Microsoft Store closes immediately after opening [COMPLETE GUIDE]

Deputy Editor

May 18, 2018

fix Windows Store closes immediately after opening

Microsoft Store is a core component of Windows 10, and this app is irreplaceable especially if you tend to download Universal apps frequently. Even though Microsoft Store is a great tool, users reported that Microsoft Store closes immediately after opening.

What can I do if Microsoft Store closes immediately after opening?

Microsoft Store is an integral part of Windows 10, however, sometimes you might encounter issues with it. Speaking of issues, these are some of the most common problems that users reported:

Microsoft Store crashes on Windows 10 – According to users, Microsoft Store frequently crashes on their PC. To fix the problem, be sure to reset Microsoft Store and check if that helps.
Microsoft Store opens then closes Windows 10 – This is just a variation of the main problem, and if you encounter it, be sure to try some of our solutions.
Microsoft Store closes instantly, itself, when I click on an app, when searching – There are various problems that can occur with Microsoft Store. However, you should be able to solve most of these problems with one of our solutions.
Windows 10 Store closes unexpectedly, on startup – Many users reported that Microsoft Store closes unexpectedly or on startup. This can be a big problem, and in order to fix it, be sure to check if the necessary services are running.
Microsoft Store flashes and closes, keeps crashing – According to users, Microsoft Store keeps crashing on their PC. This can be a big problem, but you should be able to fix it by clearing the local cache.

Solution 1 – Delete local cache

If Microsoft Store closes immediately after opening, you can fix it by deleting local cache folder. To do that, follow these steps:

Navigate to the C:Usersuser_nameAppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.WindowsStore_8wekyb3d8bbweLocal cache folder.
Once you enter the Local cache folder delete all files and folders from it.
Close the folder and try running Microsoft Store again.

If the the Microsoft Store cache is damaged, take a look at this easy guide to find out more about local cache and what can you do to fix it.

If you can’t see the AppData folder be sure that the option to see hidden files and folders is enabled. To enable hidden files and folders click the View tab and make sure that Hidden items option is checked.

You can also access Local AppData folder by pressing Windows Key + R and entering %localappdata%.

Solution 2 – Be sure that your time and timezone are correct

This problem with Microsoft Store can be caused by incorrect time on your PC, but you can fix this error by checking your time and time zone. To do that, follow these steps:

Right-click the clock in the bottom right corner and choose Adjust date/time.
Be sure that Set time automatically is set to On and that your Time zone is correct.

Windows 10 won’t let you change the timezone? Don’t worry, we’ve got the right fix.

Solution 3 – Set the integrated graphics as preferred graphic card

Apparently, you can fix this problem if you set your integrated graphics card as the preferred graphics card. Users reported that after setting the integrated graphics as preferred in GeForce Experience Center the issue was resolved, so you might want to try that.

Solution 4 – Use PowerShell

Users reported that you can fix this issue by using PowerShell. We have to mention that PowerShell is one powerful tool, and if you’re not careful you can cause system instability issues.

Just to be safe, it might be a good idea to create a Restore point just in case anything goes wrong. To start PowerShell do the following:

Press Windows Key + S and enter power, right click PowerShell and choose Run as administrator from the menu.
When PowerShell opens enter Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml”} and press Enter to run it.

Windows PowerShell isn’t working properly? Check out this simple guide to solve the problem quickly.

Solution 5 – Change the owner of WindowsApps folder

WindowsApps is a core folder, and by changing its owner you can cause system instability. Before proceeding, we advise you to create a System Restore point just in case anything goes wrong.

To change the owner of WindowsApps folder do the following:

Go to C:Program Files.
Locate Windows apps folder, right click it and choose Properties from the menu. Bear in mind that this folder is hidden so you have to enable the option to show hidden files and folders.
Go to Security tab and click Advanced.
Click the Change in the Owner section.
Enter your user name in the Enter the object name to select and click Check Names. If everything is in order click OK. You can also add a user name by clicking the Advanced button and finding your user name manually.
Check Replace owner on subcontainers and objects and click Apply and OK.
Try running the Windows Store. If everything works as it should, repeat the same steps again, but now enter NT SERVICETrustedInstaller instead of your name in Step 5 and change the ownership to TrustedInstaller.

If you want to know how to create a restore point, take a look at this step-by-step guide that will help you do it with ease.

