How to fix Microsoft Store error 0x80073CFF?

Error 0x80073CFF means that Windows refused to install an app package because its install policy does not allow packages from outside Microsoft Store on your PC. It is a sideloading block, not a broken Store. Turn on Developer Mode for the install first, then check the policy that allows trusted apps.

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

What error 0x80073CFF means: the package failed the install policy check

0x80073CFF is one of the deployment errors that Windows returns when it installs an app package, the .appx or .msix format that Microsoft Store apps and many downloaded apps use. Microsoft names it ERROR_INSTALL_POLICY_FAILURE. The check happens before any file is copied, so nothing on your PC was changed.

Microsoft's developer table lists three cases in which a package passes this check. If none of them is true on your PC, the install stops with 0x80073CFF:

• The package is signed by Microsoft and comes from Microsoft Store, or it is part of Windows.
• The package has a trusted signature, and the PC allows sideloading: a developer license, or the AllowAllTrustedApps policy on a domain PC or a PC with a sideloading licence.
• A developer deploys the app from Visual Studio on a PC with a developer license. Today Developer Mode replaces that license.

HRESULT

0x80073CFF (people also type 0x80073cff, 80073CFF and hresult 0x80073cff)

Name

ERROR_INSTALL_POLICY_FAILURE

Microsoft's developer table

To install this app, you need a developer license or a sideloading-enabled system.

Text in the install window

To install this application you need either a Windows developer license or a sideloading-enabled system.

Text from setup programs

Installation failed: AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CFF

In the install window, the message reads:

The message in the install window

Error encountered during install
To install this application you need either a Windows developer license or a sideloading-enabled system.
(Exception from HRESULT: 0x80073CFF)

Why 0x80073CFF appears: the causes, ranked

On Windows 11 and recent Windows 10, sideloading of packages with a trusted signature is allowed by default on desktop PCs. A Microsoft engineer confirmed on the Windows App SDK tracker that the default changed some years ago, but only on desktop. So 0x80073CFF usually means that something switched it off again, or that the package needs more than a trusted signature.

Related codes: 0x80073D01, 0x80073CF0, 0x80073D11 and 0x80073D3F

Four neighbours of this code come from the same Microsoft table and are often mixed up with it. Each one has a different cause, so read the exact code before you change anything.

How to fix error 0x80073CFF in Windows 11 and Windows 10

The fixes work on Windows 11 and Windows 10, with both paths where they differ. Fix 1 to Fix 3 open one of the three routes that Microsoft lists. Fix 4 and Fix 5 are for errors that start in Microsoft Store, and Fix 6 is the general repair.

Fix 1. Turn on Developer Mode for the install, then turn it off again

5 minutesLow riskYour own PC, and you install a downloaded package, a loose app folder or an app from a setup program.

Microsoft says Developer Mode replaces the old developer license and also allows sideloading. That opens the third route of the policy check, so a package with a trusted signature, or a loose folder, installs.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. On Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2, go to System > Advanced and scroll to the For developers section.
3. On older Windows 11 versions, go to System > For developers. On Windows 10 22H2, go to Update & Security > For developers.
4. Turn on Developer Mode ("Install apps from any source, including loose files").
5. Read the warning and select Yes.
6. Install the app again.
7. When it works, come back and turn Developer Mode off.

Fix 2. Allow trusted apps in Group Policy or the registry

10 to 20 minutesRead the warningDeveloper Mode is greyed out or did not help, or the PC runs Windows Server.

The policy Allow all trusted apps to install is the switch behind the second route of the check. If it is Disabled, every package from outside Microsoft Store fails with 0x80073CFF, whatever its signature.

1. Pro, Enterprise and Education: press Win + R, type gpedit.msc and select OK.
2. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > App Package Deployment.
3. Double-click Allow all trusted apps to install, select Enabled and select OK.
4. Home editions have no gpedit.msc. Open Windows PowerShell as administrator and run the command below.
5. Restart the PC and install the app again.

