How to fix Microsoft Store error 0x800704C6

Error 0x800704C6 is Windows system error 1222, which Microsoft describes as "The network is not present or not started." Microsoft Store, the Xbox app and Windows Update show it when their download part cannot use the network, even while your browser works. Start with the connection itself: VPN, proxy and adapter, then the download services.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What error 0x800704C6 means

Codes that start with 0x8007 are ordinary Windows system errors wrapped for apps. The last four digits, 04C6, are the number 1222 in hexadecimal. Microsoft's list of System Error Codes gives 1222 (0x4C6) the text: "The network is not present or not started." So the Store is not reporting a broken app or a missing licence. It is passing on what Windows answered when the download tried to reach the network.

That is why the error often appears while the browser and other apps are online. Store and Xbox downloads do not go through the browser. They are handed to Windows download services, which use the network stack, the proxy settings and the adapter on their own. If one of those parts is not ready, the answer is 1222, and you see 0x800704C6.

Why Windows says the network is not present

Microsoft documents the meaning of code 1222, not a list of Store causes. The causes below follow from that meaning and from what readers report on Microsoft Q&A, ranked by how often they explain the error.

How to fix error 0x800704C6

Fix 1 to Fix 3 are quick and match what the code says: the network was not ready for the download. Fix 4 resets the network stack. Fix 5 to Fix 7 repair the Store and the update cache. Fix 8 and Fix 9 look for other software and repair Windows itself.

Fix 1. Check the connection and turn off the VPN and proxy

5 minutesNo riskAlways first. Above all when a VPN app or a proxy is in use, or the network changed recently.

The code says the network is not present or not started for the part of Windows that downloads. A VPN that is half connected, a proxy the Store cannot pass, or an adapter that dropped for a moment gives exactly that answer, while the browser may still work through its own settings.

1. Disconnect any VPN app and close it from the notification area. Turn it off for the test only.
2. Open Settings > Network & internet > Proxy. Under Manual proxy setup, check that Use a proxy server is off, unless your work needs it.
3. Open Settings > Network & internet and check that the status at the top says you are connected.
4. Unplug the router and modem for 30 seconds, plug them back in and wait until the lights settle.
5. If you can, try a cable instead of Wi-Fi, or a phone hotspot for one test download.
6. Open the Store and select Get or Update again.

Step by step, with the ping test for the router and DNS: How to check your internet connection in Windows

Fix 2. Install pending Windows and Store updates and check the clock

10 to 20 minutesNo riskPending updates in Settings, or the Store, the Xbox app or Minecraft has not updated for a while.

The Store and its download components are updated separately from Windows. An old Store app on a newer Windows, or the other way round, can fail at the first network step. A wrong clock also stops the secure connection the Store needs.

1. Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. Install everything and restart if asked.
2. Open Microsoft Store, select Library in the lower left and select Get updates.
3. If you use the Xbox app, let it update in the same Library list, then open it once.
4. Open Settings > Time & language > Date & time and check that Set time automatically is on.
5. Select Sync now under Additional settings.
6. Try the download again.

If the clock will not sync: How to fix the date and time in Windows

Fix 3. Restart the Windows Update, BITS and Microsoft Store Install services

5 minutesLow riskDownloads hang at Pending or 0 %, or the Standalone Installer shows the error.

Store and update downloads go through the Background Intelligent Transfer Service, Windows Update and the Microsoft Store Install Service. These services start on demand. If one is disabled or stuck, it reports that the network is not started even when the PC is online.

Open Services and restart Background Intelligent Transfer Service, Windows Update and Microsoft Store Install Service one by one. None of them should be set to Disabled: the usual startup type is Manual.

1. Open Services. Press Windows+R, type the command below and press Enter. You can also type Services in the search box on the taskbar and open the app.

   services.msc

2. Find the service. The list is sorted by Name. Click any row and type the first letter of the service to jump to it. Check the Status column (Running or empty) and the Startup Type column.
3. Restart the service. Right-click the service and select Restart. If the service is not running, select Start instead. Wait until the progress window closes.
4. Open its properties to change the startup type. Only if your guide says so: double-click the service. The General tab shows the Service name (used in commands), the Startup type and the Service status.
5. Set the startup type and apply. Choose the type from the Startup type list (Automatic, Automatic (Delayed Start), Manual or Disabled), select Apply, then Start if the service should run now, and OK.

