# Solved: Windows Store app won't load



## Beta19

I know this title is out there, but not the same issue. I recently bought a laptop that had windows 8 installed. I installed all windows updates for it and then upgraded to windows 8.1. Windows store app worked for a day and then I started having problems. I click on app store in start menu and the loading screen will appear, but will "load" for hours. This is the only app I am having issues with. I have tried re-registering the app in command prompt and using the WSreset application, but neither has solved my issues. It is not a critical issue, but I would like to download new apps from time to time.


----------



## lunarlander

Try a Windows Refresh.


----------



## Beta19

@lunarlander, this is gonna sound stupid, but do you mean reinstall windows, what is a "windows refresh". I'm not computer illiterate, but windows 8 & 8.1 are nothing like I've seen before and I am still learning it.


----------



## lunarlander

Move your mouse over to the top right corner, the 'Charms' bar will show on the right side of the screen. Click on Search, then type in Refresh and the results will display.


----------



## golddust

If you haven't done any of the above yet, try this. There is a Microsoft App Troubleshooter tool.
Try running the Apps Troubleshooter http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/what-troubleshoot-problems-app . The link is in this article


----------



## Macboatmaster

If after trying the suggestion from my colleague golddust you have now success

1. Check for updates to windows 8.1 and install those

2. If it still will not open, run a cmd prompt with admin rights and copy and paste this

*Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth*

I do recommend you copy and paste it rather than trying to type it. The cmd prompt must have admin rights, that is the heading bar of the cmd prompt must say Administrator Command Prompt. You right click cmd prompt and click run as admin OR you click run as admin if you access it from the search charm

A the title suggests it checks online from Microsoft for any files it needs, so please do not use the net whilst it is running and watch it please for progress and the final report - please post the result as displayed on the cmd window

That is right click top bar click edit click select all
right click top bar click edit click copy
on reply here please paste


----------



## Beta19

The app troubleshooter said that windows store configuration may be damaged....How do I fix this, I am fixing to try the alternate attempt by macboatmaster in the command prompt.


----------



## Beta19

This is what Command Prompt resulted;

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.3.9600]
(c) 2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\WINDOWS\system32>Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.3.9600.17031
Image Version: 6.3.9600.17031
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The restore operation completed successfully. The component store corruption was
repaired.
The operation completed successfully.
C:\WINDOWS\system32>


----------



## Beta19

The troubleshooter is still showing that the windows store configuration is damaged. It also says that my display driver may be out of date, but I'm pretty sure they are up to date. I really don't want to have to go through with the whole refresh and have to reinstall 8.1 and all of those updates....


----------



## Macboatmaster

1. What AV and Firewall are you using
If NOT Windows Defender and Windows Firewall - disable the AV and allow the STORE as a permitted app through the Firewall and try again.


2. If there is another user account with admin rights - sign into that account and see if that will access the store


3. If there is NOT another user account - create one and see if that can get in.


4. Please post the results of that together with any messages received.


----------



## Beta19

@Macboatmaster, I just created a local account and the store accessed just fine, It got past the loading screen and asked me for a Microsoft account before I could install, which is farther than I get with the store app on my own account. Is my account possibly corrupted? If I switch my account back to a local account and run the same command prompt sequences and then switch back to a Microsoft account, would that work??


----------



## Macboatmaster

On your account - the original one - change it back as you say to a local account and see if you can access the store then
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/switch-between-local-and-microsoft-accounts/

Have you by any chance disabled UAC at anytime OR used any third party tools such as defraggers or indeed registry cleaners.
AND what AV and firewall are you using please - 


> What AV and Firewall are you using


It certainly does appear that it may be your account profile that is the problem

If it is and we cannot fix it then you could create a new account - copy over your personal data and reinstall your apps OR of course you can refresh, but lets wait and see if we can fix it


----------



## Beta19

I had defraggler, but every time I ran it, it would create more fragments. It had my computer @ 16% fragmentation. However, I was having this issue before I installed defraggler and no, I don't use registry cleaners, they cause more problems than they fix. I have Windows Defender and Windows Firewall. No third party programs like that. I will change my account back and see if I can access the store. If I do manage to access the store, should I run the re-registering command and the command prompt entry I tried earlier while in local account?


----------



## Beta19

I switched to a local account, and still cannot access the store. I does appear to be my account. I will do as you recommend, create a new account and copy my data to that account and try again and see where that goes. Will my old account still remain or can I delete it? I really don't want to have to go through the pain of refreshing....


----------



## Beta19

Ok, this is what I have done so far..... I renamed my old account as Adam_old and created a new local account with Adam. Before I did that, I checked the store app while still in the new local account and it works. I then connected my new account with my Microsoft account and checked the store app again and it seems to still work. My next question is, since I have this new account and have copied everything from my old account over, how do I delete the old account. I can't seem to do this from my new account.


