How to Fix the Microsoft Store Not Working on Windows 11

•
My Technician
Windows 11TroubleshootingAppsFix

The Problem

The Microsoft Store won't open, closes instantly, gets stuck on a blank white page, or downloads hang at "Pending." You may also see codes like 0x80131500, 0x80073D12, or 0x80072EFD. This is almost always a corrupt Store cache, a broken app registration, or a stopped background service—not a Windows reinstall.

Apps installed from the Store crashing instead? See fix an app crashing or not opening. Downloads failing because updates are stuck? Check Windows Update stuck.

Quick Fixes (Try These First)

Reset the Store Cache (wsreset)

  1. Press Win + R, type wsreset.exe, and press Enter.
  2. A blank Command Prompt window opens for ~30 seconds, then the Store launches. Don't close it early.

Check Date, Time, and Region

A wrong clock breaks the secure connection to Microsoft's servers.

  1. Settings → Time & language → Date & time.
  2. Turn on Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically, then click Sync now.

Sign Out and Back Into the Store

Open the Store → click your profile picture → Sign out, then sign back in. This fixes most "Pending" downloads tied to a stale account token.

The Fix: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Run the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter

  1. Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters.
  2. Find Windows Store Apps → Run.
  3. Apply any fixes it suggests and reboot.

Step 2: Repair and Reset the Store App

  1. Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
  2. Find Microsoft Store → the ⋯ (three dots) → Advanced options.
  3. Click Repair first (keeps data). Test the Store. If it's still broken, return and click Reset (clears the cache and sign-in).

Step 3: Re-register the Microsoft Store (PowerShell Admin)

  1. Right-click Start → Terminal (Admin).
  2. Run: 
    Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.WindowsStore | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
  3. Reboot and test.

Step 4: Confirm the Required Services Are Running

  1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, Enter.
  2. Make sure these are Running (set to Automatic or Manual, not Disabled):
    • Microsoft Store Install Service
    • Windows Update
    • Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)
  3. Right-click any that are stopped → Start.

Step 5: Repair System Files

A damaged component store can take the Store down with it. In Terminal (Admin):

sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Reboot after the repairs complete.

What Not to Do

  • Don't uninstall the Microsoft Store with random PowerShell commands—reinstalling it cleanly afterward is painful.
  • Don't disable Windows Update to "speed things up"; the Store depends on it to deliver app packages.

Still Not Working?

Related guides