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If Minecraft Launcher will not download or install from the Microsoft Store, start with the low-risk fixes: restart Windows, install pending updates, update Microsoft Store from Library, confirm the correct Microsoft account is signed in, and run wsreset.exe. If Store still fails, repair or reset it, check Xbox and Gaming Services, then use the official Launcher installer from Minecraft.net.
First identify the failure: a missing Install button usually indicates an account, region, family, compatibility, or device-policy issue. A download stuck on Pending or at zero progress is more often related to Store cache, updates, storage, services, or networking.
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Quick fix checklist
- Restart the PC.
- Install all pending Windows updates.
- Open Microsoft Store, sign in with the Microsoft account associated with Minecraft, and select Library > Get updates.
- Run
wsreset.exe. - Repair Microsoft Store, then reset it if Repair does not help.
- Update and repair the Xbox app and Gaming Services if the Store works for other apps but Minecraft Launcher does not.
- Check storage, the app-install drive, Windows services, VPN or proxy settings, and security software.
- Install the Launcher from the official Minecraft download page if Microsoft Store remains the failing component.
1. Check what is actually failing
The correct fix depends on where the process stops:
- Store page will not open: troubleshoot Microsoft Store, Windows updates, connectivity, and account access.
- Install or Get is missing or disabled: check the Microsoft account, ownership, region, family settings, device compatibility, and workplace or school restrictions.
- Download never starts or remains Pending: update Store, reset its cache, restart Windows, and check storage and background services.
- Installation starts and then fails: repair Store, check the installation drive, and look for an existing broken Launcher package.
- Launcher installs but will not open: treat this as a Launcher, account, Xbox, Gaming Services, or Windows-app problem rather than a Store-download problem.
- Launcher opens but cannot download Minecraft components: check sign-in, network access, Gaming Services, and the specific edition or game component.
2. Confirm the account, device, and Store listing
Open Microsoft Store and check the profile icon. Sign in with the Microsoft account that owns or uses Minecraft. A local Windows account can still be used on the PC, but Store purchases and app entitlements are associated with a Microsoft account.
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Instead of repeatedly selecting the button on the product page, open Microsoft Store > Library. Find Minecraft Launcher and select its download or install icon. The Library is also the preferred place to update Store apps and reinstall apps associated with the signed-in account. Microsoft documents this workflow in its Store Library guidance.
If the button is unavailable, cache resets may not help. Check these possible eligibility issues:
- Minecraft is associated with a different Microsoft account.
- Family Safety settings restrict the app or its installation.
- The PC is managed by an employer or school and Store installation is blocked by policy.
- The account, device, or Windows installation does not meet Store compatibility requirements.
- The region is not eligible for the listing or the account and device regions do not match.
- A recent Windows update has not completed or the PC has not been restarted.
Microsoft lists account authorization, family settings, region, compatibility, and recent updates among reasons an app may not appear or install. See its guidance for apps missing or unable to install from Microsoft Store.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3. Restart Windows and update Windows and Microsoft Store
Restart Windows before making more disruptive changes, particularly if Windows recently installed an update. Then install all available Windows updates.
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Open Settings > Windows Update, select Check for updates, install everything offered, and restart if prompted.
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Open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, select Check for updates, install the available updates, and restart.
After that, update Store itself:
- Open Microsoft Store.
- Select Library.
- Select Get updates.
- Allow Store and related Microsoft components to finish updating.
- Return to the Library and retry Minecraft Launcher.
Microsoft recommends updating Windows and Store as part of its Store-app troubleshooting sequence.
4. Reset the Microsoft Store cache with wsreset.exe
A damaged or stale Store cache can prevent a download from starting or leave it stuck at Pending. Resetting the cache does not delete your Minecraft worlds.
- Press Windows key + R.
- Type
wsreset.exe. - Select OK.
- Wait while a blank Command Prompt window appears.
- Microsoft Store should open automatically when the reset finishes.
- Open Library and retry the installation.
The blank window normally closes after about 10 seconds. Do not close it immediately; if it remains clearly frozen for an unusually long time, restart Windows and try again. Microsoft documents this command and its expected behavior in its Store troubleshooting instructions.
5. Repair or reset Microsoft Store
Use Repair before Reset because Repair attempts to fix the app without clearing its data.
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- Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Find Microsoft Store.
- Select its three-dot menu and choose Advanced options.
- Select Repair.
- Restart Store and retry the installation from Library.
- If Repair does not help, return to the same page and select Reset.
Reset clears Microsoft Store’s app data. You may need to sign in again or allow Store to reinitialize. It does not equal deleting Minecraft’s worlds or the .minecraft folder.