----------



## Beta19

I think windows still sees my old account as the system administrator. Is there a way to change my new account to system administrator and delete the old account?




I think I figured it out, I went back to the old account and changed my new account from standard to administrator and chanced my old account from administrator to standard. I then logged out and logged into my new account and deleted the old account from there. I hope I did right. If not, please tell me so before I mark this thread solved....I really hope I did this right......


----------



## Macboatmaster

1. You jumped the gun just a little - however if it has all worked out for you that is good
As I said


> If it is and we cannot fix it then you could create a new account - copy over your personal data and reinstall your apps OR of course you can refresh, but lets wait and see if we can fix it


2. You cannot copy over all the files
Here is the procedure
http://mywindows8.org/fix-corrupt-profile-in-windows-8/

3. I was intending to try another couple of possible fixes to allow you to access the Store
One of them was this

Open admin cmd prompt

Copy and paste

*powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRoot\WinStore\AppxManifest.xml*

press Enter.

Now in that same Administrator Command Prompt type or paste:

*start "" "ms-windows-store:"*

press enter

4. Hope you do not mind me commenting on it but third party defraggers can actually delete files when used on windows 8/8.1 
Unless you have changed settings, it should be checked automatically by Windows and defragged/optimized or if SSD trimmed as necessary


----------



## Beta19

Macboatmaster said:


> 1. You jumped the gun just a little - however if it has all worked out for you that is good
> As I said
> 2. You cannot copy over all the files
> Here is the procedure
> http://mywindows8.org/fix-corrupt-profile-in-windows-8/
> 
> 3. I was intending to try another couple of possible fixes to allow you to access the Store
> One of them was this
> 
> Open admin cmd prompt
> 
> Copy and paste
> 
> *powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRoot\WinStore\AppxManifest.xml*
> 
> press Enter.
> 
> Now in that same Administrator Command Prompt type or paste:
> 
> *start "" "ms-windows-store:"*
> 
> press enter
> 
> 4. Hope you do not mind me commenting on it but third party defraggers can actually delete files when used on windows 8/8.1
> Unless you have changed settings, it should be checked automatically by Windows and defragged/optimized or if SSD trimmed as necessary


*"(powershell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted* Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $Env:SystemRoot\WinStore\AppxManifest.xml)" - This was one of the first solutions I tried....It did nothing. I did not know that about third party defraggers on Win8/8.1. I will let Window Defragger handle this from now on. So far, so good on the app store. Sorry I jumped the gun, but I will listen better if there is a next time...lol.

P.S. Comment all you want on anything......as I said, I am very new to Windows 8/8.1 and will gladly listen to any help or info on it. Where could I possibly find helpful info on Windows 8/8.1 on the net for free, possibly on here?????


----------



## Beta19

Is Ccleaner still ok to use with Windows 8.1? I never use it's registry cleaner, just the data cleaner.


----------



## Macboatmaster

No problem, providing it is OK, that is the main issue

IMHO there is NO NEED for CCleaner on Windows 8.1 
If you run disk cleanup, once a week, depending on your usage, and delete your browsing history - say every other day, or so, depending on your use of the net, this will keep all nice and tidy

ON diskcleaup you will see on the window that opens after starting it a *Clean Up System Files* - now that you have upgraded to Windows 8.1 leave it a few days to get any updates to 8.1 and then when you run diskcleanup run cleanup system files.
It is ONLY necessary to do this ONCE now and then after many updates.

Run a quick scan with Windows Defender a couple of times a week, always ensuring that it is updated, although Windows updates should do that for you. ONLY if something is found do you need a full scan.

It is a good idea to back up the scan of Windows Defender with a scan by Malwarebytes - the free edition, which does not provide any real time protection and is a SAC on Demand only
I run that scan with Malwarebytes every other week.
Malwarebytes will tell you if it is in need of updating.

CCleaner good as it is, used in default mode, can cause problems on Windows 8/8.1
It has the potential to delete restore points and delete some files that are needed.
It is safer than most but not infallible and as I said there is no need for it on Windows 8.

If you do install the FREE malwarebytes, be very careful that you opt out of the free trial of the pro edition which does provide real time protection. You do not want that you want only the scan on demand.
Here is the download link
https://www.malwarebytes.org/free/

Also here for you are some very useful keyboard shortcuts for Windows
http://forums.techguy.org/windows-8/1088319-windows-8-keyboard-shortcuts.html

Good luck with it and pleased to have helped you


----------



## Beta19

Thank you for everything!!!! So far, so good. Everything seems to be working fine.


----------



## Macboatmaster

Cheers


----------

