Microsoft Store cannot sign in: what to check first

If Microsoft Store cannot sign you in, the safest first move is usually to rule out a bad network, clock, or account session before you touch the app itself. Close the Store, sign out of Microsoft account sessions elsewhere if you’re clearly stuck in a login loop, then retry with the PC’s date, time, region, and internet access checked first.

What the sign-in failure usually looks like

This problem usually shows up in a few ways: the sign-in button does nothing, the account picker spins and never finishes, you get sent back to the same sign-in prompt, or the Store opens but won’t attach your Microsoft account.

Sometimes the failure appears only in Microsoft Store. Other Microsoft apps may still sign in normally, which points more toward the Store app or the PC’s local settings than a full account problem. If every Microsoft sign-in on the PC fails, treat it as an account or device-level issue first instead of a Store-only problem.

If you see an exact error message, use that wording as your clue. If you do not get a message at all, focus on the checks below because they commonly block Store sign-in.

Before you start

Use this section to sort out the likely cause before you repair anything.

• If sign-in fails only in Microsoft Store, the app or its local cache is more likely than your whole Microsoft account.
• If sign-in fails in other Microsoft apps too, check the account itself first.
• If sign-in worked before and suddenly stopped, look at recent changes such as a VPN, proxy, work network, time change, or Windows update.
• If you’re signed in to the wrong Microsoft account somewhere else on the PC or browser, sign out of that session before trying again in Store.
• If Windows is badly out of date, or Store updates are waiting, install them before you spend time on deeper fixes. Current update behavior can change, so check the latest guidance in Windows Update and Microsoft Store itself.

Do the safe checks first. If the PC can’t reach Microsoft services reliably, or the clock is wrong, fixing the app won’t help for long.

Check the safest things first

Before you change anything in the Store app, confirm the PC can reach Microsoft services and that the device clock is right. A bad network path, proxy, captive portal, or wrong date and time can stop sign-in even when the rest of Windows seems normal.

• Make sure the PC is actually online. Open a normal website or another Microsoft service in a browser.
• If you use a VPN, proxy, or filtered work network, disconnect it briefly and try the Store again.
• Check that the date, time, region, and time zone are correct. A clock or region mismatch can break account sign-in.
• Sign out of other Microsoft apps or browser sessions if they seem to be holding the wrong account open, then try Store again with the account you expect.

If the Store works on another network, the issue is probably local to your PC’s connection path. If the clock or region was wrong, fix it and try again before you touch the app itself. If none of these checks change anything, move on to the Store app repair steps.

Reset the Store app without changing your account

Start with the least disruptive fix. Close Microsoft Store completely, then open it again and try the sign-in once more. If that does not help, clear the Store cache by using the built-in reset command, which is designed to refresh Store data without removing your account.

1. Close Microsoft Store.
2. Reopen it and try signing in again.
3. If it still fails, run the Store cache reset command.

wsreset.exe

That command clears Store cache data and relaunches the app. If sign-in starts working after that, the problem was likely a stale Store cache rather than your account.

If the cache reset does not fix it, use the app repair option before you use reset. Repair is the safer next step because it tries to fix the app without wiping all of its local data.

Use Reset only after Repair fails. Reset can remove local app data and may make you sign in again.

4. Open Windows Settings and go to the installed apps list.
5. Find Microsoft Store, open its advanced options, and choose Repair.
6. Try sign-in again.
7. If Repair does not help, return to the same page and choose Reset.

If Reset still does not fix the problem, the issue may be outside the Store app itself. At that point, install any pending Windows updates and Store updates, then try again. If Windows Update or Microsoft Store updates are waiting, install them before repeating the sign-in test, because outdated system components can block authentication. If your Microsoft account password changed recently, update the saved credentials you use on this PC before another attempt.

Verify the fix

Sign in to Microsoft Store and watch for a normal account menu instead of an endless spinner or a loop back to the sign-in screen. Once you’re signed in, open the account area and start a small app download or update.

A successful download is the practical proof that the Store is working again. If sign-in works but downloads still fail, the Store may only be partly fixed, and the network or Windows update components may still need attention.

If sign-in still fails after the repair or reset, stop there and check whether the same Microsoft account can sign in on another Microsoft service or device. That tells you whether the remaining problem is account-specific or tied to this PC.

Conclusion

If the Store still won’t sign you in after the safe checks and repair steps, the next useful move is to test the same Microsoft account outside this PC, then come back with the exact error or symptom.