Microsoft Store stuck on “Preparing to download”

Does Microsoft Store open, but an app stays on “Preparing to download…”, “Queued” or “Paused” and cannot be canceled? This guide explains how to investigate a stuck download queue without starting by uninstalling the Store.

In the documented case, downloads recovered after Microsoft Store Install Service (InstallService) was restarted. Other services had already been started and the cache had been cleared, so the result does not establish that restarting this service alone will fix every case.

What happened and the affected system

The incident on 1 October 2026 involved a ChatGPT update that would not progress and WhatsApp remaining paused with an unresponsive cancel option. Microsoft Store could open, even though it did not appear in the installed apps list in Settings.

• Reported operating system: Windows 10 22H2, build 10.0.19045.6466.
• Store package: Microsoft.WindowsStore, version 22608.1401.4.0, X64 architecture.
• Observed state: Status = Ok and IsPartiallyStaged = False.

Those values confirmed that the package existed for the queried user. They did not prove that the entire Store, its cache or its dependencies were free of problems. This case was not documented as tested on Windows 11.

Windows 10 support: general support ended on 14 October 2025. Extended updates depend on the edition and applicable program. Repairing Microsoft Store does not update Windows or replace those security measures. See Microsoft's release and support information.

Before running commands

Save your work and close Microsoft Store. Do not interrupt an installation that is progressing or a Windows update in progress. If the device belongs to an organization, contact its administrator: a restriction may be intentional.

For the service steps, search for Windows PowerShell in Start, right-click it and select Run as administrator. Do not paste PowerShell commands into Command Prompt. Read and run one block at a time; if an error appears, keep the message and do not continue blindly. Package queries must target the affected account; using another administrator's credentials may show that other account's package instead.

After each attempt, open the Store and try one pending download or update. Stop as soon as it works; you do not need to complete every step.

1. Perform the initial checks and clear the cache

Check the connection, the computer's date and time, and the account signed into Microsoft Store. If an update requires a restart, save your work and restart Windows. Microsoft's Store app troubleshooting guide covers the general checks.

To try the standard cache reset, press Windows + R, enter the following command and confirm:

wsreset.exe

A blank console window may appear before the Store opens. Microsoft describes this procedure in its app installation help. In the documented case, it opened the Store but did not release the stuck downloads.

2. Restart Microsoft Store Install Service

If the queue is still stuck, close the Store and query the service in Windows PowerShell running as administrator:

Get-Service -Name InstallService |
    Select-Object Name, Status, StartType

If the service exists and has not been disabled by policy, try restarting it:

Restart-Service -Name InstallService -ErrorAction Stop

The command stops and starts this service; if it was already stopped, it attempts to start it. See the Restart-Service reference. Open Microsoft Store and check the download afterward. A command finishing without a message does not by itself confirm that the problem is fixed.

Difference from the original case: the recorded command was Restart-Service InstallService -Force. This guide suggests trying without -Force first. If Windows reports dependencies, access denied or a disabled service, do not force the operation or change permissions. Keep the error and review it with support.

3. Check download-related services

If there is no improvement, use this query to record the state of the services examined in the case:

Get-Service -Name InstallService, ClipSVC, BITS, wuauserv, DoSvc |
    Select-Object Name, Status, StartType

Stopped does not necessarily mean broken. Windows can start services when needed; Microsoft explains this behavior through service trigger events. The table is not a configuration to copy onto your computer.

If BITS or DoSvc is stopped during the download attempt, is not disabled and is not subject to administrative restrictions, you can try starting only the relevant service. Run each applicable line separately and check its result:

Start-Service -Name BITS -ErrorAction Stop
Start-Service -Name DoSvc -ErrorAction Stop

Do not change every startup type to “Automatic” or disable antivirus protection or the firewall. If a service is missing or cannot start, record the error instead of repeating the command.

4. Check whether Microsoft Store is installed

The Store being absent from a Settings screen does not prove it was removed. To query the affected account's package, run:

Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.WindowsStore |
    Select-Object Name, Version, Architecture, Status, IsPartiallyStaged

This query does not reinstall or remove anything. Without -AllUsers, Get-AppxPackage queries the current user's packages. If nothing is returned, confirm the account and seek help; do not download Store installers from unfamiliar websites.

Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.WindowsStore | ForEach-Object {
    $manifest = Join-Path $_.InstallLocation 'AppxManifest.xml'
    Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest
}

How to verify the result and when to seek help

Check that a download moves from waiting to actual progress, completes and lets you open the app. If an unwanted item was stuck, check whether it can now be canceled. That behavior is more useful evidence than a service merely showing Running.

This incident involved package registration, wsreset.exe, starting BITS and DoSvc, and manually clearing the cache. Recovery was observed after the final restart of InstallService. The combinations were not tested in isolation, so no single proven cause is claimed. This guide does not reproduce the forced cache deletion: it did not immediately resolve the case and need not be presented as a routine step.

If the queue remains stuck, collect the Windows version, app name, error code and query results. A technician can review AppXDeployment-Server events and device policies. Uninstalling every app or reinstalling Windows is not necessary as a first step.

See also how to manage a Windows service and the other Windows tutorials. When sharing a comment, leave out email addresses, usernames, license details and logs containing private information.