How to Fix Windows Store Error 0x80073cf0 on Windows 8 and 10

0x80073cf0 is an error with the Windows Store, usually related to its cache. The most notable symptoms are you not being able to update or download new apps, even if you restart your device.

This happens for users of Windows 8, 8.1 and 10, as they all use the Windows Store. The issue can appear with a variety of apps, which is to be expected since the issue is with the store itself, and not a particular app. Some people thought that it is an issue with their connection or the servers, but this issue isn’t something that will fix itself if you give it some time.

There is one solution that has been proven to help a number of users, and there are two ways that you can go about it. Read on to see how to fix this issue and update your apps, as well as download new ones without any problems whatsoever.

Restart Windows Update, and take care of the content in SoftwareDistribution

Restarting the Windows Update service and dealing with the content in the SoftwareDistribution folder is a solution for a number of Windows Store issues, and this is one of them. Doing this is fairly simple, no matter which way you want to take.

Option 1: Via Command Prompt

1. Open a Command Prompt (Administrator). This is done by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard, and typing in cmd.  Right-click the result, and choose Run as administrator.
2. Within the Command Prompt, type the following commands, and press Enter on your keyboard to execute each one. Make sure to wait for the command to be executed before continuing to the next one.

net stop wuauserv

rename c:\windows\SoftwareDistribution softwaredistribution.old

net start wuauserv

3. Once you’ve executed all three commands, you can close the command prompt. You can try updating or downloading the apps now, they should be working without any problems.

Option 2: Via the Services tool

1. Open the Services tool, by pressing simultaneously Windows and R on your keyboard, typing services.msc, and either clicking OK or pressing Enter on your keyboard.
2. Find the Windows Update Right-click it, and choose Stop.
3. Navigate to your Windows folder – you will find it in the drive or partition where your operating system is installed. Inside, there is a SoftwareDistribution Open it, and delete everything inside.
4. Go back to the Services tool, and right-click the Windows Update service again. Choose Start from the menu. Go ahead and try downloading or updating your apps again.

The Windows Store is Microsoft’s way of letting you download a huge number of apps without bothering to install them, as that can be sometimes troublesome. However, it is still plagued by a huge number of bugs and errors, like this one, that often steer users away from using it. If you’re facing this issue, simply follow the steps in the method above, and you will have it up and running in no time.