These steps were written for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (the steps are the same). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Check and restart Windows services

Fix 4. Reset Winsock, TCP/IP and the network adapters

10 minutesRead the warningWindows Update or other system downloads also fail, often after a VPN, firewall or security suite was installed or removed.

Code 1222 comes from the network layer of Windows. Software that hooks into Winsock can leave the catalog in a state where system services find no working network. Resetting Winsock, TCP/IP and, if needed, all adapters returns that layer to its defaults.

1. Open an elevated command window. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), or type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
2. Flush the DNS cache. Type the command below and press Enter. Windows forgets the website addresses it looked up earlier and asks for them again.

   ipconfig /flushdns

3. Reset Winsock. Type the command below and press Enter. It returns the Windows sockets catalog to its default state.

   netsh winsock reset

4. Reset TCP/IP. Type the command below and press Enter. If you entered an IP address or DNS server by hand, note it first: you may need to enter it again.

   netsh int ip reset

5. Get a new IP address. Run these two commands one after the other. The connection drops for a moment between them.

   ipconfig /release
   ipconfig /renew

6. Restart the PC. Restart Windows so the Winsock and TCP/IP resets take effect, then test the connection. If it still does not work, continue with the network reset below.
7. Open Network reset. Open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings and select Network reset.
8. Reset now. Select Reset now, then Yes to confirm. Windows removes and reinstalls all network adapters and restarts the PC.
9. Reconnect. After the restart, connect to your Wi-Fi network again (you will need its password) and reinstall or reconfigure VPN software if it stopped working.

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and later. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reset the network and flush DNS

Fix 5. Clear the Store cache, then repair or reset Microsoft Store

5 minutesLow riskThe network and Windows Update work, but the Store still shows 0x800704C6.

A damaged Store cache can keep a failed download in its queue and repeat the same error. wsreset clears the cache. Repair fixes the Store app and keeps its data. Reset deletes its data on this PC, while purchases stay in your Microsoft account.

1. Clear the Store cache. Press Windows + R, type wsreset.exe and select OK. A blank Command Prompt window opens; after a short while it closes and Microsoft Store opens by itself.
2. Open System components. If the problem stays, select Start > Settings > System > System components. Next to Microsoft Store, select the three dots and Advanced options. If Microsoft Store is not listed there, look for it in Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
3. Repair first. Scroll to Reset and select Repair. Repair keeps the app's data. Open the Store and check whether it works.
4. Reset if Repair did not help. Select Reset and confirm. This deletes the Store app's data on this PC; your purchases stay in your Microsoft account. Open the Store and sign in again.

These steps were written for Windows 11 26H2 (build 26300). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reset the Microsoft Store

Fix 6. Reset the Windows Update components

15 minutesLow riskWindows Update fails too, or the Standalone Installer shows the error after Fix 3.

Store and update downloads share the cache in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and the signatures in catroot2. A download that broke while the network dropped can stay half written there. Renaming both folders lets Windows start each download again from zero.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator. Type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
2. Stop the update services. Type the commands below and press Enter after each one. If Windows says that other services depend on Cryptographic Services, it stops them too. A message that a service is not started is fine.

   net stop wuauserv
   net stop bits
   net stop cryptsvc

3. Delete the download queue files. This clears the list of downloads that the Background Intelligent Transfer Service keeps. If Windows says it cannot find the files, continue.

   del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat"

4. Rename the update cache folders. Renaming keeps a copy in case you need it; Windows creates new, empty folders when the services start again. If you get Access is denied, a service is still running: repeat the previous step.

   ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
   ren %systemroot%\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

5. Start the services again. Type the commands below and press Enter after each one. The requested service has already been started is fine: Windows started it on its own.

   net start cryptsvc
   net start bits
   net start wuauserv

6. Restart and check for updates. Restart the PC. Then select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. The first check can take longer than usual because everything is downloaded again.

These steps were written for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (the steps are the same). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reset Windows Update components

Fix 7. Register Microsoft Store again for your account

5 minutesLow riskThe Store opens, but every download fails after Fix 5.

Registering the Store package again rebuilds its link to your account and to the services it calls. It repairs a Store whose registration broke in a failed update, without touching your other apps.