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6. Update or repair Xbox and Gaming Services
Some Windows game-installation paths involve Xbox and Gaming Services. This is especially worth checking when Microsoft Store installs other apps normally but Minecraft Launcher remains stuck on messages such as Acquiring license or Starting download, or when the Xbox app cannot recognize gaming components.
- Open Microsoft Store > Library > Get updates.
- Update the Xbox app, Gaming Services, and related Microsoft components shown there.
- Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Open Advanced options for Xbox and select Repair if available.
- Do the same for Gaming Services if its page provides Repair.
- Use Reset only if Repair fails.
- Restart Windows and retry Minecraft Launcher.
Resetting or reinstalling Gaming Services can affect other Xbox or Microsoft Store games. Do not begin with PowerShell removal and reinstallation commands unless ordinary repairs have failed and Microsoft Support directs you through the process.
7. Fix Pending, zero-progress, or failed downloads
Check storage and the installation location
Open Settings > System > Storage and confirm that the system drive has usable free space. The Launcher is only one part of the installation: Minecraft files, updates, caches, Java components, worlds, and mods also need room.
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Also check Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Where new content is saved. If Store is trying to use an unavailable, disconnected, nearly full, or restricted drive, temporarily select the internal system drive and retry from Store Library.
Check Windows background services
Persistent Pending or zero-progress downloads can involve services used by Store and Windows Update. Confirm that Windows Update is not paused and that Microsoft Store Install Service and Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) have not been disabled. Avoid changing service startup types unless you understand the consequences.
Check the connection
Temporarily test without an unstable VPN or proxy and complete any captive-portal sign-in on the network. Security software can also block Store, Xbox, or Gaming Services. Do not permanently disable antivirus or the firewall; if a controlled test identifies interference, restore protection immediately and add an appropriate supported exception instead.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.8. Install the Launcher from the official Minecraft website
If Microsoft Store remains broken, bypass the Store client by using the official Minecraft download page:
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- Open the download page.
- Select the Windows Launcher option that matches your system. The page lists Windows 10/11 and a Windows legacy option.
- Run the downloaded installer.
- Sign in with the Microsoft account used for Minecraft.
- Allow the Launcher to update.
- Install or launch the required Minecraft edition.
This bypasses the Microsoft Store application, but it does not bypass Microsoft account authentication, Windows permissions, network restrictions, or broken Gaming Services. It is therefore the best fallback when Store is clearly the failing component, not a guaranteed fix for every Launcher problem. Do not download a purported Minecraft Launcher from an unofficial site.
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Mojang says the Launcher normally updates automatically, while Microsoft Store Library can be used to update it manually. The official page also links to Launcher installation instructions and installation troubleshooting.
9. Reinstall without deleting worlds
Uninstalling the Launcher is different from deleting Minecraft saves, mods, resource packs, screenshots, profiles, or configuration files. Before uninstalling or manually cleaning anything:
- Back up important Java and Bedrock worlds.
- Back up mod, configuration, resource-pack, and shader folders you need.
- Do not delete
.minecraftor other Minecraft data folders merely because Store cannot install the Launcher. - Do not assume a Store reset requires deleting Minecraft data.
If an existing broken Launcher entry appears under Settings > Apps > Installed apps, uninstall that entry, restart Windows, and retry from Store Library or the official Minecraft download page. Remove data folders only when a specific, documented repair requires it and you have confirmed what will be lost.
10. Error-code and symptom guide
| Message or code | First response |
|---|---|
0x80131500 |
Run wsreset.exe, install Windows and Store updates, then retry. Microsoft has a dedicated 0x80131500 troubleshooting page. |
0x80073CFB or a message indicating an existing package |
Restart Windows, check Installed apps for an existing Minecraft Launcher entry, remove a clearly broken duplicate or partial entry, and retry. |
0x80073D02 |
Close Microsoft Store, Xbox, and related apps, restart Windows, and retry before attempting more disruptive repairs. |
| “Try again” without a code | Check the account and Library, update Store, run wsreset.exe, and repair Store. |
| “Pending” indefinitely | Restart, install updates, check storage and the install drive, reset Store cache, and update or repair Gaming Services. |
| Install button missing | Check account ownership, Library, region, family settings, device compatibility, and work or school policy rather than repeatedly resetting cache. |
Error codes do not always identify a single cause. If the first response does not help, continue through the ordered repair sequence rather than deleting Minecraft data.
When to contact support
Contact Microsoft Support when Microsoft Store, account authorization, device policy, Windows updates, or a Store error remains unresolved. Contact Minecraft Support when the Launcher installs but cannot authenticate, update, download game components, or access an edition after Store itself is working.
Include the exact error text, whether the failure occurs in Store or inside Launcher, the Microsoft account involved, and which steps you have already tried. That distinction helps support avoid treating a Minecraft service problem as a Store download problem—or vice versa.
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