Fix Microsoft Store is blocked error in Windows 11

I recently worked on a Windows 11 laptop and attempted to install an app from the Microsoft Store. However, when I tried to open the Store app, I encountered an error message that said the Microsoft Store is blocked.

This error message might result from restrictions imposed by your organization’s IT administrator, which affect not only your device but also all devices within the organization.

Depending on your device’s access level, you can follow the steps in a blog post to resolve this issue. However, if the IT administrator enforces the block on the Microsoft Store organization-wide, you may need to contact them for assistance.

Please find a screenshot of the error message below. It also shows an error code: 0x800704EC.

Various settings can cause it to block the Microsoft Store. Therefore, you should ask the following questions to determine the source of the block for the Microsoft Store:

1. Is there a Group Policy Setting in place blocking Microsoft Store?

A group policy setting called Turn off the Store Application denies or allows access to the Store application. If it’s applied on your device, then it could be why you are getting a Microsoft Store is blocked error message. Let’s review the steps to verify this policy setting:

• Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.

• Type gpedit.msc for opening Local group policy editor. If you are managing this policy setting from an Active directory domain controller, you can open the Group policy management console using gpmc.msc.

• Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Store

• Double-click on Turn off the Store application policy setting to Edit.

• Set its Not Configured state and click the OK button to save the changes.

2. Is there a Registry Entry created for blocking Microsoft Store?

There is a DWORD registry entry called RemoveWindowsStore that blocks the Microsoft Store on Windows 10/11 devices. If it exists on your device and its value is set to 1, this could be a reason for getting a message that the Microsoft store is blocked.

• Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
• Type regedit and press Enter. This will open Registry Editor.

• Navigate to the path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsStore

• On the right-hand side, you will find a registry entry called RemoveWindowsStore.
• Right-click on it and select Delete to remove this registry entry.

• Make sure to restart your device before the change takes effect.

3. Does an Applocker rule exist that denies access to the Microsoft Store?

An Applocker rule can also restrict access to the Microsoft Store application, resulting in a different error message when a user attempts to open it. In this case, users may encounter the following error message: This app has been blocked by your system administrator. Please contact your system administrator for more information.

Verifying this setting can also assist in resolving errors for users who cannot access the Microsoft Store app. Let’s check the steps:

• Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
• Type secpol.msc to open Local security policy editor.
• Go to Application Control Policies > AppLocker > Packaged app Rules.

• Right-click on the Deny rule and select Delete to remove it. After this rule is removed from your device, you can try to launch the Microsoft Store app to confirm if it’s launching fine this time.

4. Is there any Policy created via Intune to block Microsoft Store?

You can also check whether a device configuration profile is blocking access to the Microsoft Store. Look for a setting called Turn off the Store application within the Settings catalog, which may prevent access to your device’s Microsoft Store.

If this setting is configured, you might need to remove that policy and attempt to reaccess the Microsoft Store app. For more detailed information about this policy setting, refer to the blog post titled How to disable Microsoft Store apps in Windows using Intune.

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