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Freedom251 › Blog › Access Denied

How to Fix Microsoft Store Error 0x80070005 (“Access Denied”) on Windows 10 and 11

By Freedom251 Team · · 8 min read

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Microsoft Store error 0x80070005 means E_ACCESSDENIED: a Windows process cannot access a file, folder, or registry entry it needs. The safest fix is to work from least risky to most invasive: sign in again, update Windows and Store, repair or reset the affected app, reinstall it, and use the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter on Windows 10. Permission changes and servicing commands are last-resort steps, not the starting point.

What error 0x80070005 means in Microsoft Store

The hexadecimal code is Windows’ E_ACCESSDENIED result. In a Store operation, the app or Store service has been refused access to something it needs, such as an application package, a folder, or a registry entry. The refusal does not by itself identify which item is blocked.

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Microsoft documents that Store apps can stop launching when default registry or file permissions have been modified. The built-in All Application Packages group must retain the access required by Store apps. A policy applied by an organization, a security product, or a previous manual change can therefore produce the same code as a damaged app download or an out-of-date Windows component.

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The scope of the failure is a useful clue:

  • One app only: the package or that app’s local state is the first suspect.
  • Several Store apps: Store updates, account state, Windows components, or permissions are more likely.
  • The same code during Windows Update or another servicing task: use the separate servicing procedure documented below rather than treating it as an ordinary app problem.

Safety and preparation

  • Use the Microsoft account that normally owns or installs the app in Microsoft Store.
  • Record whether the error affects one app or every app, and whether it appears while installing, updating, or launching. This determines which branch to follow.
  • The first seven actions below are designed for ordinary users and normally do not require an administrator account.
  • Do not take ownership of Windows folders or apply blanket registry-permission commands to “fix” the code. Microsoft warns that incorrect registry permission changes can weaken security or cause serious problems.
  • If the computer is domain-joined or managed by work or school, involve the administrator before changing permissions. A policy may be deliberately enforcing them.

Follow this low-risk fix order

Complete the steps in order. After an action that changes the app or Windows components, try the original install, update, or launch again before moving deeper.

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1. Sign in to the correct Microsoft account

  1. Open Microsoft Store.
  2. Select the account icon in the Store window.
  3. Confirm that you are signed in with the account used to obtain the affected app. If the Store presents a sign-in option, sign in and retry the operation.

An account mismatch can prevent a library item from being installed even though the app itself is available in Store.

2. Close and reopen the affected app

Close the app and Microsoft Store completely, then open Store again and repeat the operation. This clears a stuck app session without changing files or permissions. If the app is not currently running but fails during download, simply reopen Store and retry after confirming the account.

3. Install every pending Windows update

  1. Open Settings.
  2. On Windows 11, select Windows Update. On Windows 10, select Update & Security > Windows Update.
  3. Select Check for updates, install all offered updates, and follow any restart request.
  4. After Windows finishes updating, retry the Store operation.

Store components depend on the Windows servicing stack. Leaving a pending update in place can make an otherwise healthy app package fail to install or update.

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4. Update Microsoft Store itself

Use the path for your Windows version:

Windows version Store path What to do
Windows 11 Microsoft Store > Library Select Get updates, allow Store updates to install, then retry the app.
Windows 10 Microsoft Store > See more (…) > Downloads and updates Select Get updates, wait for the Store updates to finish, then retry.

Do not confuse the Store’s own update command with updating the app that is failing; run both when the Library lists them.

5. Repair the app, then reset it if necessary

Windows provides separate Repair and Reset actions in the app’s settings. Repair attempts to correct the installation without removing the app’s data. Reset is more disruptive and returns the app to its default state, so use it only if Repair does not resolve the error.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. On Windows 11, select Apps > Installed apps. On Windows 10, select Apps > Apps & features.
  3. Find the affected app, open its menu or entry, and choose Advanced options.
  4. Select Repair, wait for it to complete, and retry the Store operation.
  5. If the code remains, return to the same page and select Reset, confirm the warning, and retry.

The exact data removed by Reset depends on the app. Save or sync anything the app stores locally before using it.

6. Reinstall the app from your Store library

If Repair and Reset fail, remove and install a fresh package:

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  1. Uninstall the affected app from its Windows app settings or Start menu.
  2. Open Microsoft Store and go to Library on Windows 11 or My Library on Windows 10.
  3. Locate the app and select the install control.
  4. Retry the app after installation completes.

