How to Fix Microsoft Store Error 0x80073CF9 (App Install Failed)

By ErrorFix · Updated October 18, 2026 · 7 min read

What error 0x80073CF9 means

Error code 0x80073CF9 maps to ERROR_INSTALL_RESOLVE_DEPENDENCY_FAILED, and the full message Windows shows is: "The package could not be installed because a higher version of this package is already installed." In plain terms, the Microsoft Store believes your PC already has a newer copy of the exact app package you are trying to install, and Store packages are never allowed to downgrade — so the installation is refused rather than overwritten.

This shows up most often with games and larger apps. Many modern games bundle companion packages — frameworks, DirectX libraries, or a launcher app — that install as separate entries. If one of those bundles already exists at a newer version (or a previous install left behind stale registration data), the Store trips over the version mismatch and reports 0x80073CF9. It can also appear when a corrupted Store cache makes Windows misread which packages are actually installed, which is why the simple cache fixes resolve it more often than you'd expect. The good news: this is a bookkeeping problem, not a hardware problem, and it clears up once the version record and the actual files agree.

Common causes

• A bundled package already at a newer version: games and apps often ship with companion packages (frameworks, launchers) that are already installed at a higher version than the one the Store wants to add.
• Stale package registration: a previous install or uninstall left behind registration data, so Windows thinks a newer version exists even though the files are gone or outdated.
• Corrupted Microsoft Store cache: bad cache data makes the Store misread installed package versions, producing a phantom version conflict.
• Conflicting user accounts: the app is installed for another user on the same PC at a newer version, and your account's install can't proceed.
• Broken system files or wrong clock: damaged Windows components and an incorrect date/time can make Store package transactions fail in strange ways.

How to fix error 0x80073CF9 — step by step

Work through these fixes in order. Most Store installs succeed again by step 3 or 4.

1. Run the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter. Open Settings, go to System, then Troubleshoot, then Other troubleshooters. Click Run next to Windows Store Apps and follow the prompts. Let it apply any repairs it recommends, then try installing the app again.
2. Clear the Microsoft Store cache with wsreset.exe. Press Win + R, type wsreset.exe, and press Enter. A blank command window appears for up to a minute, then closes and the Microsoft Store opens on its own. This wipes the Store's cached data, which fixes the error whenever a stuck transaction or corrupted cache entry caused the phantom version conflict. Try the install again.
3. Repair the app in Settings. Open Settings, go to Apps, then Installed apps. Find the app in the list (or search for it), open its three-dot menu, and choose Advanced options. Scroll to the Reset section and click Repair. Repairing rebuilds the app's registration and fixes broken files without deleting your app data. Retry the install or update.
4. Reset the app or the Microsoft Store itself. On the same Advanced options page, click Reset instead — this restores the app to its default state and re-registers its package cleanly, though it wipes the app's local data and settings. If the Store itself is misbehaving, reset the Store app instead: Settings > System > System components, open the Microsoft Store entry's Advanced options, and click Reset.
5. Uninstall the existing version and install fresh. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find the app, open the three-dot menu, and choose Uninstall. Restart the PC, open the Microsoft Store, and install the app again from scratch. With only one version of the package in play, the version check passes normally.
6. Check date and time, then run the System File Checker. In Settings, go to Time & language, then Date & time, and make sure Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically are both on. Then right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin), type sfc /scannow, and press Enter. When it finishes, restart the PC and try the install once more.

Did this fix it? Quick checklist

• The app installs or updates from the Microsoft Store without 0x80073CF9
• The Microsoft Store opens normally and shows your library
• The app launches and signs you in correctly
• No other Store apps report installation errors

If the error still appears after all six steps, open PowerShell as an administrator and re-register the Store with Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers *WindowsStore* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"} — this re-registers the Store's own package. As a final option, signing in with a fresh local user account and installing the app there tells you whether the problem is user-profile-specific.