[BUG]: Running the script broke Windows Store login; unable to install any Store apps due to error 0x800704cf

[smukherjee2016]

Description

I ran the following attached script (renamed to .txt so that Github accepts the upload) after generating it from the program (Awesome program btw, thanks! My PC runs much quieter for some reason now!).

However, after running it and rebooting, my ToDo account showed me as offline, and thinking something was wrong with the app, I uninstalled it. But then I was unable to reinstall it or any other apps due to this error.

OS

Windows 10 Education 20H2

Reproduction steps

Run the script attached on a PC with a local Microsoft account.
Reboot and open Microsoft Store, and try to install an app.

Scripts

Screenshots

When I click "Get" on a Microsoft store app, it first asks me to sign in, and when I select the account, it shows the following message:

Additional information

Weirdly enough, after reverting some changes (specifically searching for ones with "break" and reverting them), it seems updating installed apps works, but apps themselves don't seem to connect successfully.

Also, unfortunately I realized the problem too late so I don't have an automatic restore point before I ran the script, and I didn't generate a manual one when I ran it...

Any help would be appreciated!

[undergroundwires]

Hi, thank you for the bug report and your positive feedback and sorry for the inconvenience. I was going to recommend solution in #99 but as you reverted breaking ones it may be something else.

Do you want to share your script file? This way we can correlate similar issues and would have smaller scope for what may have caused the issue.

Automatic restore points were brought up in #50. And this issue is a another case to show its necessity.

[smukherjee2016]

Hi, thanks for the quick response!

Sure, here is the script file: privacy-script.txt . However, thanks to the issues you linked, namely #99 , and related to it, #64, I was able to fix the issue!

Let me summarize the problems I had and how each setting affected them in my case.

Problems:

• Store login was not working. Clicking on sign in did not do anything at first, and one fix later, it was giving the "You'll need the internet for this" message for Store apps.
• This is kind of weird, but Creative Cloud stopped working when connected to VPN (Mullvad), and the network icon showed Disconnected from the internet.

Settings and effects when reverted:

• Sync Host (OneSyncSvc): This setting did not do anything. The service does not appear to be installed on my PC.
• App User Data Access: This setting did not change anything as well.
• Cloud Experience Host App: I accidentally applied it once afterwards, and nothing would show up when I clicked the user icon on the Microsoft Store. Reverting this setting allowed me to click and get to the sign in page, and I was able to get to the "You'll need the internet for this" phase.
• User Data Storage (UnistoreSvc) Service: This setting was the culprit this time it seems. Reverting it let me install apps from Microsoft Store again, as well as sign in successfully.
• Disable active probing (pings to MSFT NCSI server): Interestingly, this fixed both the network status in the tray icon, and Adobe CC login as well.

I hope this helps!

[ScribbleGhost]

Just to let you guys know I have had this problem with Store not connecting without running this script. The problem happened after some connection issues on my router (probably DNS issues). After a reboot of the router and a reboot of the computer the problem was not there anymore.

[undergroundwires]

Thank you guys sharing information. @smukherjee2016 that's very constructive and great report 👍 I tested disabling UnistoreSvc and Disable active probing but could not reproduce the issues. Let's keep this issue here to see if others would have similar problems.

[Evineit]

I had the same problem, the script used was the standard in the main page.
To solve it I had to revert "disable Microsoft Windows Live ID Service".
Maybe it shouldn't be selected on the standard configuration recommend to everyone.

[Cebrain]

I had the same problem, the script used was the standard in the main page. To solve it I had to revert "disable Microsoft Windows Live ID Service". Maybe it shouldn't be selected on the standard configuration recommend to everyone.

Thanks, this fixed the problem for me

[undergroundwires]

Thanks @Evineit , nice to find out the cause of it.

I tested on Windows 10 21H2 and get:

PUR-AuthenticationFailure
v3ZtcNH7IECS00iL.36.1

And on Windows 10 21H1: 0x800706d9.

On both versions reverting Windows Live ID Service solved the issue.

I'll document the breaking behavior and unrecommend it with a patch.

[undergroundwires]

Closing this because the behavior is now documented and script causing it is unrecommended.

[feinersaft]

Hi, I currently receive this error code too after running the "Standard" script pack. I only switched off some scripts which I knew I would want to keep. So I think there is still a script that breaks Windows Store. Here is a list of the scripts I ran:
custom-privacy-script.txt

My version of Windows is
Edition Windows 10 Pro
Version 22H2
Installed on ‎17.‎04.‎2023
Build 19045.3516
Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.19052.1000.0

I wanted to revert the above mentioned script, but it seems it got removed.

[undergroundwires]

Hi @feinersaft , it has been renamed to Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant but I see did you did not run it. I cannot reproduce this, standard selection does not break store on Windows 10 and 11 22H2.

It's great that you shared the script you have. Could you create a new github issue for what you experienced? This way it would get more attention and we can have separate focus on solving this/track progress. It would be nice if you could share also how you know that the store is gone, what error you're getting, screenshot etc. Issue template when creating a new issue would guide you.

[ScribbleGhost]

I have come to realize that this only happens when my VPN Private Internet Access is connected (though in split mode). Not sure if this applies to everyone here.