Windows 10: Windows Store is missing and I can't reinstall it

Hello, All,

I have a Dell 5748 laptop, which I purchased in late 2014 with Windows 8.1. About 8 months ago, I upgraded it to Windows 10 using the free upgrade offered by Microsoft. Everything updated fine, the new apps all worked fine and life was good. The current Windows version is build 10586.164.

Subsequently, the Calculator app stopped working. It would open, but an attempt to press any key would cause it to close, or it would close on its own. After spending many hours trying to resolve this, I went to the Store and downloaded another calculator, which worked fine until recently.

Most recently, the new downloaded calculator started acting the same way. Going into the store, I found that I had 22 updates to a variety of apps that would not download. When I manually released them, they would start to install, displaying:

- Acquiring License
- Downloading
- Installing

As the status bar neared the right, it would seem to stop near the 85% area. After a long delay, I would get an error that either said "Try that again" or "Give us a few minutes". There were three different error codes from the 22 app updates. "Try that again" errors resulted in either 0x80073CF0 or 0x80070490. "Give us a few minute errors" resulted in 0x80246007 errors.

If I entered the Store, it would not download other apps, running for a while and then giving one of the above error messages. The Store started closing on its own without reason. I tried numerous suggestions from my internet research, including resetting the Store, and one of those involved uninstalling and reinstalling the Store application via PowerShell. It uninstalled fine, but would not reinstall, so now I have no Store.

Please note that Windows 10 updates automatically and without difficulty. Running SFC results in no issues found. An attempt to replace the image as Adminstrator found two problems which were corrected, but this still didn't help.

My attempt to reinstall the preinstalled apps results in the following error. (I captured it as an image so I am retyping it here, just in case I make an error...):

Add-AppxPackage : Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x80073CF6, Package could not be registered.
error 0x80070490: Cannot process the Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_10.1601.49020.0_X64__8wekyb3d8bbwe package because the following error was encountered while retrieving the 1 property for the value 'ms-resource:AppStoreName': Element not found.

I have tried restoring to a previous restore point, but this did not help.

I could reset Windows, but since the Office applications came preinstalled with Windows 8.1, I am not sure what kind of issues I will have with reinstalling them, so have avoided this so far. Plus, the problem seems so esoteric that I am not sure this would fix it. I have reviewed many of the posts on the Store subject here, and have tried most of them.

So I am at a loss as to my next step, and thought I would ask for expert help. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Charlie

:)

 

Can't open the Windows Store

And this is not the only problem, I can't open photos with the program they gave, it says there was a problem because something is missing ("THIS APP CAN'T OPEN check the Windows Store for more info"). So I tried to open the store T__T but it won't let me
do that either. Anyone knows what's going on?

It says afterwards "try reinstalling the application to fix the problem." So I need to reinstall Windows 10? .___________."

 

Windows store app is gone and cannot reinstall it.

'kot',

From 1st hand experience I can give you a 'FIX' for your issue. You will have to use Win10 media & run it as a Repair. Just be sure to tell it to keep everything. All your data & everything else stays intact but, it will bring the APPs (including Store)
back to normal. There is no need to do a "fresh install".

What I am suggesting will/does fix your issue.

Cheers,

Drew

 

Hi Charlie, I think you should try a repair install, you will NOT use your Office or any installed app, personal files. Here is the link to explain it for you.
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

 

Once you fix your Windows Store, then I would suggest you make a complete image backup, store this on a external drive, or a 2nd internal drive. Most of us use Macrium Reflect Free version. Here is the link for this program.
Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free
You should always make image backups regularly when your Windows 10 is running well, with no problems.

 

Hi, Mike,

Thank you for the reply. I will try a repair install, as you suggest.

Thank you also for the suggestion on the complete image backup. I will definitely do that once I get the system working correctly. I have a few questions about what the image contains, but that is secondary to fixing the problem and I can always ask those later...

Thanks,
Charlie

 

No problem Charlie, that image backup will contain everything on your C-Drive. This is insurance for you incase something gets messed up in the future. Like the problem you have now, if you had made a image backup, you could have restored your last good backup and your store would be back to working, without having to do any Windows Repair. *Smile

 

Hi, Mike,

Re the image, Perfect! That's what I was hoping.

Thanks,
Charlie

 

Mike,

Many thanks for all your help... the Repair Update worked and solved all the issues with the Windows Store! Now to make an image backup...

Thanks again,
Charlie

 

That's Great News Charlie!!! *Thumbs

 

Hi, Mike and any others...

As I stated above, I successfully resolved my issues by doing a Windows 10 Repair Update, as described in the documents here on the Ten Forums. BUT I stupidly ran the update from my Download folder, which is where the Windows 10 ISO file downloaded to. I guess I was assuming that this file would not actually be used to RUN Windows. When I tried to delete it, I found it was in use. So... except for repeating the Windows 10 update from a different folder, is there a way to move this file? If not, I'll leave it in downloads with a note to myself that it has to stay there.

Thanks,
Charlie

 

You should have had to MOUNT that iso in your downloads folder in order to run the setup file. So, you now need to Unmount that drive where windows is .....should be an extra drive letter listed, find that extra drive letter then right click to unmount that drive. That should close the windows folder.

Also might be a good idea once its closed to keep a copy of that windows iso, incase you need it again. OR MS releases a newer version of the iso.

 

Hi, Mike,

I did have to mount the ISO file, but I have already dismounted it. Here is the drop-down.





When I attempt to move it in this state, I get the following message:





I interpret this to mean that the file is in use somewhere. Any thoughts?

I am having an issue with Macrium Reflect, too. (The Rescue Media created fine, but my first attempt at creating a full image resulted in the error "Backup aborted! - Volume Snapshot Failed for Volume - F:" Volume F seems to be the NTFS volume.)





Thanks again for all your help...

Charlie

 

try logging into safe mode and then delete the iso...see if that works.....also why you are having problems with Macrium....file is open.
If booting into safe mode don't work....we will have to try booting from a usb drive with another program. but 1st try safe mode.

 

Hi, Mike,

I read in a post somewhere that simply rebooting could eliminate the problem with Macrium, so I did so, and it worked. The backup completed successfully. But maybe that was because I made sure all other applications were closed before attempting the backup.

I will try safe mode to move the ISO, as you say it might be useful to have in the future.

Thanks again for all your help. Sorry I seem to have become your personal albatross! *chuckle

Thanks,
Charlie