Fix Microsoft Store is blocked error in Windows 11

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

This error message might be a result of restrictions imposed by your organization’s IT administrator, affecting not only your device but also all devices within the organization.

Depending on your access level on the device, you can follow the steps given in a blog post to resolve this issue. However, if the block on the Microsoft Store is enforced organization-wide by the IT administrator, you may need to reach out to them for assistance.”

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

There are various settings that 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?

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

• Press Windows + R to open Run dialog box.

• Type gpedit.msc for opening Local group policy editor. If you are managing this policy setting from a 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 state to “Not Configured” and click on 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” for blocking Microsoft store on Windows 10/11 devices. If it exists on your device and its value is set to 1. Then this could be the reason for “Microsoft Store is blocked” error message.

• Press Win + R to open 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 right-hand side, you will find a reigstry entry called “RemoveWindowsStore“.

• Right-click on it and select Delete to remove this registry entry.

• Make sure to restart your device for the change to take 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 are unable to access the Microsoft Store app. Let’s check the steps:

• Press Win + R to open 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 Microsoft store app to confirm if its launching fine this time.

4. Is there any policy created through Intune to block Microsoft Store?

You can also check whether a device configuration profile is causing the block on the Microsoft Store. Look for a setting called ‘Turn off the Store application‘ within the Setting catalog, which may be preventing access to the Microsoft Store on your device.

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

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