use PowerShell with administrative privileges to forcibly re-register all Windows Store applications using the command `Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}`. This command rebuilds the application registration database for the current user, often restoring functionality without data loss. If the problem is isolated to a single app, using the `Get-AppXPackage` and `Remove-AppXPackage` cmdlets to uninstall it, followed by a fresh installation from the Microsoft Store, is a precise fix. For persistent, system-wide issues, creating a new local user profile can bypass corrupted profile data, as the new profile will generate fresh, undamaged package stores. As a last resort, running the System File Checker (`sfc /scannow`) and the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool (`DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth`) can repair the system image and component store that underpin all Store applications. The persistence of this error across these repairs can indicate deeper system instability, potentially necessitating a Windows 10 repair install or full reset.