How to fix Microsoft Store problems on Windows 10

Here are three ways to reset the Microsoft Store to resolve issues, when it won't open, keeps crashing, apps won't update, or error codes appear.

Fix Microsoft Store app problems on Windows 10
Fix Microsoft Store app problems on Windows 10

On Windows 10, the Microsoft Store app is the one-stop-shop to securely download and install apps, games, and entertainment on all your devices.

Although, the company updates the experience frequently, you may still come across a lot of different issues, such as problems launching up the Microsoft Store app, crashes, updates and apps stuck downloading, and a number of error messages.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to reset the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 to fix the most common problems and get you downloading, installing, and updating apps in no time.

How to fix Microsoft Store using Settings

To fix problems with Microsoft Store with the reset option, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 10.

  2. Click on Apps.

  3. Click on Apps & features.

  4. Select the Microsoft Store app.

  5. Click the Advanced options link.

    Microsoft Store app advanced settings
    Microsoft Store app advanced settings
  6. Click the Reset button.

    Reset Microsoft Store app to fix problems
    Reset Microsoft Store app to fix problems

Once you complete the steps, the process will delete the data and reset the app to its default settings, which can help to fix most common problems.

How to fix Microsoft Store using WSReset command

To fix Microsoft Store app problems with the WSReset command, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for Run and click the top result top open the app.

  3. Type WSReset.exe command.

  4. Click the OK button to run task.

    WSReset command

After you complete the steps, the WSReset utility will run and after a few seconds, if the operation completed successfully, the Store will open automatically.

How to fix Microsoft Store reinstalling app

If after resetting the Store the same problem or error keeps occurring, then you can use the PowerShell command-line utility to uninstall and install the Store app to resolve any issues.

Warning: Use the instructions below as the last resort, and use them at your own risk. It’s also recommended to create a full backup of your PC before proceeding.

Uninstall Store using PowerShell

To uninstall the Microsoft Store app using PowerShell, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for Windows PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Type the following command to get the information from the Microsoft Store app and press Enter:

    Get-AppxPackage -name *WindowsStore*

    Search for Microsoft Store app using PowerShell
    Search for Microsoft Store app using PowerShell
  4. Select the content from the InstallationLocation field and right-click on it to copy the content to the clipboard. The content should look like this:

    InstallLocation : C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsStore_11811.1001.27.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
  5. Open Notepad.

  6. Right-click and paste the output, and save the file, as you will need this information later on.

  7. Type the following command on PowerShell to remove the Microsoft Store app and press Enter:

    Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore | Remove-AppxPackage

    Uninstall the Microsoft Store using PowerShell
    Uninstall the Microsoft Store using PowerShell

Install Store using PowerShell

To reinstall the Store app on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for Windows PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Select and copy the package name from the Notepad file you created on step No. 4 from the previous instructions. It should look something like this:

    Microsoft.WindowsStore_11811.1001.27.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
  4. Type the following command, replace YourStorePacakgeName with the package name you copied to the clipboard, and press Enter:

    Add-AppxPackage -register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\YourStorePakageName\AppxManifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode

    Reinstall the Microsoft Store app using PowerShell
    Reinstall the Microsoft Store app using PowerShell
  5. Restart your computer.

Once you complete the steps, you should be able to sign in to Windows 10 and open the Microsoft Store.

In this guide, you’ve learned three different techniques to reset the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 on those times the app won’t open, keeps crashing every time you start the app, won’t update apps, or when you come across errors codes such as 0x80072efd, 0x80073cff, 0x80072ee2, 0x80073cf1, and others.

Update January 27, 2020: This was originally published in February 2016, and it’s been updated to reflect the new changes with Windows 10.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].