Microsoft Store and various apps don't work in Windows 10 version 1903

Anonymous
2019-07-29T01:52:34+00:00

Since old threads tend to get locked, not allowing more replies, let me say to anyone who comes here from a Google search:

It doesn't look like this problem is going to get solved.  It looks like the Windows installation has to be scrapped and a new clean install from scratch has to be done, followed by reinstalling all applications and repeating all settings of all applications etc.

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Here's the original question:

Microsoft Store and around a dozen other applications don't run.  I tried a lot of things including doing an in-place upgrade from Windows 10 1903 to Windows 10 1903 keeping all files and apps.  What it kept was the inability of these applications to run.

Start - Settings - Applications shows around a dozen unnamed applications attributed to Microsoft Corporation.  However, Microsoft Store itself is not one of these.  Microsoft Store is displayed in the list of applications, but doesn't have any size (not 0 bytes, but no size displayed at all), and was updated 2019/06/04.

The command wsreset gives an error message.  The specified device, path, or file cannot be accessed.  There is a possibility that the item can't be accessed because of a permissions problem.  However, I've observed that the Windows folder doesn't contain the subfolder needed by Microsoft Store.  The in-place reinstallation of Windows 10 1903 did not create the necessary subfolders.

sfc /scannnow etc. also do not create the necessary subfolders.

This PC originally ran Windows 7 Pro Japanese and subsequently Windows 10 Pro Japanese.  No other language version has ever been installed on this PC.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Microsoft Store

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-08-13T13:55:52+00:00

    I added a new user on this PC and made it a Microsoft account (with e-mail address).  I did not add a PIN so cannot use Microsoft Hello, but the password associated with my Microsoft account worked.  It took a while to log in.

    The Windows Store did not work.  Calculator did not work.

    I opened a PowerShell as administrator, ran mmc, and added the Administrators group (local administrators) to the new user.  I logged out the new user and logged back in, using its Microsoft account.

    Microsoft's web site for Microsoft Account management does list this PC now.

    The Windows Store and Calculator still do not work.

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-08-13T03:53:54+00:00

    (1) "I think PCR didn't really know yet that an in-place upgrade can't solve some problems that a system image restore can.  Nonetheless PCR's suggestion to make system image backups is good.  We can conjecture now that a system image restore might be able to solve some problems that an in-place upgrade can't solve, though I don't want to revert my Outlook PST files and Firefox session history to earlier dates."

    I did know that an image restore could out-do an in-place upgrade which may or may not fix a problem. An image restore gets the computer back to where it was before the problem surfaced. If the problem didn't exit before the image was made, it shouldn't after it is restored. But hardware won't be fixed. If credentials (or something like that) had changed after the image was made, you'll have to change them again.

    And - you are right, good catch - databases held in a partition that is restored will revert to the date the image was made. Also, mounting the image for individual files will suffer the considerations you said. In addition, if you have set OneDrive to "Files On-Demand" for your user files & hadn't downloaded the files, they won't be in the image.

    An image restore probably wouldn't link your computer to your Microsoft Account (that depends on an entry at the site) - but it should be a repair for the Store. Then, when you open it, it probably re-links. That's my theory.

    An in-place upgrade seeks to keep settings. So, if settings is at fault, that won't get fixed. It too won't sign into your Microsoft Account & link the computer to it, I don't think. If the problem has to do with a 3rd-party driver or executable, that probably wouldn't be fixed. I would expect it to repair the Microsoft Store - it's a sin it didn't.

    (2) "No, just now I reset the Calculator, but it still doesn't run.  Also there's no option to repair the Calculator.  There's an option to uninstall the Calculator, and I don't know if that will work when the Store isn't working, but without the Store I won't be able to reinstall the Calculator."

    (a) The Calculator & the Store can be downloaded from the NET too. But I'm unsure that's the way to go. So far I've seen only older versions. I'd like to see one that says it's for Windows 10.

    (b) Why don't you create a Microsoft Account on that computer? It will link them. Then, just wait a bit to see whether the Store will self-correct. Monitor "9WZDNCRFJBMP-MICROSOFT.WINDOWSSTORE" in Reliability History to see whether it will come in good & be a fix. Afterwards, you can try to unlink the computer, if that's what you want. Hopefully, the link to the Store will remain.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-08-11T13:54:45+00:00

    PCR asks:  "what "reason" are you referring to?"

    Here is the answer.

    PCR said:  "And I don't mean to be judgmental, but that is what a Windows system image backup would have locked in. I make one after anything big, which for me is every quality update (new OS Build) that installs well."

    I (Norman Diamond) snarkily said:   "I guess you knew that an in-place upgrade can't solve some problems that a system image restore can."

    I think PCR didn't really know yet that an in-place upgrade can't solve some problems that a system image restore can.  Nonetheless PCR's suggestion to make system image backups is good.  We can conjecture now that a system image restore might be able to solve some problems that an in-place upgrade can't solve, though I don't want to revert my Outlook PST files and Firefox session history to earlier dates.

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    "In addition to recovery of a working full installation (as/of the date the image was made), an image backup can be mounted. Then, individual files can be copied off it."

    OK.  Then we have to guess which individual files are needed for Windows Store and some Store apps, and we have to figure out how to keep the permissions correct since lowly mortal members of the Administrators group don't have permissions on those files.  (Again, Outlook and Firefox databases are not things that I would want to restore from earlier dates.)

    "Are you sure the databases aren't on their servers?"

    My Outlook PST files are not on cloud-based servers, though that has become a common practice except for me.  I can't imagine how a Firefox session history would be on a cloud-based server.

    "That's what I see for the Calculator too. Looks like a reset will constitute a repair."

    No, just now I reset the Calculator, but it still doesn't run.  Also there's no option to repair the Calculator.  There's an option to uninstall the Calculator, and I don't know if that will work when the Store isn't working, but without the Store I won't be able to reinstall the Calculator.

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-08-11T06:19:27+00:00

    I would just do a clean install and be done with it. hope you got everything taken care of.

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  5. Anonymous
    2019-08-11T06:12:34+00:00

    I TRIED TO DOWNLOAD WHATSAPP & SHAREIT AND ANY OTHER APPS IN MY WINDOWS PHONE FSTORE

    I FAILED TO INSTALL AND DOWNLOAD..WHATS THE PROBLEM?

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