How to Restore Missing Microsoft Store on Windows 11

The Microsoft Store (formerly Windows Store) is where you can find all the popular apps and games for your Windows 11 PC. Microsoft has completely revamped the Store app with Windows 11 to make it more user-friendly. However, all these improvements may not be of interest to you if the Microsoft Store disappears from your PC.

If you can’t locate the Microsoft Store on your PC, don’t worry. Below are some fixes that should help you restore the missing Microsoft Store on Windows 11. So, let’s check them out.

1. Run Windows Store App Troubleshooter

Windows 11 includes several troubleshooters that can help you resolve most system-level issues. You can start by running the Windows Store apps troubleshooter to fix any potential issues with the Microsoft Store.

Follow these steps to continue:

1. press the Windows key + I to open the Settings application.
2. In the System tab, click Troubleshoot.
3. Go to Other convenience stores.
4. Scroll down the page and click on the To run button next to Windows Store apps.

A troubleshoot window will appear and begin scanning your system for issues. If any issues are discovered, follow the on-screen instructions to apply the recommended fixes.

2. Reset Microsoft Store Cache

The Microsoft Store also collects cache data like most apps to reduce load times and improve app performance. However, when these files get corrupted, you may encounter problems with Microsoft Store, including this one. Luckily, purging the Microsoft Store cache is safe and only takes a minute or two.

To clear Microsoft Store cache, tap Win + R to open the Run dialog box. Type wsreset.exe in the Open field and press Walk in.

A blank command prompt window will appear on the screen and execute the command. Once the cache is cleared, Microsoft Store should launch automatically.

3. Repair and Reset the Microsoft Store

If resetting the Microsoft Store cache doesn’t help, you can try repairing the Microsoft Store app.

Follow these steps to repair the Microsoft Store:

1. Open the Settings the app and go to the app apps tongue.
2. Go to Installed apps and scroll down to locate Microsoft Store on the list.
3. Click it three points menu icon next to Microsoft Store and select Advanced options.

4. Scroll to Reset section and click Repair.

Wait for the process to complete, then see if you can locate the Microsoft Store on your PC. If repairing the app doesn’t help, you can try resetting the Microsoft Store from the same menu. Note that this will delete all app data and reset Microsoft Store to its default state.

4. Re-register the Microsoft Store via PowerShell

Is the Microsoft Store still missing? Then you can try to re-register the Microsoft Store on your system. Although it may seem complicated, re-registering the Microsoft Store only requires running a single command in Windows PowerShell. Here’s how you can go about it.

1. press the windows keytype WindowsPowerShell in the search box, then click Execute as administrator.
2. Select Yes when the User Account Control (UAC) the prompt appears.
3. In the PowerShell window, paste the following command and press Betweenr.

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *WindowsStore* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml"}

Restart your PC after running the above command and see if you can locate the Microsoft Store.

5. Run SFC and DISM scans

Corrupt or missing system files can also cause such abnormalities. You can run a System File Checker (SFC) scan to replace these damaged system files with their cached versions. Here’s how.

1. press the Windows key + X and select Terminal (administrator) from the list.
2. Select Yes when the User Account Control (UAC) the prompt appears.
3. In the console, run the following command:

sfc /scannow

Wait for the scan to complete, then enter the following command to run the DISM (or Deployment Image Servicing and Management) scan. It will automatically detect and repair all common issues with the system image.

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

DISM will connect to Windows Update to download and replace damaged files if needed. So make sure you are connected to the internet. Also, this process can take up to 10 minutes, so be patient.

After the scan is complete, restart your PC and see if you find Microsoft Store in the Start menu.

6. Create a new user account

Problems with your current user account can also cause default apps such as Microsoft Store to disappear. This can happen if the user account files are corrupted. If this appears to be the case, you can create and switch to a new user account. Here’s how you can do it.

1. press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
2. Move towards Accounts > Other users.
3. Click it Add an account button.

4. In the Microsoft account window that appears, click I don’t have this person’s login information and follow the on-screen prompts to create a new user account.

Sign in with your newly created account and the Microsoft Store should appear now.

7. Perform a System Restore

Finally, if none of the above solutions work, performing a system restore may be your last option. This will allow you to undo any system changes that may have caused the problem.

System Restore is a handy utility that periodically makes backups of your entire system. You can use it to restore Windows to its previous state before the problem appeared. However, you can only do this if you have already enabled System Restore on your PC.

1. press the Windows key + S to open the search menu. Type Create a restore point in the search box, then select the first result that appears.
2. Under the System Protection tab, click System Restauration.
3. Click on Next.
4. Select a restore point before the problem occurred and press Next.

5. Finally, review all the details and click Finish.

Windows will restart and return to the specified restore point. Hopefully this will fix the issue.

Restore missing Microsoft Store on Windows 11

Such issues with the Microsoft Store app are nothing new. However, they should not force you to use alternative methods to install apps and games on your PC. Working through the fixes above should help you restore missing Microsoft Store on Windows 11. However, if all else fails, you may consider resetting your Windows 11 PC as a last resort.