Reinstallation addresses a damaged or incomplete package, but it will not correct a system-wide permission problem. If multiple unrelated apps still return 0x80070005, continue with the Store-wide checks instead of repeatedly reinstalling each app.

7. Run the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter on Windows 10

Windows 10 includes a troubleshooter for Store app problems:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
  3. Select Windows Store Apps, then choose Run the troubleshooter.
  4. Apply any recommended action and retry the Store operation.

The path above is for Windows 10. Windows 11 may present troubleshooting through its current Settings interface rather than this exact page; finish the app Repair, Reset, and reinstall steps first.

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Choose the next step from the symptom

What you observe Most useful next action Scope and risk
Only one app fails to install or launch Update Store, then use the app’s Repair and Reset actions; reinstall from Library or My Library. App-level; low risk; normally reversible except for data removed by Reset or uninstall.
Several Store apps fail Confirm account, install Windows and Store updates, then investigate permissions or security software if the sequence fails. Store- or Windows-level; permission work can be high risk.
The code appears during Windows Update or servicing Use the elevated servicing sequence in the next section. Windows servicing; administrator required; changes are broader and harder to undo.
The PC is managed by an organization Contact the administrator before changing registry or file permissions. Policy-controlled; local edits may be blocked or may violate the intended configuration.
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When changed permissions are the cause

Store apps rely on access granted to the All Application Packages group. If a default registry key or file-system permission was removed or altered, apps may fail to start or Store operations may return access denied.

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Think back to events immediately before the failure: a system-hardening utility, security product, domain policy change, manual registry editing, or migration of Windows. That history is more useful than randomly changing permissions. If an organization manages the PC, ask its administrator to verify the policy and restore the approved configuration.

Do not recursively grant permissions across the Windows directory, change ownership of system folders, or edit registry permissions indiscriminately. Microsoft cautions that only keys known to cause the access-denied error should be changed. Extensive permission changes cannot currently be rolled back reliably; returning to recommended defaults may require reformatting and reinstalling Windows. The potential damage is much greater than the inconvenience of contacting support.

Advanced servicing procedure for Windows Update failures

The following commands are a documented Microsoft path for cases where 0x80070005 is part of a Windows Update or servicing failure. They are not a universal first-line Microsoft Store repair. Use an administrator account, save work, and understand that the commands reset permissions on servicing folders and rename update caches.

Open an elevated Command Prompt

  1. Open Start and type Command Prompt.
  2. Right-click it and choose Run as administrator.
  3. Approve the User Account Control prompt.

Run the following sequence exactly. A command that reports an error should not be ignored; note it before continuing.

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icacls "%windir%WinSxS" /reset /t /c /q
icacls "%windir%SoftwareDistribution" /reset /t /c /q
icacls "%windir%WinSxS" /setowner "NT SERVICETrustedInstaller" /t /c /q
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop cryptSvc
ren %windir%SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren %windir%System32catroot2 catroot2.old
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start wuauserv
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

Restart and test in stages

Microsoft advises restarting and retrying after the relevant stages. If Windows Update works after the cache reset, there is no reason to apply additional Store-specific permission edits. If DISM or System File Checker reports a problem, record the result for support rather than repeatedly rerunning the entire sequence.

When the failure persists, Microsoft also recommends checking whether third-party antivirus software or filter drivers are interfering with servicing. Temporarily changing security software configuration can have its own risks; follow that product’s documented procedure or ask the administrator rather than uninstalling security controls at random.

When to contact Microsoft Support

Use Microsoft’s Contact Support route after the account, update, Store update, Repair, Reset, reinstall, and (on Windows 10) troubleshooter sequence fails. Contact support sooner if the problem affects many apps, follows a policy or security-product change, or requires registry and file-system permission edits.

Have these details ready: your Windows version, the app name, whether the failure occurs during install, update, or launch, whether other Store apps work, and the exact code as displayed. This lets support distinguish an app package problem from a Windows servicing or permissions problem without guessing.

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Quick decision checklist

  • Signed in to the correct Microsoft account.
  • Closed and reopened Store and the affected app.
  • Installed pending Windows updates.
  • Used the correct Store Get updates path for Windows 11 or Windows 10.
  • Ran app Repair, then Reset only if needed.
  • Reinstalled from Library (Windows 11) or My Library (Windows 10).
  • Ran the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter on Windows 10.
  • Avoided blanket permission changes and escalated managed-PC or servicing cases appropriately.

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Access DeniedError 0x80070005Microsoft StoreTroubleshootingWindows 10Windows 11

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