Need additional info on how to take ownership of a file or folder? You can find out more right here.

Solution 6 – Make sure that the necessary services are running

In order to work properly, Windows Store requires certain services to run, and if those services aren’t started, of if they are disabled, you might not be able to open and use Windows Store.

However, you can easily fix that problem simply by doing the following:

Press Windows Key + R and enter services.msc. Now press Enter or click OK.
When Services window opens, locate Windows Update on the list and double-click it.
The properties window will now appear. Make sure that Startup type isn’t set to Disabled. Now check if the service is running. If not, click the Start button to start the service and click Apply and OK to save changes.

After doing that, you should be able to start and use Windows Store without any issues. Windows Update is a crucial Windows 10 service, and if this service isn’t running or if it’s disabled for any reason, you might encounter various problems, so be sure to enable it.

Solution 7 – Create a new user account

If you’re having this problem, the issue might be your user account. Sometimes your user account can get corrupted and that will cause this issue to appear. The easiest way to fix this problem is to create a new user account. To do that, you just need to do the following:

Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
Now navigate to the Accounts section.
From the menu on the left select Family & other people. Now click on Add someone else to this PC in the right pane.
Select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.
Choose Add a user without a Microsoft account.
Now enter the desired username and click Next.

Once you create a new account, switch to it and check if that solves the problem. If the issue doesn’t appear on the new account, you might want to consider switching to the new user account.

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

Windows won’t let you add a new user account? Follow some easy steps and create or add how many accounts you want!

Solution 8 – Open the application’s URL

If Windows Store closes on your PC, you might be able to circumvent this issue simply by opening the application’s URL in the browser. If you don’t know, Windows Store can be accessed through your web browser.

Unfortunately, you can’t download applications from the browser, but you can force the Windows Store to open on your PC and install the desired application.

To do that, simply visit the application’s URL and the Windows Store app should open itself automatically. If that doesn’t happen, click Get the app button and the Store will now start.

This is a simple workaround, but it works according to users, so feel free to try it out. By using this workaround you can use your Windows Store normally, however, don’t click the Home button in Windows Store or else the application will crash.

Solution 9 – Reset Windows Store

If Windows Store closes on your PC, you might be able to fix the problem simply by resetting it to default. Sometimes certain glitches and bugs can occur that can affect Windows Store, and if that happens, you need to reset the Store to default.

This is rather simple and you can do it by following these steps:

Open the Settings app and navigate to Apps section.
List of installed applications will appear. Select Microsoft Store from the list. Now click Advanced options.
Click Reset to reset the application to default. Now click Reset again to confirm.

After doing that, the application will reset to the default and the problem with Windows Store should be resolved.

Solution 10 – Use Task Scheduler

According to users, you might be able to fix this issue simply by making a couple of changes in Task Scheduler. It seems that certain tasks aren’t starting on their own, so in order to fix the issue, you need to start these tasks manually. To do that, just do the following:

Press Windows Key + S and enter task. Select Task Scheduler from the list of results.
In the left pane, navigate to Microsoft>Windows>WS. In the right pane, you should see two tasks available, License and WSTask. Run both of these tasks to re-sync your license.

After running these tasks, the issue with Windows Store should be resolved. Several users reported that they don’t have these tasks in Task Scheduler. If that’s the case, this solution won’t apply to you, so you can just skip it.

If you’re interested in additional info on what is Task Scheduler, how it works, and how you can take advantage of its features, take a look at this amazing article.

However, if you’re looking for a Task Scheduler alternative, here are the best software solutions available right now.

Task Scheduler doesn’t work? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Solution 11 – Check for updates

If you have problems with Windows Store, you might be able to solve them simply by updating Windows to the latest version. Windows 10 automatically installs the missing updates, but sometimes you might miss an update or two.

If that happens, you need to check for updates manually by doing the following:

Open the Settings app and go to Update & Security section.
Now click Check for updates button.

If any updates are available, they’ll be installed automatically. Once your PC is up to date, check if the issue still persists.

Having trouble updating your Windows 10? Check out this guide that will help you solve them in no time.

This is one of the most troublesome issues with Windows Store on Windows 10, but we hope that you managed to fix it after using one of our solutions.

If you did, let us know in the comments section below. Leave there any other questions you may have, as well.

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in August 2016 and has been since completely revamped and updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.