Microsoft Store Apps Can’t Connect to Internet (8-Step Fix Guide)

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In This Guide

DO IT NOW: Quick and Easy Ways to Fix the MS Apps Connection Error

4 Simple Solutions to Fix Microsoft Store Apps Not Connecting to the Internet

Solution 1. Turn off the Windows Defender Firewall

Solution 2. Disable Third-party Antivirus Software

Solution 3. Launch the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter

Solution 4. Clear the Microsoft Store Cache

4 Advanced Solutions to Fix MS Store Apps Unable to Connect to the Internet

Adv. Solution 1. Turn Off the Automatic Proxy Detection

Adv. Solution 2. Reset Winsock Settings

Adv. Solution 3. Reset Your Network

Adv. Solution 4. Test Out Clean Boot

Fix it now

Many apps require an internet connection to function properly. When they’re unable to connect, they become unusable. A common issue users encounter is Microsoft Store apps being unable to connect to the internet.

The Windows Store, mostly referred to as the Microsoft Store, is a digital distribution platform designed and run by Microsoft. Users can download a limitless selection of games, apps, movies, and music onto their devices with its pre-installed Windows software.

The good news is, you can usually fix this connection problem. We will provide you with some solutions to try if your apps are having trouble connecting to the internet on Windows.

Before trying to fix this problem, it’s important to figure out why it’s happening. The apps from the Microsoft Store might not be able to connect to the internet because of incorrect configurations, or interference from antivirus software. Plus, too much cache might also slow things down.

In addition to that, these things can cause another Microsoft Store error like ‘0x80D06809’ as well as an update error called ‘0x80d06802’.

DO IT NOW: Quick and Easy Ways to Fix the MS Apps Connection Error

In case you’re in a rush, here is a quick view of simple methods: 

• Turn off the Windows Defender firewall: To see if the built-in Windows firewall is preventing your Microsoft Store programs from accessing the internet, turn it off temporarily.
• Disable third-party antivirus software: Temporarily disable any third-party antivirus software, as it may be interfering with your app connections
• Launch the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter: To automatically identify and resolve any problems, use the Windows troubleshooter made especially for Microsoft Store apps.
• Clear the Microsoft Store Cache: Your apps may not connect properly if you have defective cache files. To fix this, clear the cache data that the Microsoft Store has stored.

In the following sections, we’ll look into these basic solutions in detail and explore more advanced solutions to address the issue.

4 Simple Solutions to Fix Microsoft Store Apps
Not Connecting to the Internet

Let’s try some simple fixes first. Even though they might seem basic, they can often do the trick in solving the problem.

Solution 1. Turn off the Windows Defender Firewall

Windows Defender Firewall monitors all applications and programs that have an online connection. Occasionally, it could prevent an app from accessing the internet. This is among the most frequent causes of apps not connecting to the internet.

• To access the “Search” menu, press the ‘Windows key + S’.
• Type the “Control panel” and press ‘Enter’.

• To switch to “Large icons” as the ‘View’ type in the “Control Panel” window, use the drop-down option located in the upper right corner.
• Select “Windows Defender Firewall”.

• From the left pane, select “Turn Windows Defender Firewall” on or off.
• Choose the option to Turn off Windows Defender Firewall under “Private” and “Public network settings”.

• To save the changes, click “OK”.

Solution 2. Disable Third-party Antivirus Software

Third-party antivirus software can be stopped from interfering with app connections by temporarily deactivating it.

• Open your Antivirus software and open “Settings”.
• Find options and features that actively scan for threats, and disable these features temporarily.

• Check to see if turning off the antivirus fixed the problem by testing the internet connection.
• Upon verifying if the antivirus software is the root of the connection problem, you may choose to either reactivate the application or switch to an alternative antivirus solution.

Solution 3. Launch the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter

A few built-in troubleshooters in Windows 10 and 11 can automatically identify and fix common system-level problems. You should be able to fix any problems with your apps and get them back online by using the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter.

• Press the ‘Win + I’ keys to open the “Settings” app.
• Select the “System” tab, scroll down, and select “Troubleshoot”.
• Choose “Additional Troubleshooters”.

• Look for “Windows Store Apps” and select the “Run the troubleshooter” option.

• Now just follow the on-screen instructions.

Solution 4. Clear the Microsoft Store Cache

Internet connection and program functioning may be affected by corrupted data, which can be eliminated by clearing the Microsoft Store cache.

• You can open the “Run” dialog box by pressing ‘Windows + R’.
• In the “Run” dialog box, type “wsreset.exe” and click ‘Enter’.

• The “Microsoft Store” cache will be reset as a result of this operation, and it might take some time to finish.
• When you’re done, restart your PC to have the modifications take effect.

4 Advanced Solutions to Fix MS Store Apps
Unable to Connect to the Internet

If basic fixes were ineffective in resolving Microsoft Store app connectivity problems you can try the advanced fixes.

Adv. Solution 1. Turn Off the Automatic Proxy Detection

By turning off this feature, network settings conflicts are avoided and better app connections are secured.

• Go to “Settings” > “Network & Internet” > “Proxy”.
• See “Automatically detect settings” and turn it off by toggling the settings.

You can disable connectivity obstacles by disabling the system’s automated proxy detection, which stops it from automatically configuring proxy settings.

Adv. Solution 2. Reset Winsock Settings

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is a protocol that Winsock facilitates app connections to the internet. When it malfunctions, Windows apps could have trouble connecting to the internet. Usually, resetting Winsock data will resolve this.

• Press ‘Win+S’ and type “cmd”.
• Choose “Run as administrator”.
• When the User Account Control (UAC) prompt displays, click “Yes”.

• Type the command netsh winsock reset and press ‘Enter’.
• Hit ‘Enter’ to run the command.

• Wait for the command to finish running through your system.
• Restart your computer and check if the problem has been fixed.

Adv. Solution 3. Reset Your Network

App functioning can be affected by complex connectivity difficulties, which can be fixed and resolved by returning the network settings to their default settings.

• Press ‘Win+I’ to open “Settings”.
• Go to “Network & Internet” > “Advanced Network Settings”.
• Click on “Network reset” option.
• To begin the process of resetting the network, click “Reset now” and follow the directions displayed on the screen.

• To make the changes take effect, restart your computer after the reset is finished.

Adv. Solution 4. Test Out Clean Boot

App connections may be disrupted by third-party app conflicts, which can be found and eliminated by starting the system with only the most necessary services active.

• You can open the “Run” dialog box by pressing ‘Windows + R’.
• To launch the “System Configuration” tool, type “msconfig” and hit ‘Enter’.

• Select the “Hide all Microsoft services” box located under the “Services” tab.
• Select the “Disable all” option.

• Select “Open Task Manager” by going to the “Startup” tab.
• After choosing a third-party application, select “Disable” at the top. To disable all third-party apps and programs, repeat this procedure.

• To go into the clean boot state, restart your computer and see if the problem still exists.

If the problem vanished on a clean boot, you can be sure that an unofficial application is the root of the problem. Proceed to eliminate each recently installed application or software one by one.

Encountering connectivity problems with Microsoft Store apps can be quite frustrating. However, with the solutions mentioned above, like adjusting firewalls and resetting networks, you can swiftly resolve these issues and get back to enjoying your apps seamlessly.
You might also want to consider downloading iobit Advanced SystemCare and letting it fix all the internet issues automatically.