Reinstall Microsoft Store: A Step-By-Step Comprehensive Guide

Microsoft Store is the built-in app store for Windows 10 and 11. If it is not working properly, you can reinstall Microsoft Store on your computer with just a few clicks.

As you’d assume, the Microsoft Store makes it easy to search, install, update, manage, and uninstall apps on Windows. All it takes is a single click to install, update, or uninstall. You don’t have to go through third-party installers, updaters, or uninstallers. Most of all, Microsoft Store can automatically update all your apps in the background—no need to do it yourself manually.

To put it simply, Microsoft Store streamlines the entire app installation experience. Though it doesn’t have a lot of apps compared to other app stores, it is still growing. To get you started, I’ve already listed a few best Microsoft Store apps you should try on your Windows computer. Do check out the list.

If you are facing problems with Microsoft Store, reinstalling it is the easiest way to fix it. In this article, I will show you two ways to reinstall Microsoft Store on Windows. Follow either of the methods, and it will be done in a jiffy.

Table of contents:

1. How to reinstall Microsoft Store on Windows
   1. Reinstall Microsoft Store from the Settings app
   2. PowerShell command to reinstall Microsoft Store
   3. Video guide on reinstalling Microsoft Store
2. Reasons for reinstalling Microsoft Store
3. Common errors while reinstalling Microsoft Store
4. Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
5. Conclusion

How to Reinstall Microsoft Store on Windows

There are two ways to reinstall Microsoft Store on Windows; I will show both of them. The first one is via the Settings app. The method is beginner friendly and can be done with just a few clicks. The second method requires you to execute a simple one-line PowerShell command. This method is useful if you cannot use the first method or to create custom scripts, or for power users who don’t mind using PowerShell commands.

1.1 Reinstall Windows Store App from Settings App

Microsoft Store is just like any other app on your computer. That means you can reinstall or reset Microsoft Store from the Settings app. The best thing about this method is that you don’t have to mess with the Command Prompt or PowerShell. Moreover, you can reinstall almost any Store app using this method.

1. Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Go to the Apps and then to the Installed Apps page.
3. Find the Microsoft Store app.
4. Click on the menu icon.
5. Select the Advanced options option.
6. Press the Reset button.
7. Click the Reset button again.
8. Close the Settings app.
9. Optionally, reboot your computer.
10. With that, you’ve reinstalled Microsoft Store on Windows.

First, open the Settings app on your Windows computer. You can do that by pressing the keyboard shortcut Start key + I. Alternatively, you can also open the Settings app by searching for it in the Start Menu or clicking on the “Settings” button in the Quick Settings panel.

Once the Settings app opens, click “Apps” on the sidebar and go to the “Installed Apps” page. Windows 10 users navigate to the “Apps -> Apps & features” page. Here, find the Microsoft Store app, click on the Menu icon (…), and select the Advanced Options option.

Windows 10 users should click on the Microsoft Store entry and then click on the “Advanced Options” link.

The above action will open the Advanced Options page of the Microsoft Store app. Here, scroll down the page and click on the “Reset” button.

The settings page will show a confirmation prompt. Click on the “Reset” button again.

As soon as you click on the reset button, Windows will try to reinstall the store app. It might take a few seconds to complete the process. Once the Microsoft Store is successfully reinstalled, you will see a small checkmark next to the “Reset” button.

1.2 PowerShell command to reinstall Microsoft Store

If, for some reason, the above method did not work for you or if you just want to mess with the command line, you can easily reinstall the Microsoft Store app using PowerShell. All you have to do is execute a single line of command.

Here’s the PowerShell command to reinstall Microsoft Store:

1. Right-click on the Start icon on the taskbar.
2. Select Terminal (Admin) from the Win + X menu.
3. Run the below command in the PowerShell tab in Terminal.
4. Close the Terminal window.
5. With that, you’ve reinstalled Microsoft Store using PowerShell.

You need administrative privileges to reinstall or reset the store app using PowerShell. So, right-click on the Start icon on the Taskbar and select the “Terminal (Admin)” option. Windows 10 users can search for “PowerShell” in the start menu, right-click on it and select the “Run as Administrator” option.

