Fix: Calculator Doesn't Work in Windows 10

Just like the previous versions of Windows, Windows 10 comes with some of default apps such as text editor, calendar and Calculator. Speaking of which, some users are having certain issues and report that Windows 10 Calculator won’t open.

We have all used Windows Calculator, it’s a simple application that allows us to perform a quick calculation, so it’s unusual to see that Calculator application isn’t working for some users. If you’re having problems with Calculator on Windows 10 here are few solutions that might help you.

What to do if Calculator Doesn’t Work in Windows 10

There are many problems with Calculator that can occur on Windows 10, and in this article we’ll show you how to fix the following issues:

Windows 10 Calculator doesn’t run, start, launch – Many users reported that Calculator app won’t start at all on their Windows 10 PC. According to them, the application is completely unresponsive.
Calculator won’t open in Windows 10 – This is another variation of this problem, and many users reported that their Calculator app is unable to open. This can be an annoying problem, but you should be able to fix it with one of our solutions.
Windows 10 Calculator opens then closes – Few users reported that Calculator on their PC opens and then instantly closes. This is a standard problem, and you might be able to solve it by fixing corrupted files.
Windows 10 Calculator not working administrator – In some cases the Calculator app might not work even if you’re using an administrator account. To fix this problem, you need to reinstall the application.
Windows 10 Calculator crash, closes – Many users reported that their calculator frequently crashes or closes. This can be an annoying problem, but you can fix it by using one of our solutions.

Solution 1 – Re-register Windows 10 apps using PowerShell

In the Search Bar type PowerShell and right click PowerShell app from the list of results.
From the menu choose Run as administrator.
When the PowerShell starts paste the following line and press Enter to run it:
- Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml”}
This will re-register all Windows 10 apps on your computer. Wait for the process to finish and then try running Calculator again.

Solution 2 – Create a new user account

This issue can be caused by problems with your current user account, but you can fix that by creating a new user account and switching to it.

In the Search bar type add user and choose Add, edit, or remove other users from the list of results. You could also do that by going to the Settings > Accounts >Family & other users.
In the Family & other users section click the Add someone else to this PC.
Click on I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.
Now click on Add a user without a Microsoft account.
Now you need to enter username and password for local account.
After you’ve created a new account switch to it, and see if the Calculator works.
If everything works, you can delete your old account, but remember to copy your personal files and documents to your new account. We also have to mention that even though you’re using a local account you can easily turn it into a Microsoft account so you’ll still have access to all apps that you used to have.

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Solution 3 – Perform an SFC scan

If Calculator doesn’t work in Windows 10, you might be able to solve the problem simply by running an SFC scan. Sometimes your files can become corrupted causing the problem to appear. However, you can fix the problem by doing the following:

Press Windows Key + X to open Win + X menu. Now choose Command Prompt (Admin) from the list of results. If Command Prompt isn’t available, you can use PowerShell (Admin) instead.
When Command Prompt opens, enter sfc /scannow and press Enter.
SFC scan will now start. The scanning process can take up to 15 minutes, so don’t interrupt it.

Once the scan is completed, check if the issue is resolved. If SFC can’t fix the problem or if you’re unable to run SFC scan, you need to use DISM instead.

To do that, start Command Prompt as administrator. Now paste DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth command and run it. Wait while Windows performs the DISM scan. The scan process can take up to 10-20 minutes, so don’t interrupt it.

Once the DISM scan is finished, the issue should be resolved. If you were unable to run SFC scan before, run it after running DISM scan and check if that solves your problem.

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Solution 4 – Install the missing updates

According to users, you might be able to solve this problem simply by installing the latest updates. Many users reported that their Calculator doesn’t work, and after installing the latest updates the issue was resolved. Windows installs updates automatically, but you can also check for updates manually by doing the following:

Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
When Settings app opens, navigate to Update & security section.
Click on Check for updates button. Windows will now check for available updates. If updates are available, they will be downloaded automatically in the background.

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After installing the necessary updates, check if the issue still appears.

Solution 5 – Reinstall Calculator app

If Calculator doesn’t work in Windows 10, you might be able to fix the problem simply by reinstalling it. To do that, you need to use a third-party tool such as CCleaner. After you remove Calculator from your PC, you just need to visit Windows Store and download it again.

Download now CCleaner from the official website

Once the Calculator app is reinstalled, the issue should be resolved. If you were unable to fix this problem using CCleaner, be sure to check our article on how to reinstall Windows Store apps for more solutions.

Solution 6 – Download Windows app troubleshooter

Issues with Universal apps can appear, and if Calculator doesn’t work, you might be able to fix the problem by downloading Windows apps troubleshooter. After downloading the tool, run it and let it scan your PC.

If the troubleshooter finds any issues with your apps, it will automatically fix them. Many users reported that this troubleshooter fixed the problem for them, so be sure to try it.

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Solution 7 – Turn off your firewall

According to users, sometimes this problem can occur due to your firewall. If Calculator doesn’t work in Windows 10, be sure to disable any third-party firewall and check if that solves the issue.

If you don’t have a third-party firewall, you might want to try disabling built-in firewall. Disabling the built-in firewall can be a security risk, so keep that in mind. To disable a firewall, do the following:

Press Windows Key + S and enter firewall. Select Windows Firewall from the list of results.
Click on Turn Windows Firewall on or off in the menu on the left.
Now select Turn off Windows Firewall (not recommended) for both Private and Public network settings. Click on OK to save changes.

After disabling your firewall, check if the issue still appears. If not, you might want to enable your firewall and create a security exception for Calculator app and check if that solves the problem.

Solution 8 – Enable User Account Control

User Account Control is a security feature in Windows that will prevent you from performing actions that require administrative privileges. This feature creates a lot of security notifications, therefore many users choose to disable it.

However, several users reported that their Calculator doesn’t work because User Account Control is disabled. To fix this problem, you need to enable this feature again by following these steps:

Press Windows Key + S and enter user account control. Select Change User Account Control settings.
Move the slider to the default position and click on OK to save changes.

After enabling this feature, your Calculator app should start working again without any problems.

Solution 9 – Reset Calculator app

If Calculator doesn’t work in Windows 10, you might be able to solve the problem simply by resetting the Calculator app. This is rather simple and you can do it by following these steps:

Open the Settings app.
Go to Apps section.
List of all applications will now appear. Select Calculator and click on Advanced options.
Now click on Reset button. Now click on Reset again in the confirmation window.

After doing that, the problem should be resolved and you’ll be able to use Calculator without any issues.

Solution 10 – End RuntimeBroker.exe process

Sometimes background processes can cause issues with the Calculator app. If Calculator doesn’t work on your Windows 10 PC, the cause might be RuntimeBroker.exe process. To fix the issue, you need to end this process by doing the following:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
When Task Manager starts, locate Runtime Broker, right click it and choose End task from the menu.

After ending Runtime Broker process, check if the issue is resolved. Keep in mind that this is just a workaround, so you might have to repeat this solution if the issue reappears.

That would be all, I hope this article helped you with calculator problems in Windows 10. If you have any comments, or questions, just reach for the comment section below.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in December 2015 and has been since completely revamped and updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

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