Featured - How to Clear and Reset the Store Cache in Windows 10

Windows 10’s Microsoft Store offers a convenient place to grab and automatically update apps, but it also tends to go wrong. If your store is throwing up “Windows Store cache may be damaged” errors in the troubleshooter, you’ll need to perform a Microsoft Store reset or clear the Windows Store cache to resume.

What is the Windows Store cache?

The Windows or Microsoft Store cache contains various pieces of data you’ve accumulated during your usage. This could include log files, thumbnails you downloaded, temporary download files, and more.

Sometimes, the data in this cache gets corrupted or otherwise conflicts with your Microsoft Store app. The easiest way to fix this is by resetting the Microsoft Store, which will also clear the cache.

How to Clear the Windows Store Cache with WSReset.exe

A good way to perform Microsoft Store reset is via the WSReset tool. This blends user-friendliness with speed. We’ll then show you how to clear the Microsoft Store cache for third-party store apps using command prompt.

  1. Run WSReset.exe


    Press Ctrl + R to open the Run dialog, then type “WSReset.exe” into the “Open:” field. Press “OK” when you’re done.

  2. Wait for the tool to do its work


    A blank command prompt window will open. While it doesn’t look like it’s doing much, in reality, it’s resetting your store in the background. In about thirty seconds, it should

  3. Wait for the Store to open


    If the reset is successful, the Microsoft Store should open as normal with no errors shortly afterwards. If you still get an error or nothing happens, continue to the next step.

  4. Open command prompt


    Press Start and type “Command Prompt”. Click the first result.

  5. Run the ‘whoami’ command and copy your SID


    In Command Prompt, type whoami /user and press Enter. It should return an output starting with USER INFORMATION.

    Mark the string of numbers and letters underneath SID and right-click it to copy it into the clipboard. Then paste it into a notepad file for future reference and close the window.

  6. Open Regedit

    Press Start and type “Registry Editor”. Click the top result.

  7. Find and delete the Windows 10 store cache for your user


    In the Registry Editor address bar, paste the following or navigate using the folders on the left-hand side:

    Computer/HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Appx\AppxAllUserStore
    Scroll down the list until you find the registry key that matches the SID you copied earlier. Right-click the folder and press “Delete”.
  8. Confirm key deletion


    In the pop-up dialog box, press “Yes” to permanently delete the key.

How to Perform a Microsoft Store Reset via Settings

The most user-friendly way to clear the Windows Store Cache is via the Settings app. However, early versions of Windows 10 won’t have this option, so ensure you’re updated first.

  1. Open settings


    Press Start, then the settings cog in the Start menu, above the power button.

  2. Click on ‘Apps’

  3. Open advanced options for the Microsoft Store


    In the Settings side panel, click “Apps & features”. Scroll down the list until you see “Microsoft Store”. Click on it, and then press “Advanced options”.

  4. Reset the Microsoft Store


    Wait for the process to complete, then try launching the Microsoft Store.

If neither of the above methods are working, you may want to re-register or reinstall the Microsoft Store by following this tutorial. Once you’ve got everything set up, you may want to turn off automatic updates for apps.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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