How to fix Xbox app error 0x80073CF9 in Windows?

Error 0x80073CF9 means Windows started to install an app package, such as a Game Pass game or the Xbox app itself, and the install failed. When games will not install, start with the Gaming Services Repair Tool. When the Xbox app will not update, repair the Xbox app and Microsoft Store first.

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

What error code 0x80073CF9 means

Xbox games for PC, the Xbox app, Gaming Services and every Microsoft Store app are installed as app packages. Windows has one install engine for all of them, and 0x80073CF9 is that engine's general answer when an install did not finish.

Microsoft's developer documentation names the code ERROR_INSTALL_FAILED and describes it as "Package install failed. Contact the software vendor." It also says where the reason is: the AppXDeployment-Server event log. So 0x80073CF9 tells you that the install failed, not why. The why depends on what was being installed, which is why the fixes below start from what you see.

HRESULT

0x80073CF9 (also typed 0x80073cf9, 0X80073CF9 and 80073cf9)

Win32 error

15609, in hexadecimal 0x3CF9

Name

ERROR_INSTALL_FAILED

Microsoft's text

Package install failed. Contact the software vendor. For more information, check the AppXDeployment-Server event log.

Neighbour codes

0x80073CF4 is "There isn't enough disk space on your computer". 0x80073CF6 is a package that cannot be registered. Each has its own fix.

Where 0x80073CF9 shows up: Xbox games, the Xbox app, Microsoft Store and PowerShell

People search the code as "0x80073cf9 install failed" and "xbox installer error 0x80073cf9" too. It is the same error in each case: the Xbox app hands the install to Windows, and Windows reports that the install failed.

Why the install fails: the causes of 0x80073CF9, ranked

Most often the part that installs games, Gaming Services, is broken or out of date. Less often the Xbox app or Microsoft Store itself is damaged, or an old install of the same game blocks the new one. Rarely the Windows app platform is damaged and every app fails.

How to fix Xbox app error 0x80073CF9 in Windows 11 and Windows 10

Fix 1 to Fix 3 are the specific fixes for Xbox installs and work for most readers. Fixes 4 to 6 repair the parts the install needs. Fix 7 and Fix 8 repair Windows itself, as Microsoft's support staff advise when nothing else helps. Paths are given for Windows 11 and Windows 10 where they differ.

Fix 1. Run the Gaming Services Repair Tool, then reinstall Gaming Services

10 to 20 minutesLow riskXbox games fail to install or update with 0x80073CF9, or the Xbox app says Gaming Services needs attention.

Gaming Services is the Windows component that installs and updates every Xbox game on the PC. When it is damaged, each game install fails at the Windows step, which is exactly what 0x80073CF9 reports. Xbox Support built its repair tool for install and update problems of Gaming Services.

1. Open the Xbox app, select your profile picture and then Support.
2. Select Gaming Services Repair Tool, then Start Troubleshooting, and follow what it reports.
3. Restart the PC and try the game again.
4. If the code returns, close the Xbox app and Microsoft Store.
5. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin). On Windows 10 select Windows PowerShell (Admin). Select Yes.
6. Run the command below. It removes Gaming Services for all users.
7. Install it again from the Gaming Services page in Microsoft Store, restart the PC and start the game install again.

Terminal (Admin): remove Gaming Services

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.GamingServices | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers

• The repair tool will not run: Xbox Support says that on Windows 22H2 or older it may only run from the local administrator account, and that the fix is to update Windows (Fix 7).
• Installed games stay on the drive. They will not start until Gaming Services is back, so do not skip the reinstall.
• The Store page will not open: start any game install in the Xbox app. It offers to install Gaming Services first.

Fix 2. Repair or reset the Xbox app and Microsoft Store, then update them

10 minutesLow riskThe Xbox app fails to update or install from Microsoft Store with 0x80073CF9, or Fix 1 did not help.

When the Xbox app's own update fails, the package that will not install is the Xbox app, and its damaged local data or a stuck Store is the usual reason. Repair keeps the app's data, Reset clears it, and the Store cache reset makes the Store fetch the update again.

1. Press Win + I and open Apps > Installed apps. On Windows 10 open Apps > Apps & features.
2. Find Xbox, select the three dots next to it and Advanced options.
3. Select Terminate, then Repair. Try the update. If it still fails, select Reset.
4. Do the same for Microsoft Store. On Windows 11 it is under Settings > System > System components.
5. Press Win + R, type wsreset.exe and select OK. Wait until the empty window closes and Microsoft Store opens.
6. In Microsoft Store open Library > Get updates. Let it update the Xbox app, Gaming Services and the Store itself.

Reset signs the Xbox app out on this PC. Your games, Game Pass and cloud saves belong to your Microsoft account and stay. Every screen of the app repair: How to repair or reset an app in Windows

Fix 3. Install the game to a new folder or another drive

10 minutes plus the downloadLow riskOne game fails with 0x80073CF9 while other games install, often a game you removed earlier, or the game goes to an external drive.

