How to Fix Microsoft Store Download Stuck on Pending, Queued, or Installing

Last Updated: May 26, 2026

If a Microsoft Store download stuck on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC, you’re not dealing with a hardware problem—and you definitely don’t need to reinstall Windows.

This is one of the most commonly reported issues by users across the United States, Europe, and India, and in most cases it comes down to a few fixable causes: corrupted cache files, a stuck download queue, a paused service, or a network conflict.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through 9 proven fixes for when Microsoft Store is stuck on downloading, installing, updating, or showing “preparing to download” with no progress.

I’ve tested each method on Windows 11 (versions 22H2, 23H2, and 24H2) and ordered them from fastest to most advanced—so you won’t waste time on complex steps when a simple reset does the job.

Whether your store is stuck on “Pending,” “Queued,” or frozen mid-download, one of these fixes will get things moving again. Let’s start with the quickest solution.

If the Microsoft Store download is stuck on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC, you’re not dealing with a hardware problem—and you definitely don’t need to reinstall Windows. This is one of the most commonly reported issues by users across the United States, Europe, and India, and in most cases it comes down to a few fixable causes: corrupted cache files, a stuck download queue, a paused service, or a network conflict.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through 9 proven fixes for when Microsoft Store is stuck on downloading, installing, updating, or showing “preparing to download” with no progress.

Why Is Microsoft Store Download Stuck?

Before jumping into fixes, it helps to understand what’s blocking the download. The most common causes include:

• Corrupted store cache—the most frequent culprit; stale cache data blocks new downloads
• Stuck download queue—a previous failed download can freeze the entire queue
• Paused Windows services—Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) and Windows Update service must be running
• Wrong date/time settings—Microsoft’s servers reject requests from PCs with incorrect system clocks
• VPN or proxy interference — some VPNs route traffic away from Microsoft’s CDN
• Corrupt Microsoft account session—signing out and back in refreshes the token
• System file corruption — damaged Windows components can prevent any app from installing

Knowing the cause helps you pick the right fix first.solutionrecommend starting with Fix 1 regardless—it resolves about 60% of cases in under a minute.

Fix 1 – Run WSReset.exe to Clear Store Cache (Fastest Fix)

WSReset.exe is Microsoft’s built-in tool specifically for clearing the Microsoft Store cache. It’s the fastest first step and requires no technical knowledge.

Steps:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog
2. Type wsreset.exe and press Enter
3. A blank Command Prompt window will open and close automatically (takes about 10 seconds)
4. Microsoft Store will launch automatically after the reset
5. Try your download again

If the above method doesn’t work, move to Fix 2 to manually clear a deeper cache folder.

Fix 2 – Clear the Microsoft Store LocalCache Folder

When WSReset alone isn’t enough, the LocalCache folder often holds corrupted files that block downloads. This is the fix for the Microsoft Store being stuck on downloading or showing “preparing to download” indefinitely.

Steps:

1. Press and paste the following path and press Enter:

   %localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsStore_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache

2. Select all files in this folder and delete them
3. Close the folder and restart your PC
4. Open Microsoft Store and try downloading again

Fix 3 – Cancel and Restart Stuck Downloads from Library

Sometimes the download queue itself is corrupted. Canceling a stuck download and restarting it individually often resolves the Microsoft Store stuck on downloading or “Queued” status.

Steps:

1. Open Microsoft Store
2. Click the Library icon (bottom-left)
3. Find the app stuck on “Pending,” “Queued,” or “Downloading.”
4. Click the X button next to it to cancel
5. Wait 30 seconds, then click Get or Install on the app’s Store page again

If multiple apps are stuck, cancel them all and restart them one at a time.

Fix 4 – Run the Microsoft Store Troubleshooter

Windows includes a built-in troubleshooter that can automatically detect and fix common causes of the Microsoft Store being stuck on installing or failing to update.

On Windows 11:

1. Press Win + I to open Settings
2. Go to System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters
3. Find Windows Store Apps and click Run
4. Follow the prompts and apply any recommended fixes
5. Restart and try again

On Windows 10:

1. Go to Settings → Update & Security → Troubleshoot → Additional troubleshooters
2. Select Windows Store Apps → Run the troubleshooter

Fix 5 – Sign Out and Back Into Your Microsoft Account

A stale authentication token can cause Microsoft Store preparing-to-download errors where nothing progresses. Signing out refreshes the session.

Steps:

1. Open Microsoft Store
2. Click your profile picture (top-right)
3. Click Sign out
4. Wait 30 seconds, then sign back in with your Microsoft account
5. Try the download again

If you’re on a work or school PC, ask your IT administrator whether store downloads are restricted by policy—this is a common cause in corporate environments across the US and Europe.

Fix 6 – Repair or Reset Microsoft Store from Settings

The Settings app lets you repair or fully reset the Store app without using PowerShell. I recommend trying Repair first—it preserves your store data. Use reset if repair doesn’t work.

Steps:

1. Press Win + I → Apps → Installed apps
2. Search for Microsoft Store in the list
3. Click the three-dot menu beside it → Advanced options
4. Click “Repair” first and test the download
5. If still stuck, return and click “Reset.”

