How to fix "No applicable app licenses found" error in Minecraft?

"No applicable app licenses found" is a Windows message, not a Minecraft one: the Minecraft Launcher is a Microsoft Store app, and Windows found no licence for it on this PC. If you bought the game, the licence exists, so start by signing out of the Microsoft Store and back in with the account that owns Minecraft.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2 with the Microsoft Store version of the Minecraft Launcher.

What "No applicable app licenses found" means in Minecraft

Since the move to the new launcher, Minecraft on Windows is installed as a Microsoft Store app, even when you download it from minecraft.net or the Xbox app. The Minecraft Help Center says it plainly: "The Minecraft Launcher relies on the Microsoft Store app". Each time a Store app starts, Windows asks for its licence. When no licence fits the signed-in account, Windows stops the app and shows this window:

Exact text

No applicable app licenses found.

Shown by

Windows, for an app installed from the Microsoft Store (the title bar is the app's path under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps)

Meaning

No licence for this app was found for the account signed in to the Store on this PC

Not about

A damaged world, a missing Java runtime or a broken graphics driver

That is why the message so often surprises people who paid for the game years ago. The purchase is still on the Microsoft account. What failed is the local link between that account, the Store and the installed package. The fixes below rebuild that link from the top down.

Why the Minecraft Launcher says no licence was found: the causes, ranked

Microsoft and Mojang publish no numbers for this message, so the order below is our reading of the Minecraft Help Center, of Microsoft's answers about the same message for other Store apps and of what users report. The first three causes take minutes to rule out.

How to fix "No applicable app licenses found" in the Minecraft Launcher on Windows 11 and 10

Fix 1 to Fix 3 work on the licence and the Store and keep everything installed. Do them first. Fix 4 to Fix 6 repair or replace the Minecraft Launcher, and Fix 7 brings Windows up to date. Try to open the launcher after each fix.

Fix 1. Sign out of the Microsoft Store and sign in with the account that owns Minecraft

5 minutesLow riskEveryone with the message. This is the first check, even if you are sure the right account is signed in.

The licence belongs to the Microsoft account that bought Minecraft, and Windows reads it through the account signed in to the Microsoft Store. The Minecraft Help Center asks you to sign out of the Store and sign in with the account you want to use when the launcher will not install, and the same step makes the Store fetch your licences again.

1. Open the Microsoft Store from the Start menu.
2. Select your profile picture at the top of the window and note the e-mail shown.
3. Select Sign out.
4. Select the profile icon again and sign in with the Microsoft account that bought Minecraft.
5. Open Library, select Games and check that Minecraft or the Minecraft Launcher is listed.
6. If you also use the Xbox app, check that it is signed in with the same account.
7. Restart the PC and open the Minecraft Launcher.

Fix 2. Clear the Microsoft Store cache, then repair or reset the Store

5 to 10 minutesLow riskThe sign-in is right but the message stays, or other Store apps fail too.

The Minecraft Help Center recommends resetting the Store cache with WSReset for launcher problems, because the launcher relies on the Store. If the cache keeps an old answer about your licences, clearing it makes the Store ask again. Repair and Reset go one step further and rebuild the Store app's own data; your purchases stay on your 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 3. Update the Minecraft Launcher, Gaming Services and the Xbox app in the Store

5 to 15 minutesLow riskThe launcher worked before and stopped, or the Store's Library shows pending updates.

The Minecraft Help Center ties launcher update problems to the Store and to the Gaming Services app. An old launcher package or an old Gaming Services can fail the licence check that a newer Store expects.

1. Open the Microsoft Store and select Library at the bottom left.
2. Select Get updates and wait until the list is checked.
3. Select Update all, or update Minecraft Launcher, Gaming Services, Xbox and Microsoft Store one by one.
4. Wait until every update shows Open instead of a progress bar.
5. Restart the PC and open the Minecraft Launcher.

