Steps to fix Microsoft Store error code 0x80004003 in Windows 10/11

The Microsoft Store is one of the most important apps in Windows 10 and 11. Without it, you can't download and install UWP apps from the Microsoft store.

Unfortunately, you may get error 0x80004003 when using the Microsoft Store. This error sometimes occurs when you try to download app from MS Store or launch Microsoft storefront app and it comes with message: 'Page could not be loaded. Please try again later".

As a result, users cannot download and install apps via MS Store when this error appears. If you're sick of seeing this error message, try the following potential solutions to fix it.

1. Run Windows Store App Troubleshooter

Windows Store App Troubleshooter can fix many MS Store problems. This tool won't fix every Microsoft Store problem, but it's nonetheless a potential solution to get started with app-related errors. You can run the Windows Store App Troubleshooter as follows.

Step 1: Open Settings by clicking the Start button and selecting that app on the menu.

Step 2: Select the Troubleshoot navigation option on the System tab.

Step 3: Click Other trouble-shooters to display some options.

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Step 4: Press the Run button for Windows Store Apps to launch that troubleshooter.

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Step 5: Then go through the instructions provided in the troubleshooter to apply potential fixes.

2. Check time & date and region settings

Error 0x80004003 can arise due to incorrect date and time. It may also appear due to regional settings for your location. So check those settings to make sure they're set up correctly.

Here's how to change download settings by region and time in Windows 11:

Step 1: Open Settings via the Start menu or with the Win + I hotkey.

Step 2: Select the Time & language tab.

Step 3: Then click on Date & time.

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Step 4: Set the Set the time automatically option to On if it is off.

Step 5: If the Set time zone automatically option is disabled, click on that setting to enable it.

Step 6: To check the regional settings, click Language and region on the Time and language tab.

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Step 7: Click the Country or region drop-down menu to select the correct region you are in.

If the system tray clock time is still incorrect with the auto setting selected, there may be a problem with the PC's CMOS battery. In that case, you will need to replace the CMOS battery to restore the correct system time.

3. Set up forced services to launch automatically

Microsoft Store will not function properly if some required Windows services are disabled. Therefore, you may need to configure certain services to start automatically and to resolve error 0x80004003.

You can do that by entering a few commands in Command Prompt as follows.

Step 1: Right-click the Windows 11 Start button to select Windows Terminal (Admin).

Step 2: Select Yes on the UAC prompt.

Step 3: Click the Open a new tab button (down arrow) to select Command Prompt.

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Step 4: Type the following separate commands, pressing Enter after each command:

SC config wuauserv start=auto SC config bits start=auto SC config cryptsvc start=auto SC config trustedinstaller start=auto

You can copy each of those commands to your clipboard by selecting them with the cursor and pressing Ctrl+C. Then paste each command using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+V. Press the Win+V hotkey to select the copied items. different copy using clipboard manager.

4. Repair and reset Microsoft Store apps

Windows 11 and 10 include Reset and Repair options for Microsoft Store apps. Those are the best built-in options that you can choose to resolve Microsoft Store errors. So they are worth a try if you get error 0x80004003.

Here's how to run Microsoft Store troubleshooting options:

Reset cache of Microsoft Store

Step 1: Open the search engine and type apps and feature in the text box.

Step 2: Click Apps & features in the search results to open the Settings tab.

Step 3: Scroll down to the location of Microsoft Store and click the three-dot button on the right side of the app.

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Step 4: Select Advanced options to open repair options for that application.

Step 5: Click the Repair button first, it won't delete app data.

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Step 6: If that doesn't solve the 0x80004003 error, click the Reset button.

Step 7: Then select Reset again to confirm the selected option.

Step 8: Restart the computer after applying this solution.

Corrupt Microsoft Store cache data can also cause error 0x80004003. Therefore, resetting using the Wsreset.exe command line tool can resolve cache data problems. Here's how to use that tool in three quick steps:

Step 1: Right-click the Start menu taskbar icon to select Run.

Step 2: Type wsreset.exe in the Open box.

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Step 3: Click OK to run the command.

Step 4: Then wait for the empty wsreset window to close and the MS Store app to open.

Delete the DataStore folder

Many users said they were able to fix error 0x80004003 by deleting the DataStore folder through File Explorer. That subdirectory includes the Windows Update log file DataStore.edb.

That's probably a curious potential fix, but it's been confirmed to work anyway. Follow these steps to delete the contents of the DataStore folder.

Step 1: To open Run, press the Win + R hotkey.

Step 2: Type services.msc in the Open box and click the OK option.

Step 3: Double-click the Windows Update service.

Step 4: Click Disabled on the Startup type drop-down menu.

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Step 5: Select the Apply option and click OK to exit the window.

Step 6: Press Win + E to launch File Explorer.

Step 7: Then go to C: > Windows > SoftwareDistribution > DataStore in File Explorer.

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Step 8: Select all the contents in the DataStore folder (press Ctrl + A hotkey to do so).

Step 9: Click the Delete button on the File Explorer command bar.

Step 10: Open the Windows Update Properties window again. Then select the Automatic startup and Start options there, click Apply to save.

Reinstall the Microsoft Store app

As a last resort, try reinstalling the Microsoft Store, which will re-register that app. You can remove the MS Store and then reinstall it via PowerShell with a few commands. To do so, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Right-click Start to select the Windows Terminal (Admin) option.

Step 2: Click Yes on any UAC prompt that opens.

Step 3: In Windows PowerShell, enter this command and press Return:

Get-AppxPackage *windowsstore* | Remove-AppxPackage&nbs

Step 4: Restart Windows 11 after uninstalling MS Store.

Step 5: To reinstall Microsoft Store, type this PowerShell command and press Enter:

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

The potential solutions above will probably solve the 0x80004003 error for most users. As a last resort, resetting Windows 11/10 can also solve this problem, but don't do so until you've tried all other potential fixes. With error 0x80004003 fixed, you should be able to use the MS Store and download and install apps as usual.

Marvin Fry

Update 23 December 2021