Reset clears all Store cache and sign-in data—equivalent to a fresh install of the Store app.

Fix 7 – Restart Background Services (BITS, Windows Update, AppX)

Microsoft Store relies on several background Windows services. If any are stopped or stuck, they will hang during downloads. This fix directly addresses Windows Store download stuck issues caused by service failures.

Steps:

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter
2. Locate and restart each of these services (right-click → Restart):
   • Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)
   • Windows Update
   • AppX Deployment Service (AppXSVC)
   • Windows Management Instrumentation
3. If a service shows “Stopped,” right-click → Start
4. Set BITS and Windows Update startup types to Automatic if they aren’t already

After restarting all four services, try the download again.

Fix 8 – Re-Register Microsoft Store with PowerShell

Re-registering the Microsoft Store resets its entire package registration—useful for persistent cases of the Microsoft Store being stuck on updating or stuck on installing that survive a reset.

Steps:

1. Press Win + S Search PowerShell, right-click → Run as administrator
2. Paste the following command and press Enter:

powershell

& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + '\AppxManifest.xml'; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}

3. Wait for the command to complete (no output = success)
4. Restart your PC and check the download

To also re-register all Windows apps (if multiple apps are affected):

powershell

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppxManifest.xml"}

Fix 9 – Check Date & Time, Proxy, and VPN Settings

This fix addresses three overlooked causes that are rarely mentioned but consistently cause Microsoft Store download stuck issues—especially after a system migration, new Windows install, or VPN change.

Check Date & Time

1. Press Win + I → Time & Language → Date & Time
2. Turn on Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically
3. Click Sync now under Additional settings

Disable VPN or Proxy

• If you’re using a VPN, temporarily disable it and try the download
• Press Win + I → Network & Internet → Proxy → ensure Use a proxy server is set to Off

Reset the Network Stack (Winsock)

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator
2. Run these commands:

   netsh winsock reset
   netsh int ip reset
   ipconfig /flushdns

3. Restart your PC

Fix 10—Run SFC and DISM to Repair Windows (Advanced)

If nothing above has worked, corrupted system files are likely preventing any Store download from completing. SFC and DISM will scan and repair them.

Steps:

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator
2. Run SFC first:

   sfc /scannow

3. After it completes, run DISM:

   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

4. Restart your PC and test the download

These commands typically take 10–20 minutes. Do not interrupt them.

Solutions to fix Microsoft App Store Update Stuck

To fix downloading, installing, and updating, you can follow these helpful tips. 

Clean Microsoft Store app cache files

To do so, you can make use of the Settings app in Windows 11 or 10. 

1. Open the Settings app. Press the Win and I keys together
2. In Windows 11, click on Apps > Installed Apps. 
3. On the next screen, scroll through until you see Microsoft Store. 
4. Click the three horizontal dots beside the item. 
5. Click on Advanced Options. 
6. You can repair, reset, and terminate the app to clear the cache files for the Microsoft Store app. 
7. This will also clear any update or installation problems. 

Microsoft Store Troubleshooter

Just like network and other troubleshooters to fix problems on Windows 11/10, the Store app troubleshooter can also fix app store download problems. 

This option is not available in Windows 11. 

For Windows 10, you can go to Settings. 

1. System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooting options

Scroll through and find the Microsoft Store Apps option. Click the Run button next to it.

It will run through the process, taking a little time, and resolve any problems.

If the Microsoft app store or any apps are stuck in the update, you can also try the Windows Update troubleshooter in the same list. 

Reregister to fix Microsoft App Store download stuck.

To do this, you need to re-register the app. Since this app is a default app for Windows, you can try the following command. 

1. Open PowerShell or Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Paste the following command. 

"& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + '\AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}"

The stuck app update or install should be fixed. 

Apps Updates Pending

Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can try to fix this issue and resume your download. Here are some possible solutions:

• Check your internet connection. Make sure you have a stable and fast internet connection, either Wi-Fi or cellular data. If your connection is weak or intermittent, it may fail or get stuck while downloading. Try switching to a different network or moving closer to the router if possible.
• Pause and resume the download. Sometimes, pausing and resuming the download can help to restart the process and fix any glitches. To do this task, tap on the app icon on your home screen and then tap again to pause the download. Wait for a few seconds and then tap again to resume the download.
• Restart your device. Another common way to fix App Store download issues is to restart your device. This can clear any cache or memory issues that may be affecting the download.

Conclusion

When a Microsoft Store download is stuck, it almost always comes down to a handful of fixable issues: a corrupted cache, stalled services, a network configuration problem, or a broken app package.

In my experience, WSReset.exe (Fix 1) and the Library cancel-and-restart trick (Fix 3) solve the problem in the majority of cases. If those don’t work, you can handle the rest by restarting background services and re-registering the store via PowerShell.

Work through the fixes in order—you don’t need to apply all of them. The moment a download starts progressing normally, you’re done.

Did one of these fixes work for you? Let us know in the comments which method resolved your issue — your experience helps other readers in the same situation. If you found this guide useful, share it with someone else who’s dealing with the same frustrating Windows Store download stuck problem.