Fix 4. Repair or reset the Minecraft Launcher in Settings

5 minutesLow riskThe Store works and other Store apps open, but the Minecraft Launcher still shows the message.

The Minecraft Help Center lists repairing the launcher app in Windows as its first fix for a launcher that will not open. Repair checks the package files and keeps the launcher's data. Reset clears the launcher's local data, including its sign-in, which also removes an old copy of the licence state.

In the list of installed apps, look for Minecraft Launcher. Run Repair first, open the launcher, and use Reset only if Repair did not help.

1. Open Installed apps. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Open the app's advanced options. Find the app in the list, select the three dots next to it and select Advanced options. Some apps do not have this option: for those, see the section about desktop programs below.

   

3. Repair first. On the page that opens, select Repair if it is there. The app's data stays. Open the app and check whether it works.

   

4. Reset if Repair did not help. Select Reset. This deletes the app's data on this PC, including sign-in details and settings. Open the app and set it up again.

These steps were written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: How to repair or reset an app in Windows

Fix 5. Register the Minecraft Launcher package again with PowerShell

5 minutesLow riskRepair and Reset did not help, and you do not want to download the launcher again yet.

Registering a Store app again tells Windows to read its package from the install folder once more and link it to your account. Microsoft's answers about this message for other Store apps list the same step. It touches only the package, not your worlds.

Use Minecraft as the part of the name between the asterisks, so the command finds the launcher's package.

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 6. Uninstall the Minecraft Launcher and install it again

15 to 30 minutesRead the warningFix 1 to Fix 5 did not help, and the account clearly owns Minecraft.

A fresh install replaces the launcher package and creates a new link to your licence. The Minecraft Help Center gives this as its second fix, with a backup of your worlds first.

1. Back up your worlds as the callout above says.
2. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps (on Windows 10, Apps & features).
3. Find Minecraft Launcher, select the three dots or the app, then Uninstall, and confirm.
4. Restart the PC.
5. Download the launcher again from minecraft.net/en-us/download, or install it from the Xbox app by searching for Minecraft Launcher and selecting Get or Install.
6. Sign in with the Microsoft account that owns Minecraft and start the game.

Fix 7. Install the pending Windows updates

10 to 30 minutesLow riskWindows Update shows pending updates, or the PC has not been updated for weeks.

The Microsoft Store and its licence parts come partly through Windows itself. A PC that misses updates can have a Store that newer app packages do not work well with. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025, so a Windows 10 PC only gets these fixes with Extended Security Updates.

1. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update (on Windows 10, Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update).
2. Select Check for updates.
3. Install everything offered, and under Advanced options > Optional updates also install any pending updates.
4. Restart the PC when asked, then open the Minecraft Launcher.

If the licence error is still there

When the right account is signed in, the Store is reset and the launcher is new, the problem is either the account or the Windows installation. Find out which one with these checks:

• Check the purchase. Sign in at minecraft.net or in the Store and confirm that the account owns Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition. A gift code that was never redeemed, or a purchase on a family member's account, is a licence on another account.
• Check PC Game Pass. If you play through Game Pass, the membership must be active. A lapsed membership gives a licence error that no repair fixes.
• Test a second Windows account. Create a new local account with Create a new user account to test a problem, sign in to the Store there with the same Microsoft account and open the launcher. If it works there, your old Windows profile is the problem.
• Repair Windows system files with Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files if other Store apps fail too.
• Contact Minecraft Support through the Contact Support link of the Minecraft Help Center, with the exact message, the launcher version, your Windows version and the account e-mail.

If even a new Windows account fails, a repair install that keeps your files is the last step: Reinstall Windows without losing files. The message is never a sign of failing hardware.

How to keep the licence error from coming back

• Keep one Microsoft account signed in to Windows, the Microsoft Store, the Xbox app and the Minecraft Launcher.
• Leave automatic app updates on in the Store, so the launcher and Gaming Services stay current.
• Install Windows updates regularly and restart after them.
• If you share the PC, let each person sign in to the Store with their own account before they play.
• Keep a recent backup of your worlds, so a reinstall never puts them at risk.