When only one game fails, Gaming Services and the Store work, so the difference is the game's own install. Files left from an earlier install of the same game, or a problem with the target folder or drive, can make that one install fail. A fresh folder takes both out of the test.

1. Restart the PC so no old install of the game is still running in the background.
2. Open File Explorer and look at the drive where the game used to be, in the XboxGames folder at the top of the drive.
3. If a folder with the game's name is still there, move it to another place, for example the Desktop. Do not delete it yet.
4. In the Xbox app, start the install again. When the app asks where to install, pick the internal system drive C:.
5. If it installs, you can move the game to the external drive later from the game's Manage page.
6. When the game works, delete the old folder you moved in step 3.

• You cannot move the old folder because Windows says you need permission or a file is in use: restart and try once more. If it still refuses, leave it and install to a different drive or folder instead.
• The external drive: test the internal drive first. If the game installs on C: and fails on the external SSD, the drive or its connection is the cause, not Windows.
• Not enough space: that is a different code, 0x80073CF4. The game's size is on its Store page. Free space with Free up disk space and delete temporary files

Fix 4. Check that the AUInstallAgent folder exists in C:\Windows

2 minutesLow riskDownloads stay at 0% or fail at once, and Fix 1 to Fix 3 did not help.

Many users report that 0x80073CF9 went away after they created the missing C:\Windows\AUInstallAgent folder. Microsoft does not document this folder for Xbox installs, so treat it as a quick check that costs nothing, not as a sure fix.

1. Press Win + E and open C:\Windows.
2. Look for a folder named AUInstallAgent. If it is there, do nothing and go to Fix 5.
3. If it is missing, right-click an empty spot, select New > Folder and name it AUInstallAgent exactly.
4. Select Continue when Windows asks for administrator permission.
5. Restart the PC and try the install again.

Fix 5. Check that Gaming Services and the Store install service can start

5 minutesLow riskInstalls stay at Pending or stop at once, or someone used a tool that turns off Windows services.

The Xbox app does not install anything itself. Background services do the work, and if one of them is disabled, every install fails at the Windows step with a general code such as 0x80073CF9.

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. Find Microsoft Store Install Service. Its Startup Type should not be Disabled. Right-click it and select Restart if it is running.
3. Do the same for Gaming Services and Windows Update.
4. If a service shows Disabled, double-click it, set Startup type to Manual, select Apply, then Start.
5. Check Xbox Live Auth Manager, Xbox Live Game Save and Xbox Live Networking Service the same way.

Step by step, with the PowerShell way too: Check and restart Windows services

Fix 6. Register the Xbox app and Microsoft Store again with PowerShell

5 minutesLow riskThe Xbox app or Microsoft Store will not open or update after Fix 2, or Settings has no Repair button for them.

Registration is the last part of every app install, and a broken registration of the Xbox app or the Store can make their own updates fail. Registering only these two packages again repairs that without touching every app on the PC.

1. Close the Xbox app and Microsoft Store.
2. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin). On Windows 10 select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
3. Run the two commands below, one at a time.
4. Restart the PC and open Microsoft Store > Library > Get updates.

Terminal (Admin): register the Xbox app and Microsoft Store again

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

Red text in the output that names a package in use is normal while that app runs. The full procedure: How to re-register Microsoft Store apps with PowerShell

Fix 7. Install Windows updates and repair system files

20 to 40 minutesLow riskEvery Store app fails, the Gaming Services Repair Tool will not run, or Fixes 1 to 6 did not help.

The app install engine is part of Windows. Microsoft's support staff answer persistent 0x80073CF9 reports with DISM and System File Checker first, because damaged system files stop apps from being registered.

1. Press Win + I and open Windows Update. On Windows 10 open Update & Security > Windows Update.
2. Select Check for updates or Install all and restart when the updates are in.
3. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin).
4. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, then sfc /scannow, one at a time.
5. Restart the PC and try the install again.

Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025. The Xbox app still installs there, but a PC that no longer gets updates can keep an old app platform. Step by step: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

Fix 8. Repair Windows in place and keep your files and apps

1 to 2 hoursRead the warningEvery fix above failed and the log shows no single package to blame.

Microsoft's support staff call an in-place repair the most reliable next step when this error keeps returning, because it replaces the Windows components that Microsoft Store and the Xbox app depend on, while files and apps stay.

1. Back up your files as the warning above says.
2. Open the Windows 11 download page of Microsoft and select Download Now under Installation Assistant, or use the media creation tool for Windows 10.
3. Run it and choose to keep personal files and apps when setup asks.
4. Let the PC restart several times until Windows starts again.
5. Open Microsoft Store > Library > Get updates, then try the game install again.

