Windows 8 App Store won't open

I followed these instructions and when I went to my settings the "LAN" box that you want us to "Uncheck" was already "unchecked."  I think what would be most helpful would be a customer service telephone number where we could talk to a person who works for Microsoft, even if we have to pay for the privilege.  I have seen many posts and discussion threads about this issue, tried the solutions I could understand, and still I receive the error message about being unable to connect to the store because of a network connection problem (I don't have a network, I am working on a PC connected directly to the Interent) or because of a connection timeout (which makes no sense because the connection is working and the store screen came up immediately upon clicking on the tile from the Start screen).

Hi Laura,

We will get this error 0x80072efd when there is a connection interruption between your PC and the Windows Update service or if you are using a proxy server. Here are a few methods you can try to resolve this problem.

Method 1: Run the Windows Update troubleshooter.

Open and run the Windows Update Troubleshooter to automatically fix the problem.

If the issue persists, then check if you are using any proxy settings to connect to the Internet. If yes, then go ahead with the next method to disable it.

Method 2: Disable the Proxy Settings.

If you are connected to the Internet using the proxy settings, then the Windows 8.1 Apps cannot connect to the Internet and thus they do not work properly as expected. So, we need to check and disable the proxy settings in the computer. Follow these steps to disable the proxy settings and check if it helps.

a) Press “Windows Logo” + “R” keys on the keyboard, type “inetcpl.cpl” and press “Enter”.

b) Click the “Connections” tab, and then click “LAN settings”.

c) Uncheck the “Use a proxy server for your LAN” check box.

d) Click “Ok”.

In most of the cases, some third party security software (Norton) and firewall can interfere with the connection and causes such issues. I would suggest you to temporarily disable Norton software/firewall and check.

Important Note: Antivirus software can help protect your computer against viruses and other security threats. In most cases, you shouldn't disable your antivirus software. If you have to temporarily disable it to install other software, you should re-enable it as soon as you're done. If you're connected to the Internet or a network while your antivirus software is disabled, your computer is vulnerable to attacks.

If the issue persists, you may download and install the following update and check if it makes any difference.

Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 update rollup: January 2014.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2911106/en-us

Please post the results and we will be glad to assist you.

Okay, I've gone through all of the troubleshooting and everything above that it says. My time & date is set. I've troubleshooted, restarted, and cleared cache. This is getting extremely irritating. Proxy server is unchecked. Everything you said I tried and none has worked so far.

I have a similar problem with 8.1 and after following th steps above for windows update troubleshooter and lansettings, I am still not able to connect to any apps or to update windows

I have a similar problem with my laptop...some of the metro tiles will not work, the store wont open to let me update any of them, the change pc settings tab will not work , and when I get the option to upgrade to windows 8.1 it wont do it....I have scoured the internet for a fix and tried all of the suggestions that you gave and it still wont work ....I am at my wits end and think its time that Microsoft brought out a fix that will work for these problems....PLEASE HELP......When I say I have tried all the fix suggestions I mean it so please don't suggest the ones that you have, already ....