Microsoft Store disappeared after Windows 10 update: causes and solutions

The disappearance of the Microsoft Store after a Windows 10 update is an uncommon problem, but it has become increasingly common lately. Without the Windows Store, users cannot download new apps and update outdated ones. At the same time, accompanying errors often appear with codes: 0x80131500 or 0x803fb005.

In most cases, the Microsoft Store icon is either missing or moved to a random directory. And while the source of the problem may seem quite obvious – a failed update, often the problem can be associated with corrupted system files or incorrectly installed updates, for example, due to a power outage.

Solution 1: Run the Windows Store app troubleshooter

If you’re having any issues with the Microsoft Store, the first step is to check and troubleshoot with the built-in tool.

1. Right click on the Windows icon and select Control Panel.
2. Open the Update & Security section and go to settings.
3. On the left, select the Troubleshoot tab, and on the right, scroll to Windows Store Apps.
4. If you don’t see Troubleshooters in the list on the right, click More troubleshooters.
5. Next, run the Troubleshooter and wait for the process to finish.
6. Reboot your system and see if that helps.

Solution 2: Re-register Microsoft Store

How to do:

1. Right click on the Windows icon and select PowerShell (Admin).
2. In the pop-up window of User Account Control, click “Yes”.
3. In the system preferences window, enter the following command:
4. Get-AppXPackage * WindowsStore * -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$ ($ _. InstallLocation) \ AppXManifest.xml”}
5. Hit enter
6. When the process is complete, restart your computer.

Solution 3. Run the WSreset command

Instructions:

1. Right click on the Windows icon and select Run.
2. In the window that opens, enter WSreset and click OK.
3. A black pop-up window should appear for a short time – do not close it.
4. Once it disappears, Microsoft Store will restart and launch automatically.

Solution 4. Reset the Store via Apps and features

A more advanced method to reset Microsoft Store is through the Apps & Features section. This option should help if the previous solution didn’t work.

1. Right-click on the Windows icon and select Control Panel.
2. Go to the Applications & Features section.
3. Scroll down until you find Microsoft Store and click Advanced options.
4. Click Reset and then reboot.

Solution 5. Fix damaged system files

The Microsoft Store icon may be missing if Windows system files are damaged. In this case, scanning and fixing system files will help fix the situation.

1. Right-click on the Windows icon and select Command Prompt (Admin).
2. In the new window enter the command: sfc / scannow
3. Hit Enter.
4. After the scan is completed, a list of found errors and messages about their correction will be presented.
5. Restart your computer and check if that fixed the Microsoft Store issue.

Solution 6. Uninstall and reinstall the latest Windows update

Since the error in most cases occurs due to problems with the update, it is worth trying to reinstall it.

1. Go to the Control Panel (RMB on the Windows icon).
2. Select the Windows Update section.
3. Go to the View update log tab.
4. Sort the list by date so that the latest updates are at the top.
5. Uninstall the updates marked with the date after which the Microsoft Store problems started.
6. Then go back to the previous tab and click on the right side Search for updates.
7. Wait for them to download and install, and then reboot.

Solution 7. Use System Restore

If none of the above helped fix the missing Windows Store, you should restore the system to a previous state when everything was working fine. This process does not remove personal files, but you may need to reinstall some applications. It is worth noting that game saves are stored in a separate folder, and nothing threatens them. Although the games themselves, if they were installed after the restore point, will be deleted.

1. Right click on the Windows icon and select Control Panel.
2. Go to the Recovery section.
3. Select Start System Restore.
4. In the next window, click Next.
5. Select a restore point when Windows Store was working fine and click next.
6. Wait for the restoration process to complete.

Note: The system recovery process is accompanied by a restart of the computer, so save and close all running documents and applications.