How to Fix Minecraft “Waiting on Install” in 7 Easy Ways [2024]

Everyone’s played Minecraft at least once in their life now. Whether it’s goofing off with friends, or just enjoying the cozy retro vibes, Minecraft is the one game that everyone has the itch to try out or return to after a long break. It is the highest-selling game of all time and a household name when it comes to games. It is also available on every platform and affordable too.

Like every other game, Minecraft has its fair share of issues too. Mojang Studios, the team behind Minecraft, continues to update it to keep it fresh and innovative, but like any other update, it’s only natural that some bugs or glitches appear.

But some errors may be encountered depending on the platform you’re using. One such error is the “Waiting on Install” error, which is frequently encountered by players trying to install Minecraft through the Xbox app on Windows PCs. Let’s take a look at why this might problem occur and the potential solutions.

What is the “Minecraft Waiting on Install” Error?

The “Minecraft Waiting on Install” error is a bug encountered by gamers looking to install Minecraft on their Windows PCs after installing it through the Xbox app. The issue arises when trying to install the Bedrock version of Minecraft or when an update is initiated for either Java or Bedrock versions of the game through the Minecraft Launcher. This bug is very irritating; it doesn’t allow you to play the game at all.

READ MORE: How to Fix Minecraft Error ‘Unable to Save Download’ ➜

How to Fix Minecraft Waiting on Install Error

Here are a few possible reasons, along with their solutions, as to why this error might occur:

Case 1: There’s a problem with the launcher

The Minecraft Launcher is notorious for being glitchy and being a bit of pain to deal with. Try restarting it, or if you’re fed up of it try using a third-party launcher like Prism Launcher.

Case 2: A glitch in Windows won’t let Minecraft be installed

Windows can also be sometimes at fault. A good old restart can do wonders and there’s no harm in restarting in this case too.

Case 3: The Xbox app is not functioning properly

The Xbox app services, along with a few other services, can interfere with Minecraft’s installation. Use the Task Manager to put an end to the Xbox process. Try closing the Minecraft Launcher from there too while you’re at it. Here’s how to do this:

1. Open up the Task Manager by right–clicking on the Taskbar or using the classic Ctrl+Alt+Del key combo. 
2. Next, close the Xbox app process here. You can close the Minecraft Launcher process while you’re at it too.
   

   

3. Now, head on over to the Services tab.
   

   

4. Look for a service named “ClipSVC”. Right–click on it and click on Restart. If it’s not running, choose Start.
   
   

   

5. Restart the PC and try launching Minecraft again.

READ MORE: How to Remove Xbox App in Windows ➜

Case 4: Mods are causing issues

If you’ve installed any mods, it is possible that they are interfering the update/installation files. Therefore, we recommend removing them and applying them when the game/update has finished installing properly.

Case 5: Your Windows is not up-to-date

In some cases, it’s been reported that updating your Windows, or stopping an ongoing update download fixed the issue altogether. Here’s how to check and stop any updates for Windows:

1. Open up your Settings. No matter what Windows version you’re using you can use the Search function to access the settings.
   

   

2. In Settings, use the search bar to search for the updates section and click on the Check for updates option.
   

   

3. Let Windows check for any major updates. If updates are pending, patiently wait for them to install. However, if the only pending updates are of an optional nature, you can cancel them.
   

   

READ MORE: How to Clear Windows Update Cache in 7 Steps [2024] ➜

Case 6: The Microsoft Store is causing issues

According to most players, this was the culprit. To prevent Microsoft Store from interfering with Minecraft, follow these steps:

1. First, open up the Microsoft Store and navigate to the Updates menu.
   

   

2. When the Updates menu finishes loading up, check whether Minecraft is on the list of apps being updated.
   

   

3. If Minecraft is being updated, then cancel it using the stop button next to the app.
   

   

Case 7: The game files have become corrupted

Your game files have become corrupted because of overlapping update files. If nothing above works, this might be the issue here, and unfortunately that means uninstalling and reinstalling the game. If possible, try to take a backup of your worlds and mods.

READ MORE: How to Fix Corrupt Files Reported by SFC Using SFCFix ➜

Conclusion

In case of the worst-case scenario, make sure to keep a backup of your worlds and mods. Nevertheless, this is a problem that has been encountered for several years primarily because of the Minecraft Launcher, and so far, there have been no reports of any such problems on a third-party launcher. We sincerely hope Mojang addresses this issue in their launcher.