Close Microsoft Store. Run this command in PowerShell as administrator. It registers only the Store package, which is safer than the command for all apps.

Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.WindowsStore* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

1. Open PowerShell. Select Start, type PowerShell and select Windows PowerShell. Open it the normal way, not as administrator: in an administrator window the app is registered to the administrator account instead of yours.
2. Find the app's package. Type the command below with a part of the app's name between the asterisks and press Enter. If the app is installed, PowerShell prints its details, including Name and InstallLocation. If nothing is printed, the app is not installed for your account: see the section below.

   Get-AppxPackage -Name '*WindowsCalculator*'

3. Re-register the app. Paste the three commands below, with the same name between the asterisks, and press Enter. They read the folder the app is installed in and register its manifest again. If no red text appears, it worked.

   $InstallLocation = Get-AppxPackage -Name '*WindowsCalculator*' |
       Select-Object -ExpandProperty InstallLocation
   $ManifestPath = $InstallLocation + '\Appxmanifest.xml'
   Add-AppxPackage -Path $ManifestPath -Register -DisableDevelopmentMode

4. Open the app. Close PowerShell and start the app from Start. If it still fails, restart the PC and try once more.

These steps were written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2, Windows 10 22H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: How to re-register Microsoft Store apps with PowerShell

Fix 8. Test with a clean boot

15 minutesLow riskA third-party firewall, VPN client, network optimizer or security suite starts with Windows.

A clean boot starts Windows with Microsoft services only. If the Store downloads then, a program that filters the network is answering for the network in the normal start. A Microsoft Q&A advisor suggested this step for 0x800704C6 when the usual fixes did not help.

1. Open System Configuration. Select Search on the taskbar, type msconfig and select System Configuration from the results.
2. Hide Microsoft services. On the Services tab, select the Hide all Microsoft services check box. Only services from other companies stay in the list.
3. Disable the remaining services. Select Disable all, then select Apply.
4. Open Task Manager. On the Startup tab of System Configuration, select Open Task Manager.
5. Disable the startup apps. On the Startup apps tab in Task Manager, select each item whose status is Enabled and select Disable. Write down or take a screenshot of the items you disable: you need the list to turn them back on.
6. Confirm the changes. Close Task Manager. On the Startup tab of System Configuration, select OK.
7. Restart and test. Restart the PC. Windows now starts in a clean boot environment: try again the thing that failed (run the app, install the update, uninstall the program).

These steps were written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: How to perform a clean boot in Windows

Fix 9. Repair system files, then repair-install Windows

20 to 90 minutesRead the warningNothing above worked, or several parts of Windows fail with different codes.

When the files behind the network or download services are damaged, the earlier resets do not hold. DISM and SFC repair the files in place. A repair install replaces Windows and keeps your files and apps; a Microsoft Q&A advisor pointed readers with this code to that step last.

1. Open an elevated command window. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), or type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.

   

2. Run DISM first. Type the command below and press Enter. DISM downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so it can take several minutes. Wait until it says The operation completed successfully.

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

   

3. Run System File Checker. In the same window, type the command below and press Enter. Do not close the window until the verification reaches 100%.

   sfc /scannow

   

4. Read the result and restart. Compare the last message with the table below this guide, then restart the PC so that repaired files are loaded.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

1. Open Recovery in Settings. Open Settings > System > Recovery. Next to Fix problems using Windows Update, select Reinstall now. This keeps your apps, files and settings.
2. Start the reinstall. Choose whether the PC may restart on its own 15 minutes after the installation, then select OK.
3. Wait and restart. Windows Update downloads and installs a repair copy of your current Windows version. Keep the PC plugged in and online, and restart it when asked.
4. If that did not help: Reset PC. Back in Settings > System > Recovery, next to Reset this PC, select Reset PC. This keeps your personal files but removes installed apps and settings.
5. Choose Keep my files. Select Keep my files. Do not select Remove everything.
6. Choose where Windows comes from. Select Cloud download to download a fresh copy of Windows, or Local reinstall to use the files already on the PC (faster, but may not include the latest updates).
7. Reset. Review the summary and select Reset. The PC restarts several times.

