VMRC links not working on Windows 11

[JamesAtS1]

I have a Win 11 Pro install that I am trying to use VMRC with, however even after the install it won't open VMRC links. Instead when I try to open a VMRC link it just pops up and wants me to pick something from the Windows App Store ( see attached image). There is no link to pick another program so the App Store is all I can use. Since VMRC isn't in the App Store at that point I am stuck.

I was able to find that under "Settings->Apps->Default Apps->Choose Default by link type" there is an option for VMRC links, but again it won't let me use something that isn't in the App Store. After some Googling I found that there are specific registry settings that must be in place, but when I checked they were already there. I even tried manually putting them back in with no luck. I then tried the "Settings->Privacy & Security->For Developers" options setting for "install apps from any source, including loose files" hoping that would work, but again it didn't.

Anyone else having this issue? Anyone know of a fix?

[JamesAtS1]

I am documenting the solution to this issue in case anyone else runs into it. Although I never found out exactly what the cause was I suspect it is that Win 11 now creates your user account based on your Microsoft Account by default. This seems to lock down setting further than if you have a pure local admin user. Once you read the steps below to solve the issue it will make sense why I suspect this as the original user I had was a Microsoft Account based user...

Steps to solve the issue:

The steps needed to fix it were:
1. uninstall VMRC
2. create a new admin user that is local only
3. Login as new admin user
4. Install VMRC as new user
5. Migrate all files from desktop, downloads etc. to new admin user
6. Delete old admin user