Windows Store won't launch, "license" issue?


Recommended Posts

So after an upgrade from 7 to 8 Pro, I notice that the only, ahem, Metro apps that got installed were IE/PC Settings/Store.

And then when I try launching the Store, nothing happens. But then I poke in the event log and see something to the effect of "This app failed to launch because of an issue with its license. Please try again in a moment"

What is going on?

Hello,

Have you verified that Windows 8 shows up as legally licensed on the computer? Try pressing WinKey+R to bring up the "Run" dialog, issuing a "SLMGR.VBS /DLI" command, and seeing if it spits out a message saying that Windows is licensed.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

Try and create a new user account then log into that account, it will refresh the licences, log back into your main account and they should be working again.

I'm running legit Windows 8 and its happened to me twice.

Please clarify if your Windows 8 is actually legit or not. If it's not legit, nobody on this forum will be able to help you but at least some of us can become aware of what to look out for to tell if they are dealing with a pirate copy.

I did it through the Upgrade Assistant, how else would you do it?

No, this is a different license. Something related to app licenses. It seems as if this problem happens from time to time for those who upgrade from 7...

I did try running the Windows Store App troubleshooter to no avail.

Did you sign in with a Microsoft ID? You have to in order to use the store.

You can do that on individual apps too (as I do on my main computer, which runs 8 as a clean install), but that's done after you launch the app.

Here, the Store won't even launch at all.

You can do that on individual apps too (as I do on my main computer, which runs 8 as a clean install), but that's done after you launch the app.

Here, the Store won't even launch at all.

No, no. Is your user profile under a Microsoft ID? IE: did you sign in using a local user account or a Microsoft email address?

The issue seems to be the same one this user is having, except its with a retail key, Pro, and not on a domain. This user also seems to be having it, and he actually did link with the account as login too.

And well, what if I don't want to link everything with a Windows Live whatever? I am pretty sure that is not the problem, since everyone I've seen with this issue are users who upgraded from 7.

The issue seems to be the same one this user is having, except its with a retail key, Pro, and not on a domain. This user also seems to be having it, and he actually did link with the account as login too.

And well, what if I don't want to link everything with a Windows Live whatever? I am pretty sure that is not the problem, since everyone I've seen with this issue are users who upgraded from 7.

Developer Preview allowed you to the store without Microsoft ID.... But not the RTM/Retail versions.

That's why Microsoft made some changes before they released the RTM/Retail versions.

I liked the weather app on Developer Preview ... but they changed their app before they released it.

  • Like 2

And well, what if I don't want to link everything with a Windows Live whatever? I am pretty sure that is not the problem, since everyone I've seen with this issue are users who upgraded from 7.

You need a linked account, no if, ands, or buts. You can't use the Store without it.

You need a linked account, no if, ands, or buts. You can't use the Store without it.

I don't have a "linked" account on my main computer and the Store works. If you do that, it just asks you to log in individually for each app that needs a login (Store included). But still, why do you think that's the problem? I brought up posts from others indicating that this is happening even if you do link fully.

I don't have a Microsoft Account linked to the store or computer as well and I'm on 8 Home premium. I can grab all the free games/programs I want. I only need the account if I am going to purchase a piece of software. FWIW.

I don't have a "linked" account on my main computer and the Store works. If you do that, it just asks you to log in individually for each app that needs a login (Store included). But still, why do you think that's the problem? I brought up posts from others indicating that this is happening even if you do link fully.

Here is an quote from this site:

On any Windows 8 or Windows RT PC, sign in to the Store using your Microsoft account.

I don't have a "linked" account on my main computer and the Store works. If you do that, it just asks you to log in individually for each app that needs a login (Store included). But still, why do you think that's the problem? I brought up posts from others indicating that this is happening even if you do link fully.

Then do a reinstall? I dunno what else it is you want us to do. This is why I never do upgrades. Things go wrong. Does your computer even meet 8's requirements? What are its specs?

Windows 8 was built to primarily use the Live ID. Local accounts are still supported, but that's where you get issues like this that crop up.

The only thing that I have found so far to fix it is to create a new profile. Something is up with the profile and no one seems to know what is wrong. A format and reinstall will work too, but all that is doing is essentially creating a new profile (yes I know you are wiping it, yes I know that you are resetting everything to factory spec, however the issue is with the profile not the os).

  • Like 2

Got a local account here and the store still works. I can't install anything but it works just fine. Whatever the problem is, it's not being caused by use of a local account.

Also, you can perform a clean install of Windows 8 with the key, just boot from the disk and install, and once your install is complete navigate to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE/

And change the value of "MediaBootInstall" from 1 to 0 (if it refuses to activate you may also have to do slmgr /rearm from a command prompt).

What's your screen resolution?

1366x768. Metro IE and PC Settings work just fine.

I tried the troubleshooter, didn't work. I don't want to run the reset.

The fact that its possible for this to happen is also quite stupid. Though, at least my brother doesn't have to contend with the stupid full-screen photo viewer since it defaults to the Windows 7 photo viewer.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • ...or turn on your selfie camera and, if you're not pasty white, he'll degrade your connection
    • @goretsky I will keep those in mind for the calls we get and update our technicians with the list, im sure the list will grow and I hope there is a larger public statement on this.  Here is the statement from Huntress https://www.huntress.com/blog/klue-breach-investigation    
    • But we are talking about Elon Musk, no AT&T... I know big companies are evil, but Elon and his companies are in another level which is much more dangerous.
    • New PowerToys update fixes memory leaks and other issues by Taras Buria Another bug-fixing update is available for PowerToys version 0.100. After releasing version 0.100.1 with a bunch of bug fixes and patches, Microsoft pushed version 0.100.2 to address two important issues with one of Command Palette Dock's features. With PowerToys 0.100.2, Microsoft fixed the performance meter displaying incorrect values and memory leaks, which are particularly unwanted things in the current situation with overpriced PC hardware. Here is the changelog: Reverted a Performance Monitor dock refresh change that forced item refreshes on every metric update Fixed a memory leak in the Performance Monitor dock extension by reusing stable network upload/download band items instead of creating new list items on each refresh For those unfamiliar, Command Palette Dock is a relatively new addition to PowerToys. It is a taskbar-like tool that you can keep on top of the screen to pin various useful widgets, commands, and more. It can display time, weather, your PC's performance metrics, and more. Microsoft introduced the Command Palette Dock in March 2026 in PowerToys 0.98. Microsoft has dedicated documentation for Command Palette Dock, and you can check it out on the official Microsoft Learn website. You can update PowerToys to the latest version by going to Settings > General and clicking "Check for updates." Alternatively, you can download the installer from GitHub using this link. In other news, Microsoft is working on a new window-management utility for PowerToys. Called Alt Window Cycle, it will let you use the Alt + ` shortcut to switch between different windows in a single app. You can learn more about the tool here.
  • Recent Achievements

    • First Post
      OffsetAbs earned a badge
      First Post
    • Reacting Well
      OffsetAbs earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • First Post
      Kolakid60 earned a badge
      First Post
    • One Month Later
      xvvxcvv earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      xvvxcvv earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      422
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      181
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      136
    4. 4
      neufuse
      71
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      71
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!