Windows 10: Windows 8.1: Microsoft Store apps continue to work, but..

Most Windows users know by know that the operating systems Windows 7 and 8.1 will reach end of support by Microsoft on January 10, 2023. The first Patch Day of 2023 is also the last day updates are released officially for these operating systems. While there is a chance that Microsoft will release a critical update to address a major security issue, as it has done in the past, it will be an exception and not the rule.



Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system was the first system Microsoft's online store launched on. Users could download and install applications and games using it, and make purchases.

Microsoft confirmed that the downloaded apps and games will continue to work. In other words: there is no killswitch that is blocking these programs from running on Windows 8.1 machines after January 10, 2023. New app purchases or in-app purchases are no longer supported after the January 2023 Patch Day. Microsoft makes no mention of free apps and games, and whether these remain available for download and installation after January 10, 2023.

"Will I be able to continue using the apps and games I have installed from Microsoft Store on my Windows 8.1 PC?"

"You can install new apps and games on a Windows 8.1 PC from Microsoft Store until January 10, 2023, and you can continue to use installed apps and games on a Windows 8.1 PC after that date. You will not be able to make any new app purchases or any in-app purchases after January 10, 2023. Installed apps and games will receive publisher updates through June 30, 2023 (or later if support is provided independently by the developer). After updates are no longer available, app quality and usability may be degraded. Customers who move to a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC can use and reinstall previously purchased apps and games on their new or upgraded PC."
​

Microsoft confirmed also that apps and games will receive publisher updates until June 2023, provided that publishers produce updates for these apps and games. Some publishers may support games for longer, even, which Microsoft describes vaguely as providing updates independently.

The quality of apps may deteriorate over time, and some functions may not work properly anymore due to a lack of updates, according to Microsoft.

Customers who want to retain access to apps and games, and continue to receive updates for them, need to update their machines to Windows 10 or 11 to do so. If that is not possible, buying a new PC with Windows 10 or 11 is another option, as apps and games are tied to a Microsoft Account and not a device. Free and purchased apps and games may be installed on new Windows systems, provided that these are supported on these systems.

It is unclear how successful, or not, the built-in store was on Windows 8. Did many Windows 8 users download and install apps and games from the Store, or was it only a minority?

At least some third-party developers have already announced whether they will continue to support their programs on Windows 8.1 and 7. Google will drop Chrome support in January 2023 as well, while Mozilla may extend support for at least several months.

Now You: have you ever downloaded and installed games or apps from the Microsoft Store?

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Microsoft is purging a lot of low quality apps from the Windows Store

"Microsoft is sending emails to some Windows Store developers informing them that their apps have been removed from the Store for violating its quality standards."

"Neowin reports that app developers have been receiving these emails over the past couple of days:

In its latest review of the Store, Microsoft is evaluating if the published apps are good enough to be listed in the Windows Store. This includes publicly available apps as well as private beta apps. Additionally, Microsoft is also asking developers to delete any promotional campaigns for their apps to prevent advertising charges. Similarly, app name reservations are also being nullified; which means that if your app is unpublished, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to republish it under the same name.

Officially, the policies for the Microsoft Store says that apps must have "distinct and informative metadata" and "provide a valuable and quality user experience". There are also some specific standards that must be in the apps, including having a name that is not similar to another app or device, along with offering a description that is accurate about its features and functions.

There have certainly been many Windows Store users who have complained over the years about the large number of apps published that are clones of other apps or ones that are simply poorly made. Hopefully, this new move by Microsoft will help to curb these issues, at least for now."

Microsoft is purging a lot of low quality apps from the Windows Store

 

Windows 8 Gets "Overwhelmingly Negative" Response from Vendors, Expectations Plummet

Apps listed in the Store need to be approved by MS, otherwise you can download/install apps the same as you did on Windows 7. All "Metro" apps though must be installed by using the Store, afaik anyways.

 

The Microsoft Store, and the Xbox app doesn't work!

Hi,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



I understand that you are unable to launch Microsoft Store, Xbox app and GameBar. I’ll certainly help you with this issue.



However, please let us know:

• Do you receive any error message?
  
• Are you aware of any changes made to the computer recently?
  
• Which build version of Windows 10 are you using currently? To check type:
  winver in the search bar on the Taskbar and hit
  Enter.
  

Meanwhile, I would suggest you to refer the steps mentioned below:



For issues with launching Microsoft Store, I would suggest you to refer the steps mentioned in the article

Microsoft Store doesn't launch.



Method 1: Store app troubleshooter



I would suggest you to run the Store app troubleshooter and check. Refer the steps mentioned below:

1. Press Windows Logo key + I, to open Settings.
   
2. Click on Update & Security and select Troubleshoot from the left pane.
   
3. Scroll down, click on Windows Store apps and select Run the troubleshooter.
   
4. Follow the on-screen instructions.
   

Method 2: Re-register apps



If Store app troubleshooter doesn’t work, I would suggest you to try re-registering the apps using PowerShell. Refer the steps mentioned below:

1. Press Windows Logo key + X, and select
   Windows PowerShell (Admin).
   
2. Paste the following command and press Enter:
   Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
   
3. Once the process is complete, restart the computer and check.
   

Method 3: New user account



If re-registering the apps didn’t work, try creating a new user account and check if the issue persists. Refer the article
Create
a local user or administrator account in Windows 10



Let us know the results.



Regards,

Nikhar Khare

Microsoft Community - Moderator