FIX: Microsoft Store missing after Windows 10 update

by Aleksandar Ognjanovic

Troubleshooting Expert

March 31, 2020

1 Comments

Download PDF

Affiliate Disclosure

---

No matter how much effort Microsoft invests in remodeled Microsoft Store, it’s still a long road before it takes the predestined path of replacing standard programs in Windows platform.

Besides the standard downsides, the main reason why its success is stalled can be found in frequent, debilitating errors. The one we’ll try to address today concerns Microsoft Store missing after an update.

Namely, users are unable to access Microsoft Store as its icon is missing from the Start menu and rebooting the machine doesn’t help at all.

For that purpose, we provided a list of 5 rather common but mostly successful guidelines which should help you address this issue. You can find them below.

How can I retrieve the missing Microsoft Store after a Windows 10 update?

1. Run Windows Troubleshooter or downloadable tool
2. Reset Store cache
3. Reinstall Microsoft Store
4. Run DISM
5. Reset this PC

1: Run Windows Troubleshooter or downloadable tool

1. Press Windows key + I to summon the Settings app.
2. Open Update & Security.
3. Choose Troubleshoot from the left pane.
4. Scroll to the bottom and expand the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter.
5. Click on the ”Run this troubleshooter” button.
6. Wait until the troubleshooter resolve issues and check if Microsoft Store reappeared.

First things first. After you are completely certain that there’s no Microsoft Store icon or any way to run it, let’s move to an obvious opening troubleshooting step.

Windows implemented the native Store Apps Troubleshooting tool that should help you in this and similar scenarios.

If you’re having trouble opening the Setting app, take a look at this article to solve the issue.

On the other hand, if the built-in tool fell short, you can always turn to a downloadable version. It’s similar in many regards, but some users reported that it helped them resolve the issue while the unified troubleshooter didn’t.

1. Download troubleshooter by following this link.
2. Run the troubleshooter.
3. After it resolves errors, restart your PC.

If the Troubleshooter stops before completing the process, fix it with the help of this complete guide.

2: Reset Store cache

1. Press Windows key + R to open the elevated Run command-line.
2. In the command line, type wsreset.exe and press Enter.
3. Close the command line and you should be good to go.

One of the most common troubleshooting tools, when something goes awry with Store, is WSreset.  This small application basically resets Store cache and refreshes it.

A lot of users successfully resolved this issue by simply running it and resetting PC afterward.

3: Reinstall Microsoft Store

1. In the Windows Search bar, type PowerShell, right-click on the PowerShell and run it as admin.
2. Copy-paste or type in the following command in the command line and press Enter:
   • Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.WindowsStore | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml”}
3. Once the process ‘reinstalls’ Microsoft Store, restart your PC.

Reinstalling Microsoft Store isn’t possible in a common way. What you can do is to re-register Microsoft Store by using system resources. For this, you’ll need to run a certain command in the PowerShell elevated command line.

After you run this command, your Microsoft Store should be restored to its default values.

Windows PowerShell has stopped working? Fix it quickly with some steps from this useful guide.

4: Run DISM

1. Type cmd in the Windows search bar, right-click on the Command Prompt and run it as an administrator.
2. In the command line, copy paste these lines one by one and press Enter after each:
   • DISM /online /Cleanup-Image / ScanHealth
   • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
3. Wait until the procedure ends (it might take up to 10 minutes).
4. Restart your PC.

Even though this is a long shot, the problem you’re facing can relate to missing or corrupted system files. Of course, the focus is on Store system files that are affected by the recent update.

For that matter, we advise you to run DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) tool through Command Prompt and move from there. This tool specializes in fixing critical system files, by locating them and retrieving their initial integrity.

There are two ways to run this tool but you should do just fine with the first one that utilizes system resources to resolve the system file corruptions.

Even though this proved to be a proper solution on multiple occasions, it’s still not a certainty that it’ll retrieve missing Microsoft Store. In case it doesn’t and your nerves are looser as the time pass, make sure to check the final solution on the list.

If you’re having trouble accessing Command Prompt as an admin, then you better take a closer look on this guide.

It seems that everything is lost when DISM fails? Check out this quick guide and get rid of the worries.

5: Reset this PC

1. In the Windows Search bar, type Reset and open Reset this PC from the list of results.
2. Click on the ”Get started” button.
3. Choose whether you want to keep or discard your files and start the restoring procedure.
4. Once your system is refreshed, you should have an easy time to locate Microsoft Store.

Finally, if none of the aforementioned steps did the job for you, the only remaining solution that crosses our mind is the recovery option. Now, you can also perform a clean reinstall, but that might take some time.

However, if you want to know how to reinstall Windows, check out this amazing guide that will help you do it with a few quick steps.

With the Reset this PC, you can choose to keep your files and still restore settings and system configuration to factory values. Which requires much less effort and time.

If your search box is missing, get it back right now by reading this handy guide. Need more info on how to factory reset your PC? Check out this article and find out everything you need to know.

Disaster strikes and you can’t reset your PC! Fortunately, we’ve got the right solutions for you.

FAQ: Learn more about the Microsoft Store App

• What is the Microsoft Store used for?

The Microsoft Store is a digital distribution platform created by Microsoft, and it hosts an entire assortment of apps and games from various developers.

• Where can I get the Microsoft Store apps?

if for some reason the Microsoft Store App doesn’t work, there are still ways of getting apps and games. For more information, follow this detailed guide.

• How do I fix common Microsoft Store issues?

Most Microsoft STore-related errors codes can be solved the same way. For more information on how to do so, check out this comprehensive article.

We hope that the offered solutions helped you get out of the trouble and retrieve Microsoft Store.

In case you have additional solutions or questions regarding the ones we posted above, please do tell us in the comments section below.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2018 and has been since revamped and updated in  March 2020 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.