I cannot install/search on Microsoft Store

Question

I cannot install/search on Microsoft Store

Adam Smith 20

It's been like this for a while, at first I thought it was because my account wasn't verified and I gotta wait for a whole month to change my email credentials. After I did it it's still not letting me install nor search any apps. When I try to get it on the web it also won't do it.

I've had tried

Check regional settings.
WSRESET
re-register microsoft store app.

I cannot run troubleshooter since the store option itself is missing.

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Answer accepted by question author

John DeV 164.6K Independent Advisor

Hi, good day!

When was the last time it worked properly?
Have you tried the AI suggested solutions?

Here are some of the things you can try.

If you have a third-party VPN or Antivirus installed, please try to temporarily uninstall it then check if the issue persists.
Please try changing your Region to United States if it helps.
Check the Microsoft Store Install Service

Press the Windows Key + S and type in services.msc.

Find the Microsoft Store Install Service and double click, If the status is Running, right click it then select Restart

If disabled, change it to Automatic, click Start and click OK.

Please try to run SFC and DISM to check for any system errors and corrupted files.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/using-system-file-checker-in-windows-10-365e0031-36b1-6031-f804-8fd86e0ef4ca

After that, restart your computer

Reset the Microsoft Store app

Press Start then search Microsoft Store

Right click it then select App settings

Click Terminate > Repair > Reset

I look forward to receiving your update and I'm willing to collaborate with you till we resolve the issue. Do keep me informed by clicking "Add comment" below.

Adam Smith 20 Reputation points

2026-05-25T14:59:39.3833333+00:00
Thank you for your help.

I cannot remember it as I don't install apps in the store very often, a wild guess would be somewhere around 2025.

The AI answer wasn't helpful as it is exactly what people have answered on similar issues (I've read and tried all of them prior to making this post)

The install service indeed is disabled, and then I ran SFC and DISM; after restarting, the store now function just fine without the problem I've had before. I didn't need to reset the store app to Install/search for an app in Microsoft Store.

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Adam Smith 20 Reputation points

2026-05-25T14:59:39.3833333+00:00

Thank you for your help.

I cannot remember it as I don't install apps in the store very often, a wild guess would be somewhere around 2025.

The AI answer wasn't helpful as it is exactly what people have answered on similar issues (I've read and tried all of them prior to making this post)

The install service indeed is disabled, and then I ran SFC and DISM; after restarting, the store now function just fine without the problem I've had before. I didn't need to reset the store app to Install/search for an app in Microsoft Store.

Answer 1

Use the following steps in order, since regional settings, WSRESET, and re-registering Store are already done:

Confirm Microsoft Store is present and not just unpinned
- Select Start and type Microsoft Store.
- If it appears, open it. If it works, right‑click and choose Pin to Start or Pin to taskbar so it’s easy to find later.
Make sure you are signed in with a Microsoft account
- On Windows 11, if signed in with a local account, Microsoft Store may not be available.
- Go to Settings > Accounts and ensure the device is using a Microsoft account. If not, switch to a Microsoft account and then try Store again.
Check if Store is disabled by policy (work/school devices)
- If this is a work or school PC, the administrator may have turned off Microsoft Store.
- In that case, contact the administrator to confirm that Store is allowed.
Reset Microsoft Store cache again from an elevated context
- Close Microsoft Store.
- Press Windows key + R, type wsreset.exe, and select OK.
- Wait for the blank Command Prompt window to close and for Microsoft Store to reopen automatically.
- Try searching and installing again.
Run the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter (Windows 10/11)
Even if the Store option seems missing in one place, use the direct troubleshooter entry point:
- Open Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot (Windows 10) or Settings > System > Troubleshoot (Windows 11).
- Select Additional troubleshooters (Windows 10) or Other troubleshooters (Windows 11).
- Find Windows Store Apps and select Run the troubleshooter.
Verify Microsoft Store is correctly registered for the user
- Open a non‑elevated PowerShell window.
- Run:
```
     Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.WindowsStore*
```
- If nothing is returned, open elevated PowerShell and run:
```
     Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.WindowsStore* -AllUsers
```
- If the package exists, register it for the current user (in non‑elevated PowerShell):
```
     Add-AppxPackage -RegisterByFamilyName -MainPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore_8wekyb3d8bbwe
```
- Sign out and sign back in, then test Store search and installs again.
Check network restrictions (firewall/proxy/strict filtering)
- If using a strict router filter, parental controls, VPN, or proxy, temporarily disable them or loosen filtering and test Store again.
- Ensure the PC can reach Microsoft Store endpoints; otherwise downloads/search may silently fail.

If Store still cannot search or install after these steps, collect any error codes/messages that appear and use Feedback Hub (Start > search Feedback Hub) to submit feedback while signed in with the Microsoft account.

References:

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I cannot install/search on Microsoft Store

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