How to Fix Fix Error 0x80073D21 — App Can't Install to This Location on Windows
Getting error 0x80073D21 when installing apps from Microsoft Store? "App can't be installed to this location" or install drive issues? Fix this Store installation error.
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Main Troubleshooting Guide
How to Fix Microsoft Store Not Working →Complete symptoms, causes, and step-by-step solutions
Symptoms
You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:
- •Microsoft Store apps fail to install with error 0x80073D21
- •"This app can't be installed on this drive" error
- •Apps download but fail at the install step
- •Error when trying to install apps to a secondary drive
- •Game Pass games fail with 0x80073D21
- •Store apps only install to C: drive but not other drives
Common Causes
- ⚠Target install drive not formatted as NTFS
- ⚠Install drive doesn't have enough space
- ⚠Drive permissions don't allow app installation
- ⚠WindowsApps folder missing or corrupted on target drive
- ⚠Microsoft Store cache referencing old drive configuration
- ⚠Removable/external drives not supported for certain app types
Solutions
Solution 1: Change Default Install Location
- 1Settings → System → Storage → "Where new content is saved"
- 2Change "New apps will save to:" to a different drive
- 3The drive must be NTFS formatted (not FAT32 or exFAT)
- 4Check format: File Explorer → right-click drive → Properties → File system
- 5If FAT32/exFAT: back up data, format as NTFS, restore data
- 6Try setting back to C: drive first to confirm install works
Solution 2: Fix WindowsApps Folder
- 1When installing to a non-C: drive, Windows creates a WindowsApps folder:
- 2If this folder is corrupted: delete it and let Windows recreate it
- 3Navigate to the target drive (e.g., D:\)
- 4If WindowsApps folder exists: take ownership first
- 5CMD as Admin: takeown /f D:\WindowsApps /r /d y
- 6Then delete the folder: rmdir /s /q D:\WindowsApps
- 7Try the Store install again — Windows will recreate the folder
Solution 3: Reset Microsoft Store
- 1Win+R → wsreset.exe → wait for Store to open
- 2If still failing:
- 3Settings → Apps → Microsoft Store → Advanced options → Reset
- 4Also try: PowerShell as Admin:
- 5Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.WindowsStore | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppxManifest.xml"}
- 6Restart PC and try installing the app again
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