Allow sideloading on Windows Home (Windows PowerShell as administrator)

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModelUnlock" /t REG_DWORD /f /v "AllowAllTrustedApps" /d "1"

How to open and change a policy, with every screen: Open the Local Group Policy Editor

Fix 3. Get the app from Microsoft Store or a correctly signed package

5 to 10 minutesNo riskSideloading is allowed and one package still fails, or a setup program fails with "AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CFF".

Sideloading only lets in packages with a trusted signature. A package signed by Microsoft from Microsoft Store passes the first route and needs no sideloading at all, so the Store version avoids the check.

1. Open Microsoft Store and search for the app. If it is there, install it from the Store instead of the file.
2. If it is not in the Store, right-click the .msix or .appx file and select Properties.
3. Open the Digital Signatures tab. Check that it exists and names the publisher you expect.
4. If there is no signature or the name is wrong, do not install it. Download the package again from the publisher's own site.
5. If a setup program fails, look on the publisher's site or issue tracker for a newer installer.

• Helper packages from setup programs: Microsoft's Windows App SDK team explained in 2022 that some of its runtime helper packages are signed for sideloading only. Installers that add them failed with 0x80073CFF where sideloading was off. A newer installer, or Fix 1 for the install, solved it.
• Packages from unknown sites: a package from outside Microsoft Store or the publisher's own site can hold anything. Do not lower Windows protection to install it.

Fix 4. Repair or reset Microsoft Store

10 minutesLow riskThe error starts in Microsoft Store and every Store install fails, not only one package.

Store apps pass the policy check by design. If the Store still shows 0x80073CFF, its own data or cache may be damaged, and a reset rebuilds them without touching other apps.

1. Press Win + R, type wsreset.exe and select OK. A black window opens. Wait until Microsoft Store opens by itself.
2. Try the install. If it fails, select Start > Settings > System > System components. On Windows 10: Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
3. Next to Microsoft Store, select the three dots and Advanced options.
4. Select Repair and try again.
5. If that does not help, select Reset, open the Store and sign in again.

Reset removes the Store's data on this PC and the sign in. Purchases stay with your Microsoft account. Every screen: Reset the Microsoft Store

Fix 5. Update Windows to the latest build

15 to 30 minutesLow riskStore installs fail after Fix 4, or Windows has pending updates.

Microsoft Store and the app deployment service are updated with Windows. A half-installed update can leave them out of step, and the Store's own repair does not cover that part.

1. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update. On Windows 10: Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
2. Select Check for updates, or Install all if updates are waiting.
3. Install the optional updates as well if they are offered.
4. Restart the PC when asked and try the install again.

Fix 6. Repair Windows system files with SFC and DISM

20 to 30 minutesLow riskNothing installs, other system tools fail too, or no fix above helped.

No Microsoft source ties 0x80073CFF to damaged system files. It is the last general check, for the case where the deployment service itself is damaged and every package fails.

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

If the error is still there: read the deployment log

Microsoft's advice for every deployment error is the AppXDeployment-Server event log. For 0x80073CFF it shows which package failed the policy check and when.

1. Make the error appear once more and note the time.
2. Open Windows PowerShell and run the command below. A table opens in its own window.
3. Look for the rows with 0x80073CFF and read the lines around them for the package name.
4. For Event Viewer, press Win + R, run eventvwr.msc and open Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > AppXDeployment-Server.
5. Open Microsoft-Windows-AppXDeploymentServer/Operational and read the Error entries at the time you noted.

The last deployment in a table

Get-AppxLog | Out-GridView

• What to send to support: the error entry from the log, the package name, the OS build from winver, your Windows edition, and where you got the package.
• When it is not your PC: if the package has no trusted signature, only the publisher can fix it. If the PC is managed, only the administrator can change the policy.

How to keep 0x80073CFF from coming back

• Install from Microsoft Store when you can. Store packages are signed by Microsoft and pass the policy check without sideloading.
• Download packages only from the publisher. A correct signature is what sideloading accepts.
• Keep Developer Mode off when you do not need it. Turn it on for an install or a test, then off.
• Be careful with tweak and privacy tools. Some change Windows policies in bulk. Check App Package Deployment in gpedit.msc after you use one.
• Keep Windows current. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025, and new packages are built and tested for Windows 11.

