Microsoft Store not opening or closes immediately after opening on Windows 10

You may or may not be a regular user of modern apps that are available on Windows Store on your Windows 10/8.1, but at times, you might want to check out good apps available on the Microsoft Store. What if you find that the Microsoft Store is not opening, loading or working, or closes immediately after opening, and it endlessly makes you wait with a loading animation? Well, there are a few simple solutions you want to try to fix this problem.

Microsoft Store not opening

Before you go through the recommended solutions, make sure your Windows PC qualifies these basic requirements:

• You have enabled UAC (User Account Control)
• You have an active internet connection to connect to store and download apps
• Your PC’s minimum screen resolution is 1024 x 768
• Your Video card driver is updated

1] Adjust your date and time settings

Having an incorrect date/time settings is the most common yet unnoticed thing. To adjust your date/time settings follow these steps:

• Search for and open “Date and time”.
• Select the “Change date and time.”
• Adjust the correct date and time by clicking on “Change date and time” time
• Also, adjust the exact time zone depending on your region

2] Disable Proxy Connection

Your proxy settings might be stopping your Microsoft Store from opening. Follow these steps to disable your internet proxy settings:

• Search for and open “Internet Options”.
• Select the “Internet Options” which opens up “Internet Properties” window.
• Under the “Connections” tab click on “LAN Settings.”
• Uncheck “Use Proxy server” option and click on “OK”.

3] Run the Windows Apps Troubleshooter

When this App troubleshooter is run, it automatically fixes some of the basic issues that might be preventing your Store or apps from running – such as lower screen resolution, incorrect security or account settings, etc. Please also see the new Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter for Windows 10 from Microsoft.

4] Clear Windows Store cache

• Press Windowskey + R to open the Run box.
• Type WSReset.exe and hit Enter.

By doing this, all store cache and corrupt settings are reset, and your Microsoft Store shall open normally. This post details the Reset Windows Store cache feature.

5] Reset Microsoft Store

If Microsoft Store is not working properly, open Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & Features > Locate Microsoft Store > Advanced options > Reset.

Windows cannot find ms-windows-store:PurgeCaches

If you receive an error –

Windows cannot find ms-windows-store:PurgeCaches, Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again

you need to re-register the Windows Store app by running the following command in an elevated command prompt window:

Or then – you may have to reset it using the Media Creation Tool.

Read: The Server Stumbled – Windows 10 Store error.

We hope the solutions mentioned above helped you overcome the issue of the Windows Store, not opening.

Date: February 14, 2019 Tags: Windows Store

Microsoft Store not downloading ANYTHING

Replies (4) 

My name is Andre Da Costa; an Independent Consultant, Windows Insider MVP and Windows & Devices for IT MVP. I’m here to help you with your problem.

Option 1:
Click Start > Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > Check for updates
Download and install any pending updates
Restart your computer

Option 2:
Download and run the problem solver for applications and the Windows Store: http://aka.ms/diag_apps10

Option 3:
Press Windows key + X
Click Windows PowerShell (Admin)
At the command prompt, type the following then hit Enter:

Get-AppXPackage *WindowsStore* -AllUsers | Foreach

— Open the store, click on the elipses (3 dots) in the upper right corner
— Click on «settings»
— Scroll down and under account, click on «Manage your devices» (this will open the browser)
— Remove un-used devices from this list that shows up if you have 10 in there already.

Option 4:
Delete all files in

Restart your computer

Try installing again.

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Could you confirm if this also happens in the default Administrator account?

Open Start
Type: cmd
Right click CMD
Click Run as administrator

At the command prompt, type:
net user administrator /active:yes

Close command prompt, restart, then try signing into the Administrator account.

Try installing your apps.

If the problem still persists.

Right click the MediaCreationTool.exe file then click Run as administrator.

Accept the End User License Agreement:

Select the option Upgrade this PC now if you want to upgrade right away,

Accept the End User License Agreement.

Wait while Windows 10 setup does one final check to ensure your system is ready.

Windows 10 setup will check if you have enough disk space.

Please note, you have the option of choosing what you would like to keep, which includes personal files, apps and settings.

If you want to perform a new install or just keep your files click Change what to keep. Once you have chosen the desired options, click Install to begin.

This will be your screen for a little while. During the installation, your computer will restart several times.

After the first restart, Windows 10 setup will resume. You will notice the setup experience has once again been refined from the previous animated circle. This will be your screen for a while. When complete, Windows 10 setup will restart automatically.

Sign into your account.

Wait while Windows 10 completes application updates and post setup tasks.

That’s it, the Windows 10 Feature Update is installed.You can check Windows Update for latest updates, click Start > Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > Check for Updates.

How to prepare your computer before upgrading?

Although updating to Windows 10 version 1903 is a relatively simple process, similar to a repair upgrade; users should perform some basic pre-requisites before initiating the upgrade.

If you are finding it difficult to carry out some of the steps described below, please review detailed instructions how to perform them:

Information in the above link is sourced from a trusted Microsoft MVP blog.

15 Ways to Fix Microsoft Store Not Down­load­ing Apps or Games Issue

Gaurav Bidasaria

19 Nov 2019

Microsoft Store (earlier known as Windows Store) is the official destination for Windows 10 apps. So, what happens when Microsoft Store stops downloading apps or games? While some developers do allow users to download the executable file directly from their site, not everyone does.