Frequently asked questions

What does "No applicable app licenses found" mean in Minecraft?

It means Windows found no licence for the Minecraft Launcher for the account signed in to the Microsoft Store on this PC. The launcher is a Store app, so Windows checks its licence each time it starts. The message is about that check, not about your worlds or your graphics card. If you bought Minecraft, the licence is still on your Microsoft account, and signing out and back in to the Store with that account (Fix 1) is the usual way to make Windows find it again.

Why does it say this when I already bought Minecraft years ago?

Because the check happens on this PC, not in your purchase history. The purchase stays on your Microsoft account, and the launcher relies on the Microsoft Store to read it. If the Store is signed in with another account, its cache is out of date, or the launcher package is damaged, Windows cannot see the licence you own. Fix 1 to Fix 3 restore that link without any new purchase.

Do I have to buy Minecraft again?

No, not if your Microsoft account owns it. A licence error is not a lost purchase. Check that Minecraft shows under Library > Games in the Microsoft Store when you are signed in with your account. If it does, the fixes on this page are enough. You need to buy it only if the account never owned the game, for example when it was bought on a family member's account, or when you played through a PC Game Pass membership that has ended.

Does reinstalling the Minecraft Launcher delete my worlds?

It can remove local game data, which is why the Minecraft Help Center asks you to back up your worlds before you uninstall the launcher. Fix 1 to Fix 5 do not touch your worlds. Reset in Fix 4 clears the launcher's own settings and sign-in, not your saves. Before Fix 6, use the Backup & Restore steps of the Help Center, and keep that copy until Minecraft runs again.

Is this the same error as in Game Pass and other Microsoft Store games?

Yes, the same Windows message appears with other Store apps and PC Game Pass games, for example Minecraft Dungeons, whose window is shown above. The cause is the same licence check, so Fix 1 to Fix 3 and Fix 7 work for them too. For Game Pass games, also check that the membership is active. Our 0x803f8007 guide covers a close licence error in the Xbox app.

winget says "Program 'winget.exe' failed to run: No applicable app licenses found". Is that the same?

It is the same Windows licence message, shown in PowerShell for winget instead of in a window for Minecraft. winget comes with App Installer, which is a Microsoft Store app too, so its licence is checked the same way. Sign in to the Store, run WSReset and update App Installer from Library > Get updates, as in Fix 1 to Fix 3. Minecraft does not need winget to run.

Can I fix it without the Microsoft Store?

Not on Windows. Even when you download the launcher from minecraft.net, it installs as a Store app and relies on the Store for its licence. If the Store itself does not open, fix that first with Fix 2. The Minecraft Help Center also lets you install the launcher from the Xbox app, which uses the same Store services in the background. Copies from unofficial launchers or cracked versions are not covered here, and we do not help to bypass the licence check.

The message appeared once and then went away. Should I worry?

No. In Mojang's bug report MCL-20724 the launcher showed the message several times and then opened normally later, with no change by the user. A short problem with the licence service, a Store update in the background or a sign-in that was not finished can all cause one failed check. If it comes back every day, do Fix 1 and Fix 3 to clean up the account and the updates.

I searched in another language or with other words. Is this the right page?

Yes, if the window says "No applicable app licenses found" or the same text in your language. Readers reach it with the translated message, such as "nenhuma licença de aplicativo aplicavel encontrada minecraft", "не найдено соответствующих лицензий для приложения", "마인크래프트 관련 앱 라이선스를 찾을 수 없습니다" or "no se encontraron licencias de aplicacion aplicables". Others ask "how do i fux", "how to fix this", "jak to naprawić", "kenapa ini", "day la cai j", "làm sao", "что делать" or "ايه الحل". The fixes do not depend on the Windows language: account first, then the Store, the launcher and Windows. Searches for "images" or other programs are not covered beyond the pictures on this page.