Frequently asked questions

What does error 0x80073CFF mean?

It means that Windows refused an app package because of its install policy. Microsoft names the code ERROR_INSTALL_POLICY_FAILURE and describes it as "To install this app, you need a developer license or a sideloading-enabled system." The package was not signed by Microsoft from the Store, and your PC does not allow sideloading or Developer Mode. The check happens before any file is copied, so nothing was changed. Turning on Developer Mode for the install is the fastest fix on your own PC.

What does "AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CFF" mean?

It is the same error, reported by a setup program instead of the Windows install window. Many modern apps install an MSIX package in the background, and the setup program shows the code it got back from Windows. The full text often reads "Installation failed: AddPackage failed with HRESULT 0x80073CFF". The fix is the same: allow the package with Developer Mode (Fix 1) or the trusted apps policy (Fix 2). If it still fails, ask the app's publisher for a newer installer.

Is it safe to turn on Developer Mode?

For an install, yes, if the package comes from a publisher you trust. Developer Mode lets Windows install apps from any source, including loose files, and it starts some services for developers. Microsoft says that a PC used for everyday tasks does not need it. So turn it on, install the app, and turn it off again. Never turn it on because a website or a pop-up tells you to install something unknown.

Why is Developer Mode greyed out?

Because a policy controls it, or your account is not an administrator. Microsoft notes that turning on Developer Mode needs administrator access, and that on a PC owned by an organization the option may be disabled. On your own PC, sign in with an administrator account and check the App Package Deployment policies in gpedit.msc, as in Fix 2. On a work or school PC, ask the administrator. Do not try to get around a policy your organization set.

I get 0x80073CFF in Microsoft Store. Is the Store broken?

Not necessarily. Apps that the Store installs are signed by Microsoft and should pass this check. If one Store app fails, check whether you opened a downloaded file or a link to a package outside the Store. If every Store install fails, reset the Store with wsreset.exe and then Repair or Reset in Settings (Fix 4), and update Windows (Fix 5). The deployment log names the package that failed.

Does 0x80073CFF happen on Windows 11 25H2?

Yes, it can. Sideloading of trusted packages is allowed by default on Windows 11, so the code there usually means a policy turned it off, the package needs Developer Mode, or the package is not trusted. On 25H2 and 26H2 the Developer Mode switch has moved: it is now under Settings > System > Advanced, in the For developers section. Older guides that name System > For developers describe Windows 11 before 25H2.

How do I fix 0x80073CFF on Windows Server?

Allow trusted apps with the policy. A Microsoft engineer on the Windows App SDK tracker explained that the sideloading default changed only on desktop Windows, and Windows Server still has the old default of disabled. Open gpedit.msc, go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > App Package Deployment and enable Allow all trusted apps to install. In a domain, the server administrator sets this through Group Policy instead.

Will SFC or re-registering all apps fix 0x80073CFF?

Usually not. The error comes from the install policy, and repairing system files does not change a policy. The PowerShell command that re-registers every app on the PC is often copied for Store errors, but it does nothing for a blocked package and can produce new red errors for unrelated apps. SFC and DISM stay on this page as the last general step, for a PC where nothing installs at all.

¿Qué significa el error 0x80073CFF y cómo lo soluciono?

This page is in English. Error 0x80073CFF means that Windows blocked an app package by its install policy, because sideloading or Developer Mode is not on. In Spanish Windows, open Configuración, then Sistema, and turn on Modo de desarrollador for the install, as in Fix 1. If the switch is greyed out, the policy in Fix 2 blocks it. After the install, turn the mode off again. Microsoft Store versions of an app need none of this.

I don't have Microsoft Store. Can I still fix 0x80073CFF?

Yes. This error does not need the Store at all, because it is about packages installed from outside it. Turn on Developer Mode (Fix 1) or allow trusted apps (Fix 2), and the package installs without the Store. If you need the Store itself back, it is a package too, and a policy can block it as well. Our guide to error 0x80073D01 covers installs that a policy blocks.