Fix: Error 0x80073CF9 in Windows Store on Windows 10 Mobile

After upgrading their phones to the latest build of the Windows 10 Mobile Operating System available on the Fast Ring of the Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview, many users reported encountering error code 0x80073CF9 whenever they tried to install or update certain applications on the Windows Store. Some users even received the error when attempting to open certain installed apps. Error code 0x80073CF9 essentially impedes the user’s ability to install and update applications using the Windows Store, which can prove to be a significant problem.

Error code 0x80073CF9, in almost all cases, is caused by specific files pertaining to the Windows Store that tend to go missing when a phone is upgraded to the latest build of the Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview. Thankfully, you can not only work around and bypass the issue but can also fix it for good. The following are both the available workaround and the fix for the error code 0x80073CF9 problem:

The Workaround:

The actual solution for error code 0x80073CF9 requires a significantly large amount of work and can also be described as being more extreme than its workaround. The workaround that you can use to bypass error code 0x80073CF9 and successfully update the applications that display this error code whenever you try to do so, is as follows:

Update the affected apps from the Windows Store

Wait for the update to fail and for error code 0x80073CF9 to be displayed.

Once error code 0x80073CF9 has been displayed, navigate to the Windows Store app page for the specific app that has failed to update, and update it from its page. For some reason, updating apps from the Windows Store using this workaround actually results in success and does not lead to the user being faced with error code 0x80073CF9.

The Solution:

Error code 0x80073CF9 can also be fixed for good, but doing so requires you to perform a hard reset on your device. It should be noted that a hard reset will not only delete any and all installed applications and personal data but will also reset the device to its factory condition software-wise. To hard reset a Windows phone, you need to:

Go to Settings,

Navigate to System.

Please go to the ‘About.

Tap on Reset your phone.

Follow the onscreen instructions to perform a hard reset. Once your phone has been reset, you will no longer be met with error code 0x80073CF9 when you try to install or update any apps from the Windows Store.

If resetting your device results in the Messaging app disappearing, all you need to do in order to get it back is go to the following link using Microsoft Edge:

ms-windows-store:pdp?pfn=Microsoft.Messaging_8wekyb3d8bbwe

The link will open in the Windows Store, and you can then install the Messaging app from that Windows Store page.