Every screen of the repair, for Windows 11 and Windows 10: Reinstall Windows without losing files

If the error is still there: read the AppXDeployment-Server log

Microsoft's own advice for 0x80073CF9 is to read the AppXDeployment-Server event log. The entry next to the code names the package and the step that failed, such as a file in use, a folder without access or a dependency that is missing.

1. Make the error appear once more and note the time.
2. Open Windows PowerShell and run Get-AppxLog | Out-GridView. The events of the last install open as a table in their own window.
3. Look for rows with 0x80073CF9 and read the package name and the message near them.
4. To use Event Viewer instead, run eventvwr.msc and open Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > AppXDeployment-Server.
5. If the log names a folder or a drive, go back to Fix 3. If it names Gaming Services or the Xbox app, go back to Fix 1 or Fix 2.

• What to send to Xbox Support: the log text, the game's name, the Windows edition and build from Settings > System > About, and which fixes you tried.
• On a work or school PC: an administrator may block Store installs. Ask them, because you may not have the rights.
• When it is hardware: if installs fail only on one external drive and work on C:, test that drive with Check a disk for errors (chkdsk) or try another cable or port.

How to keep 0x80073CF9 from coming back

• Let Microsoft Store update the Xbox app and Gaming Services. Open Library > Get updates now and then.
• Uninstall games from the Xbox app or Settings, not by deleting their folders, so no half install is left behind.
• Keep external game drives connected while a game installs or updates, and remove them safely.
• Do not turn off Xbox or Store services with tuning tools.
• Keep Windows updated. Windows 10 no longer gets updates after 14 October 2025.

Frequently asked questions

What does error code 0x80073CF9 mean?

It means a Windows app package failed to install. Microsoft names the code ERROR_INSTALL_FAILED and describes it as "Package install failed. Contact the software vendor." The code itself does not say why. Microsoft points to the AppXDeployment-Server event log for the reason. On a gaming PC the package is usually an Xbox game, Gaming Services or the Xbox app, so the fixes on this page start with those parts.

How do I fix 0x80073CF9 in the Xbox app?

Start with Gaming Services, which installs every Xbox game. Open the Xbox app, select your profile picture, then Support and Gaming Services Repair Tool, and follow it. If the error returns, remove Gaming Services in Terminal (Admin) and install it again from Microsoft Store. If the Xbox app itself will not update, repair or reset it in Settings > Apps > Installed apps instead (Fix 2).

Why does only one game fail with 0x80073CF9 while others install?

Because Gaming Services and the Store work, so the problem is that one install. The most common case is a game you removed before: files left in its old folder, or a problem with the folder or drive you install to. Move the old game folder out of XboxGames, then install the game to the internal C: drive (Fix 3). If it works there, the external drive or its folder was the cause.

Why does the Xbox app update fail with 0x80073CF9 in Microsoft Store?

Here the package that fails is the Xbox app itself. Damaged app data or a stuck Store download are the usual reasons. Repair the Xbox app and Microsoft Store in Settings, reset the Store cache with wsreset.exe, and run Library > Get updates. If the app still will not update, register it again with PowerShell (Fix 6), then update Windows and repair system files (Fix 7).

Does creating the AUInstallAgent folder fix 0x80073CF9?

Sometimes, by user reports, and it costs nothing to try. Many guides and forum posts say that creating an empty AUInstallAgent folder in C:\Windows fixed the error for them. Microsoft does not document this folder for Xbox installs, and at least one user in Microsoft's Q&A forum says it did not help. Check it after Fix 1 to Fix 3, not before.

Will these fixes delete my games or saves?

No. Repairing the Xbox app keeps its data, and Reset only signs you out on this PC. Removing Gaming Services leaves your games on the drive, although they will not start until Gaming Services is installed again. Saves that sync to the Xbox network belong to your account. Only the in-place Windows repair in Fix 8 deserves a backup first, because it rewrites Windows.

Is 0x80073CF9 the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10?

Yes. The code belongs to the app install engine that both versions share, and the fixes work on both. The menu paths differ a little, and each fix gives both. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025. The Xbox app still runs there, but a PC that no longer gets Windows updates can keep an old app platform, which makes install errors harder to fix.

Is 0x80073CF9 a Microsoft Store error or an Xbox error?

Both, because the Xbox app installs games through the same Windows engine as Microsoft Store. The code can appear for any Store app, and the general fixes here (Fix 2, Fix 5 to Fix 8) apply to them too. The Xbox specific fixes are Gaming Services (Fix 1) and the game's install folder (Fix 3). On an Xbox console the code is outside our sources: contact Xbox Support.

I did everything and the error is still there. What now?

Read why the install failed. Run Get-AppxLog | Out-GridView in PowerShell right after the error, or open the AppXDeployment-Server log in Event Viewer. The entry names the package and often the folder or file that stopped it. Go back to the fix that matches, or send the log text, the game's name and your Windows build to Xbox Support.