More and more developers are listing their apps on the Microsoft Store. It makes it so much easier to find and download apps. It’s also a great way to push updates and find new customers.

Let’s see what we can do. We will begin with some simple solutions first.

1. Update OS

You knew this was coming. Press Windows key+I to open Settings and click on Updates & Security.

That’s where you can look for new OS updates and install them. These are also recommended for security reasons.

2. Relaunch Store, Reboot Computer

This is a simple trick but sometimes works. It may happen due to a glitch or some random connection error. Close Microsoft Store and relaunch it to see if the download is working again or not. You may try rebooting your computer once before trying.

3. Internet Settings

Is your internet working? Is it fast enough? Check your Internet connection once to make sure. Try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network. You can use your mobile as a hotspot too. Fast.com is a good place to check download speeds. Check your router and all the wires.

4. Pending Downloads

Are there any pending downloads in the Microsoft Store? That is a common reason for delays. Your download won’t start until previous tasks are completed. Usually, Microsoft Store downloads 2-3 apps simultaneously but that may not be the case always. Open Microsoft Store and click on menu to open Downloads and updates.

You can see all pending and available downloads here. See if anything is in queue.

If you are in a hurry, cancel other downloads to give priority to the one that you need.

Also on Guiding Tech

6 Best Tricks for Using Microsoft Store on Your Windows 10 Computer

5. Date and Time

It’s a rare one but may happen to anyone. Check the date and time on your computer to make sure that it is correct. If not, that could be the reason why Microsoft Store is functioning erratically. In fact, wrong date and time often break apps that connect to the internet.

Right-click on time and select Adjust date/time to open settings and change it from there. You can also set it to automatic or manual, depending on which one is not working.

6. Storage Space

For a computer, Windows can be pretty dumb sometimes. Consider this. If you don’t have enough storage space in the download drive, you thought that Microsoft Store would calculate that before starting a download? Nope. It will begin the download and then stop halfway when it runs out of space. Well, you know what to do now.

See the next point for info on how to change app/game location.

7. Change Download Location

Here’s another reason to change your download location before starting a download. It is known to help with drive related errors. Open Settings again and click on Storage.

Select Change where new content is saved.

This is where you can change your default download location, often C: drive, to a different drive.

8. Troubleshooting

You can troubleshoot a lot of built-in features and apps. Open Settings and search for Find and fix problems with Microsoft Store Apps. This will also help with the store itself, as it is also an app.

Click on Apply repairs automatically and select Next to continue.

Follow on-screen instructions after this. You can also Find and fix network problems if you are facing it, using troubleshoot.

Another troubleshoot you should run is Windows Update which is closely related with Microsoft Store. Search for Find and fix problems with Windows Update.

Also on Guiding Tech

Windows 10 App Store Crashes at Launch: Try These 7 Fixes

9. Antivirus and Malware

Run an antivirus scan to make sure that your computer is not infected. It can not only steal your data but also break apps and system settings. Download and run Malwarebytes if you don’t already have it on your machine.

10. Clear Cache

Open Start menu and type ‘wsreset’ without quotes. Click on Run as administrator to run this command. Click Yes if you are asked to give admin rights. You will see the Command Prompt launch briefly.

It’s a window with a black background. This will clear Microsoft Store cache. You may have to sign back in. Do it and see if it fixes Microsoft Store not downloading apps or games error.

11. Reset Microsoft Store

Open Settings and click on Apps.

Search for Microsoft Store in the list and click on the name to reveal Advanced options.

Scroll a little and you will see the Reset button.

It is not required but I would recommend a reboot at this point. Check if app or games download are still pending or stuck in Microsoft Store.

12. Clean Boot and Safe Mode

There may be an app conflict which is responsible for Microsoft Store not downloading apps or games. Try both these methods to see if you can find the culprit.

13. Re-Register Microsoft Store

Search for and open Powershell with admin rights from the Search menu.

Enter the command below to re-register Microsoft Store on your computer. This can solve a lot of problems associated with the app.

14. Reset Windows Update

Type Services in the Start menu and click on Run as administrator.

Find Windows Update service, right-click on it and select Stop.

Open File Explorer and drill down to the folder structure below.

You are looking for a folder named SoftwareDistribution. Rename it to SoftwareDistribution.old.

Go back to the Services windows and restart the Windows Update service. Just like you stopped it. Try downloading that app or game from Microsoft Store again.

15. Restore or Reset Windows

Try restoring your computer if nothing else works. Try resetting your computer if restore doesn’t work. These two steps are often recommended as a last resort when nothing else solves a critical error or issue.

Fix it Up

Microsoft support has compiled a short list of troubleshooting steps if you are unable to install games in particular. These steps won’t work for apps. Do try them if nothing mentioned above works in your favor. As always, if you found another way or something does work, do share with us in the comments below.

Next up: If you can download apps from Microsoft Store but not getting desired speeds, click on the link below to learn what to do.

Last updated on 24 Nov, 2019
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

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Did You Know

Windows 10 is the last Windows since Microsoft is changing the approach of building and delivering OS.