Microsoft Store is from where you can install apps and games on your Windows PC. But sometimes you can’t download from the Microsoft store due to many reasons. Other similar errors include Microsoft Store not installing apps or Microsoft Store won’t install apps, Microsoft Store not downloading apps or can’t download apps from Microsoft Store, and Microsoft Store not installing games. Sometimes you cannot download from the Microsoft Store but we have the methods to fix this issue. We bring to you a perfect guide that will help you fix Microsoft Store not downloading anything issue.
How to Fix Can’t Download from Microsoft Store
Here are some possible reasons which can cause Microsoft Store download issues.
- Faulty internet connection
- Corrupt cache
- Lack of storage space
- Outdated Operating System
We have compiled a list of methods that will help you fix can’t download apps from Microsoft store issue. Follow the methods in the same order to attain the best results.
Basic Troubleshooting Tips
These are some of the basic ways you can fix this issue. Try these before other methods and they must just fix the problem
- Restart your PC. It will fix all the minor glitches.
- If you are having network related issues then troubleshoot network connectivity problems
- Disable security software and VPN and Proxy
- Update Graphics Drivers
- Make sure the Windows date and time are correct. Change the Date and time if it is not.
- Free up hard disk space
- Make sure Windows Defender Firewall is turned ON while installing any application or program.
- Check Internet Connection. To use Microsoft Store, a proper internet connection is necessary to send and receive data from Microsoft servers. You can check your internet connection by pinging 8.8.8.8. It is the primary internet connectivity test and if packets sent and received are equal, it means your internet connection is working fine. Follow the steps below.
1. Press the Windows key and type cmd and click on Run as administrator.
2. Type Ping 8.8.8.8 in command window and press Enter.
3. Wait for a few seconds and check for Packets: Sent = X, Received = X, Lost = X line. Here X will vary according to your connection.
- If the value of Lost is zero i.e. Lost = 0 it means your connection is working fine.
- If the value of Lost is positive or negative then your connection is having issues. In that case, try restarting your, switching to an Ethernet connection, or contacting your Internet Service Provider to tackle the problem.
Method 1: Sign in to Microsoft Account
If any login errors are contributing to Microsoft Store not downloading anything, you can fix it by signing in again. Follow the below-mentioned instructions to do so.
1. Press the Windows key, type Microsoft Store and click on Open.
2. Click your profile icon and select the Sign out option. You will be logged out.
3. Click on Sign in as shown.
4. Select Microsoft account and click on Continue.
5. Type your login credentials and sign in back to your Microsoft account.
Method 2: Restart Microsoft Store
If you are still cannot download from Microsoft store, try manually closing Microsoft Store application and restart it as instructed below.
1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys together to open the Task Manager.
2. Under the Processes tab, click on Microsoft Store followed the End task button.
3. Reopen the Microsoft Store.
Method 3: Disable Metered Connection
A metered connection is used to prevent unnecessary data consumption by apps and programs by setting a data limit. If your network is configured as a metered connection, it may cause Microsoft Store won’t install apps or not installing apps issue. You can turn OFF metered connection as instructed below.
1. Right-click on Wi-Fi or Ethernet icon at the bottom right corner of the screen and select Open Network & Internet settings.
2. Click on Properties option in the right panel.
3. Scroll down the screen and toggle OFF Set as metered connection option under Metered connection.
4. Go back to Microsoft Store and try installing any app or game.
Also read: Where Does Microsoft Store Install Games?
Method 4: Run Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter
If you still notice Microsoft Store not installing games then you can use the inbuilt troubleshooting tool to identify and fix the issue. Follow the steps below.
1. Type Troubleshoot settings in Windows search bar and click on Open as shown.
2. Click on Additional troubleshooters as depicted below.
3. Select Windows Store Apps > Run the troubleshooter.
4. After the troubleshooting process, if the tool has identified any problems, click on Apply this fix.
5. Follow the given instructions in successive prompts and restart your PC.
Method 5: Clear Windows Store Cache
If you still can’t download from Microsoft store then it might be because of corrupt cache files is interfering in the process. To delete Microsoft Store cache, follow these steps.
1. Open the Run dialog box by clicking Windows + R keys.
2. Type wsreset.exe and press Enter.
Also Read: How to Fix Microsoft Store Not Opening on Windows 11
Method 6: Restart Windows Update Services
Many users have suggested that Microsoft Store won’t install apps issue can be fixed by restarting the Windows Update Services which manages updates released by Microsoft. Here is how you can do it.
1. Launch the Run dialog box by hitting the Windows + R keys together.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter key to launch Services window.
3. Scroll down the screen and right-click on Windows Update.
Note: If the current status is not Running, you can skip the below step.
4. Click on Stop if the current status displays Running.
5. You will receive a prompt; Windows is attempting to stop the following service on Local Computer… Wait for the prompt to be completed. It will take around 3 to 5 seconds.
6. Now, press the Windows + E keys simultaneously to launch File Explorer. Navigate to
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore
7. Select all the files and folders by pressing Ctrl + A keys and right-click on them and select Delete.
8. Navigate to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download and Delete all data here similarly.
9. Go back to Services window and right-click on Windows Update. Select Start option.
10. Wait for the process to finish.
Method 7: Update Windows
To resolve any bugs and update-related issues, simply update your Windows 10 PC. An outdated operating system can cause various issues including Microsoft Store not downloading anything error. We suggest you have a glance at Windows updates as instructed in our guide for more information. Follow the steps below to update windows.
