Microsoft Store for Windows

Microsoft Store 22608.1401.3.0 is the current build of Microsoft's app marketplace for Windows, and it is free. On most PCs you do not need to download it at all; according to catalogue data, the package is about 126.86 MB, and it matters when the Store is missing, broken or stuck on an old version.

This page explains what the Store does, how to get it back and where the official download and help pages are.

What the Store is for

Microsoft opened its store in 2011, and today Wikidata describes it as a digital distribution platform operated by Microsoft. In practice it is one place to find, install and update apps, games and films on Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server and Xbox consoles. The advantage over downloading installers from random sites is control: apps from the Store install without setup wizards, update themselves in the background and can be removed cleanly from Settings. Many well-known programs, including Discord, Opera and X, are published there, so the Store often works as a safer shortcut to software you would otherwise fetch from a website. The client itself is written in C# with a XAML interface, which is why it looks like the rest of modern Windows.

How to install or reinstall it

1. Open Start and search for Microsoft Store. If it launches, you already have it; updates come automatically.
2. If it is missing, open the web version of the Store in a browser and sign in with your Microsoft account.
3. Follow Microsoft's help article on finding and installing downloads.
4. Restart the PC once the Store is back.

Keeping apps up to date

The Library section lists everything you have installed and shows pending updates. Microsoft describes the process on its page about getting updates for apps and games. If an update hangs, signing out and back in, or simply restarting the Store, usually clears it.

Is it free and safe?

The Store is free, and so are many apps in it; paid apps and games show their price before you buy. Use it under the standard Microsoft end-user license agreement. Never download a “Microsoft Store installer” from a third-party site: the only trustworthy sources are Windows itself and Microsoft's own pages.

Requirements

A PC running Windows 10 or Windows 11, a Microsoft account for purchases and some free space for the package. The Store is compatible with both home and work editions of Windows, although administrators can switch it off on company PCs.

Pros and cons

• Apps install and update without setup wizards.
• Clean uninstall from Windows Settings.
• One account for apps, games and films.
• Not every Windows program is available there.
• Downloads can stall and need a restart of the Store.