Windows 10: Blocking Specific Windows Store Apps from changes

Hi all!
I have been having issues with third party Windows Store apps. I am running Windows 10 Pro, version 1607. The specific apps in question are Wifi Commander (which I purchased) and Netflix apps, but any third party app I try to install has the same issue. The problem I'm having is that when installing, I get a licensing error, 0xC004C007, and then the installation fails. FYI, this is the first time I've ever tried to install ANY of the Windows store apps on my computer.
I've tried every potential fix I could find on-line. I don't want to list them all for brevity purposes, but trust me, I've tried them all. I even contacted an MS tech who took control of my computer, tried several fixes and then finally told me to use the media creation tool to update my computer. That worked and was able to install and use the apps mentioned earlier, but when I restarted my computer, I was back to square one where when I opened either app, it displayed for about 1 second then crashed.
So with this said, I'm tired of wasting my time trying the myriad of so-called solutions on-line or using the MS media creation tool to repair my computer, all for 2 apps, only to have them crash the next time I turn my computer on. If I keep my computer powered without ever restarting, then yes the apps are good to go but is not a realistic solution. I don't know what changes are being made to these apps making them do this. It's definitely not changes I'm making unless you call clicking the power button to shut off my computer a change.
I rambled too much. How can I block changes from being made to the apps (such as changes/deletion of registry values, etc..)? I don't know what else I can do except try to block changes to them, if that's possible. If no updates or any other changes are made to them, they should work as they did before I shut off my computer correct? It's so ridiculous that this may be the solution I will have to resort to. Unbelievable.

Thank you!!

:)

 

Folder Does Not Exist

Hello,

It could be that an application is blocking or interfering with the downloading of the app on your device. For us to see if it is a general issue in downloading apps in Windows 10, kindly attempt to download a different app through your browser or through
the Microsoft Store.

If it is specific to the app that you are downloading, we suggest that you contact the app developer.

We look forward to an update from you.

 

How Can we Block Unwanted apps in our windows Phone store?

You can't block viewing any apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace....The Marketplace is external to the phone and not under the phone's control. However, if you are referring to the "STORE" screen that you see when you first tap the Marketplace tile, those are
like marquee signs that highlight specific apps....they change on a daily basis, so you won't be seeing the tiles for those apps in that space for very long before a new display is presented.

I don't every linger over that screen or any of the other views in the Marketplace. When I go to the Marketplace, it's usually because I'm looking for a specific app, so I tap the search icon on the bottom of the screen and go from there.

 

Hi, Please note that universal apps use a different paradigm. They do not use exe's, do not take parameters, and use no registry entries.

Universal apps are updated by a scheduled task, set to run every 4 hours.

I don't know of a way to stop changes to particular apps, but you could stop all changes, if you really wished to. That may mean some stop working properly eventually, or become out of date.

Store Update Apps Automatically - Turn On or Off in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Personal view: find an equivalent desktop program.

- that could well stop changes being saved.

I can't comment on licensing issues as I know nothing about that. Can you install a new free store app successfully? If not, this suggests a deeper problem, not just a licensing issue.

 

Thanks for your reply dalchina. No I am not able to install a free app. For example, Netflix will not install. I get licensing error 0xC0EA0003. The only time I am able to install any third party app and have it work, free or not, is when I use the Microsoft Media Creation tool to update/repair. The apps install and work perfectly until I turn off or restart my computer. That's when the 3rd party apps open for 1 second and then immediately close. If I uninstall the app and reinstall it via Windows Store, I then get the licensing error previously mentioned. NOTE, none of the built-in Windows apps do this. They all work perfectly. The problems is only with the 3rd party apps.

I've tried the following solutions found online where none of them worked:
1. reset Windows Store with wsreset.exe
2. Made sure Date, Time & Time Zone info was correct
3. Ran sfc /scannow where is showed there were no issues
4. Used PowerShell to re-register the store:
PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + '\AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}
also tried the following modification of it:
Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
5. Made sure I was up to date with Windows Updates
6. Used Windows Update & Windows Store Apps troubleshooters

There were a few other fixes I tried but those failed also. Does anyone have any idea why this could be happening?

 

Searching the site for 'can't install apps' (not exactly your case though) offers e.g.
Can't install apps from windows store. - Windows 10 Forums
Solved Can't install or update store apps - Windows 10 Forums
Solved Cannot install or update Apps Windows Store , error 80073DOA - Windows 10 Forums
- might suggest something.

Otherwise I would suggest you try an in-place upgrade repair install (unless that's what you've already done- your reference to the media creation tool). You might be very lucky and find a specific solution, but you could spend a long time and not get very far.