These steps were written for Windows 11 22H2 and later. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reinstall Windows without losing files

If error 0x800704C6 is still there

When every fix fails, the logs show which part of Windows gave up. Open PowerShell and run the command below. It builds a readable WindowsUpdate.log on your desktop.

Get-WindowsUpdateLog

If you ask Microsoft Support or your administrator for help, send your Windows version from winver, the code 0x800704C6 and where you saw it (Store, Xbox app or the Standalone Installer). Add whether a VPN or proxy is in use, and the log lines around the code.

How to keep error 0x800704C6 from coming back

Other Store codes have other causes. If you see 0x80248014 instead, the update client is missing a service in its data store: error 0x80248014.

Frequently asked questions

What does error 0x800704C6 mean?

It means Windows told the app that the network is not present or not started. The code is the HRESULT form of Windows system error 1222, which Microsoft lists with exactly that text. Microsoft Store, the Xbox app and the Windows Update Standalone Installer show it when the Windows download services cannot use the network. It does not mean the app or your account is broken. Start with the connection, VPN and proxy in Fix 1.

Why does the Store say the network is not present when my internet works?

Because the Store does not download through your browser. It hands the download to Windows services such as BITS and the Microsoft Store Install Service, which use the system proxy, the VPN adapter and the network stack. A browser can still work through its own proxy setting or a working tab. If a service is stopped or the stack is damaged, the Store gets code 1222 while web pages open. Fix 3 and Fix 4 cover that.

How do I fix 0x800704C6 in the Xbox app or Game Pass?

The Xbox app installs PC Game Pass games through the Microsoft Store, so the same fixes apply. Turn off any VPN and check the connection (Fix 1), update the Store and the Xbox app from the Store Library (Fix 2), then restart the download services (Fix 3). Xbox Support also keeps a page for error 0x800704c6 in the Xbox app. If only one large game fails, check that the target drive has enough free space too.

Why does Minecraft fail with 0x800704C6?

Minecraft for Windows and the Minecraft Launcher come from the Microsoft Store, so a Minecraft install that stops with 0x800704C6 is a Store download problem, not a Minecraft problem. On Microsoft Q&A, readers with this code saw other apps fail with other codes at the same time. Follow Fix 1 to Fix 3, then try the install again from the Store or the Xbox app.

What is "Installer encountered an error: 0x800704c6"?

That is the Windows Update Standalone Installer, the tool that opens a downloaded .msu update file. It shows the same code with Microsoft's text "The network is not present or not started" when it cannot reach Windows Update. Restart the Windows Update and BITS services (Fix 3), reset the update components (Fix 6), then run the .msu file again. Disconnecting a VPN first helps too.

Is there a registry fix for Microsoft Store error 0x800704C6?

No source ties this code to one registry value, so we do not give a registry edit for it. Pages that suggest one usually change proxy or service settings that you can set safely in Settings and Services instead (Fix 1 and Fix 3). If you still want to edit the registry for another reason, back it up first with Back up the registry before editing it.

Will resetting Microsoft Store delete my apps or games?

No. Reset deletes the Store app's own data on this PC, such as its cache and sign-in, and you sign in again afterwards. Installed apps and games stay installed, and purchases and Game Pass stay in your Microsoft account. Try Repair first, because it keeps the Store's data. Clearing the cache with wsreset does not remove apps either.

Should I uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Store?

We do not advise removing the Store package with PowerShell. Some older guides do, but if the reinstall step fails you are left with no Store and no simple way to get it back. Registering the Store again (Fix 7) and Repair or Reset (Fix 5) rebuild it without removing it. If those fail, a repair install of Windows (Fix 9) restores the Store along with the rest of the system.

Is error 0x800704C6 a virus or a hardware fault?

No. The code reports that the network was not available to the download, not that a part is broken or that malware is present. If you want to be sure the PC is clean, run a Microsoft Defender scan with How to scan for malware with Microsoft Defender, but no source links this code to malware. Network hardware matters only when every device on your network fails while a phone hotspot works.

I searched in another language. Is this the right page?

Yes, if your screen shows 0x800704C6. Searches such as como resolver, como solucionar, cách khắc phục lỗi or böyle bir hata that led here ask how to fix this code, and a note that the internet works (инет есть) is exactly the case this page explains. The fix order is the same in every language: connection, VPN and proxy, updates, then the download services. The chooser table above shows where to start.