In the Terminal/PowerShell window, paste the below command and press the Enter key on your keyboard to execute it.

 Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.WindowsStore | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

As soon as you execute the command, PowerShell will initiate the process and reinstalls the Microsoft Store app within a few seconds.

That’s it. You are done reinstalling the store app on Windows.

Command Explanation:

For those who are interested, here is a quick explanation of what the command you just executed is doing.

We are first getting the Microsoft Store package using the Get-AppxPackage applet. Then we are passing it to Add-AppxPackage, which in turn reinstalls the Microsoft store app on your Windows computer for all users. It is that simple.

1.3 Video Guide on Reinstalling Microsoft Store

I made a small YouTube video of the entire process of reinstalling the Microsoft Store on Windows. The guide shows the steps in Windows 10 but will also work in Windows 11.

Reasons for Reinstalling Microsoft Store

There are several reasons why you might want to reset or reinstall the Store in Windows 10 or 11. Here are a few common reasons that you might encounter in your daily usage.

1. Microsoft Store is not opening or responding: One of the most common reasons why you might want to reinstall the Microsoft Store is that the app is not opening or responding. This can be frustrating, especially if you rely on the Store to download and manage your apps.
2. Missing or corrupted files: Sometimes, Microsoft Store may be missing certain files or have corrupted files that prevent it from working properly. Reinstalling the app can help replace these files and get the app up and running again.
3. Update issues: If you’re having trouble updating apps through Microsoft Store, it might be worth reinstalling the app. This can help fix any issues with the update process and ensure that you have access to the latest versions of your favorite apps.
4. Uninstallation: In some cases, users might have accidentally uninstalled Microsoft Store or other built-in Windows apps. Reinstalling the app can help restore it to its default state and ensure that you have access to all its features and functionality.
5. Malware or virus infections: If your computer has been infected with malware or viruses, it’s possible that Microsoft Store might be affected as well. Reinstalling the app can help remove any malicious code and ensure that your computer is clean and secure.

Common Errors While Reinstalling Microsoft Store

The methods shown above should work for most people, and the Microsoft store will be reinstalled. However, some might receive errors like the one shown below.

Add-AppxPackage : Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x80073CF6, Package could not be registered. error 0x80070057: While processing the request, the system failed to register the windows.applyDataExtension extension.

Package could not be registered. Merge Failure : error 0x80070003 : Cannot register the Microsoft.WindowsStore_2015.23.23.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe package because there was a merge failure.

Error 0x80070057: Cannot register the request because the following error was encountered during the registration of the windows.applyDataExtension extension: The parameter is incorrect.

An internal error occurred with error 0x80070002.

In these errors, you have to create a new user account and migrate to it. This is because the Store file might be corrupted and cannot be reset for the current user account. When you create a new user account, Windows installs all the applications from scratch for that new user account; this includes the Microsoft Store app.

Unless you’ve installed user-specific applications, migrating to a new user account on your Windows computer shouldn’t be that much of a problem.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are a few frequently asked questions about Microsoft Store and its reinstallation process:

Reinstalling Microsoft Store on Windows — Conclusion

As you can see, the entire process of reinstalling the Store app on Windows 10 and 11 is pretty easy. You can either use the Settings app or the PowerShell command. The setting app method works for almost all users. If not, you can try and follow the PowerShell command method. This method is useful if you want to be a bit more forceful or create a custom script.

No matter which method you choose, the Microsoft Store will be reinstalled immediately.

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That is all. It is that simple to reinstall Microsoft Store on Windows.

I hope this simple and easy Windows how-to guide helped you.

If you are stuck or need help, send an email, and I will try to help as much as possible.

Below are some other helpful articles to fix different issues in Windows 10 & 11.

• Antimalware service executable high CPU usage issue.
• 0x80244018 error in Microsoft Store.
• Start menu issues in Windows 10.
• Master boot record errors in Windows 10.
• Windows and Linux showing different time when dual booting issue.