You might for example try various repairs offered by Tweaking.com's free cautious repair tool. It sounds as though you may have some permission errors, and the tool offers repairs for those as well as the store (maybe what you've tried).

General recovery options might include system restore (if you have it on, have a suitable restore point and it actually works) and the very highly recommended option of restoring a disk image if you had discovered how valuable that can be (see below).

Precede it with this in case sthg has happened to your file system:

From an admin command prompt
[Windows key + X, click command prompt (admin)]
chkdsk C: /F
Your PC will need to restart.
Make sure the result is clear or fixed- else do not proceed.
Post back the result, which you can get after a restart as follows:
How do I see the results of a CHKDSK that ran on boot? - Ask Leo!

An In-place upgrade repair install will fix many things, but not those where the settings are not changed by the procedure.

For this you need an installation medium with the same base build as you have installed, and x64 if you have a 64 bits OS, else x86 (32 bits).

Recommendation:
Before you perform the following major repair procedure, do create a disk image (see below).

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade - Windows 10 Forums
- this includes a link from which you can obtain Windows 10 iso file (" download a Windows 10 ISO"), or create a bootable medium.

I would recommend creating the bootable medium, as this can be used
- for any future in-place upgrade repair install
- to boot from and use its recovery options should Windows become unbootable.
- to clean install Windows

This will refresh Windows, after the manner of a Windows installation.
- all/most associations will be unchanged
- all your programs will be left installed
- no personal data should be affected
- you will lose any custom fonts
- you will lose any customised system icons
- you may need to re-establish your Wi-Fi connection
- you will need to redo Windows updates subsequent to the build you have used for the repair install
- Windows.old will be created
- system restore will be turned off- you should turn it on again and I recommend you manually schedule a daily restore point.
- you will need to redo any language downloads including the display language if you changed that)
- inactive title bar colouring (if used) will be reset to default
- if Qttabbar is installed, you need to re-enable it in explorer (Options, check Qttabbar)
This is one of the better features of Win10: as each major build comes out, that's your updated reference build, and as updates are mostly cumulative, there will be few to do.


Please consider using disk imaging regularly. It's a brilliant way to
- preserve your system (and your sanity)
- back up your data
- restore your system to a previously working state in a relatively short time

Recommended: Macrium Reflect (free/commercial) + boot disk/device + large enough external storage medium.

 

Thanks for the reply dalchina.

I should have be more clear. When I mentioned I used MS's Media Creation tool, I used it to do an in-place repair install. As mentioned it worked fixing my 3rd party apps issue, but shutting down or restarting my computer basically erases the fix that the in-place repair just made. I actually tried all the solutions from the links you provided with no luck. I actually do use Macrium Reflect to save an image of my HD.

I have not tried chkdsk C: /F but will to see if that helps.

After looking into this further, I noticed that I do not have the WinStore folder that is located at C:\Windows\Winstore as discussed by a few sites I came across. Several people mentioned that they also did not have this folder but I didn't read anything that gave a clear reason as to why this was or what to do to replace this folder. Am I supposed to have this folder in Windows 10 Pro? If so, this may be my problem.

 

Mm.. I don't either... now I feel I want one...maybe *chuckle
I think this is Windows 8 related from a quick read, but it's not obvious. I've not had any problems with apps, and they update regularly.

Lots of discussion and ways to reinstall the Store here, which also refers to Winstore but no definitive comment I can see:
Solved How to reinstall Store. - Page 4 - Windows 10 Forums

Odd that an in-place upgrade repair didn't fix the problem.

 

The in-place repair does fix the problem the first time I get back into windows 10 after the repair but something happens the very next time I either shutdown or restart my computer. The sequence of events occurs as follows:

• Perform an in-place repair using Microsoft's Media Creation tool
• The first time I'm back up and running in Windows 10 Pro right after the in-place repair, all apps, both built-in and 3rd party, work with absolutely no issues.
• If I either restart or shutdown from this point, my third party apps will stop working. They will open for approx. 1 second then immediately close.
• The only way to get the third party apps working again is to do an in-place Media Creation tool repair AGAIN where if I restart/shutdown, the problem starts all over again. It seems to be a loop I can't get out of.

This is the oddest thing I've ever come across. Typically I am able to find a fix for my computer issues but this one has me completely stumped.

 

Hi, you might try the various permissions repairs (registry and folders) using Tweaking.com's free cautious repair tool. (easy to find)
Note the backup stages, safest to create/update a disk image beforehand.

Another thought could be to try a clean boot, then an in-place upgrade repair, and retry, in case there's something running that's having this effect.

And could you boot to safe mode after a repair install, and see whether your apps run?