1. Press Windows + I keys simultaneously to launch Settings.
2. Click on the Update & Security tile, as shown.
3. In the Windows Update tab, click on Check for updates button.
4A. If a new update is available, then click Install Now and follow the instructions to update.
4B. Otherwise, if the Windows is up-to-date, then it will show You’re up to date message.
5. Finally, restart your PC and check if you have fixed Microsoft Store issue.
Also read: Fix Windows Update Download 0x800f0984 2H1 Error
Method 8: Install Microsoft Store Apps Updates
Along with system updates, apps and programs in Microsoft Store should be kept updated. Pending updates will block any new application to be installed on your PC leading to Microsoft Store not downloading anything. Follow these steps to update Microsoft Store apps.
1. Open Microsoft Store from Windows search bar as depicted below.
2. Click on the Library option at the bottom left corner.
3. Click on Get updates as shown.
4. Click on Update all.
5. Wait for the updates to be downloaded and when done you will see Your apps and games are up to date message.
Method 9: Change DNS Address
Switching to Google DNS addresses has helped many users when they cannot download from Microsoft store. DNS server fetches IP address of the requested website so it can be displayed. You can change your DNS address and also switch to Google DNS by following our guide about 3 Ways to change DNS settings on Windows 10. After changing your DNS address, check if are able to download from Microsoft store.
Method 10: Modify Registry Keys
There is a feature named Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object in your Registry editor. If you enable it for any specific folder, all the permissions of the parent folder will be transferred to all of its subfolders. It may resolve the issue and you can do it by following the steps below.
1. Hit the Windows key, type Registry editor and click on Run as administrator.
2. Now, in the Windows Registry Editor, navigate to the following path.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles
3. Right-click on the Profiles folder and click on Permissions…
4. In the Permissions for Profiles window, click on Advanced.
5. Check the Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object box.
6. Click on Apply > OK and Restart your PC.
Method 11: Reset Windows Update Components
Corrupt files in Windows update component can cause several errors related to Microsoft Store. Problems with updating cache may also lead to Microsoft Store not downloading apps. Resetting Windows Update Components will restart essential Windows services like BITS, MSI Installer, Cryptographic and Windows Update Services. You can do the same by following our guide to Reset Windows Update Components on Windows 10
Note: You can use automated repair tool to reset the Windows Update Components.
Method 12: Reset Microsoft Store
Resetting Microsoft Store is an extreme option and will remove your log-in details, settings and preferences from your computer but it can work if you cannot download from Microsoft store. Follow these steps.
1. Press the Windows key, type Microsoft Store and select the App settings option.
2. Scroll down Settings screen and click on Reset option as highlighted.
Note: Your app data will be deleted while resetting Microsoft Store.
3. Click on Reset in the confirmation prompt.
4. After the process is finished, restart the PC.
Method 13: Re-register Microsoft Store
After resetting if you still can’t download from Microsoft store, re-registering the app may fix the issue. Follow as instructed below.
1. Press the Windows key, type Windows PowerShell and click on Run as administrator.
2. Now, paste the following command and press Enter key.
PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + 'AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}
3. Wait for the command to be executed and try opening Microsoft Store again. It should resolve can’t download apps from Microsoft Store issue.
Method 14: Reinstall Microsoft Store
If other options haven’t worked for you then try reinstalling Microsoft Store. It can’t be done using Control Panel or Settings but you can use PowerShell commands to reinstall Microsoft Store as discussed below.
1. Launch Windows PowerShell with admin rights as instructed above.
2. Type get-appxpackage –allusers command and hit Enter key.
3. Search for Microsoft.WindowsStore and go to PackageFullName and copy the line next to it. In this case, it is:
Microsoft.WindowsStore_22202.1402.2.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
4. Go to a new line in the PowerShell window and type remove-appxpackage followed by a space and the line you have copied in the above step. In this case it will be: remove-appxpackage Microsoft.WindowsStore_22202.1402.2.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
Note: The command may vary a little according to the version of your Windows PC.
5. It will delete Microsoft Store. Restart your PC.
6. To install it again open Windows PowerShell as an administrator and type the following command, and hit Enter key.
Add-AppxPackage -register "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsStore_11804.1001.8.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml" –DisableDevelopmentMode
Now Microsoft store will be reinstalled and can’t download apps from Microsoft Store issue should be fixed.
Method 15: Create New User Profile
Sometimes your user profile can get corrupted and it may lead Microsoft Store not downloading anything. You can create a new profile to fix the problem. Follow our guide to Create a Local User Account on Windows 10.
Method 16: Perform Clean Boot
If the issue persists then you can perform a clean boot of your computer. It will start Windows with only the necessary drivers & programs and is used to troubleshoot your Windows problems. You can follow our guide below to Perform Clean boot in Windows 10. Check if Microsoft store is downloading apps and games now.
Method 17: Perform System Restore
If none of the methods worked for you then this is your last option. Only do it when it is completely necessary. System restore restores your computer to its previous version and can help run an app like it was before. It might fix Microsoft store error and you can do it by following our guide about How to use System Restore on Windows 10. Now you should be able to download apps and games from Microsoft Store.
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We hope that this guide was helpful and you were able to fix can’t download from Microsoft Store issue. Let us know which method worked for you the best. If you have any queries or suggestions then feel free to drop them in the comments section.