Windows Store wont install to D drive

FRILLKILL · Apr 6, 2020

Hi,

I recently did fresh install of windows 10 to my C drive. Before this i installed games from the Microsoft Store to my D drive and played them just fine.

After the new install of windows i can no longer get Windows 10 to install to D drive. i have tried all the usual advice, I have tried the settings> Storage and select where a new app installs. When i try this route i get a "There is an app on this device,
do you wish to delete" When i click Yes i get another Error message saying "The operation did not complete successfully" With error code 0x8007005?

In my D drive there is still the Windowsapp folder, it still has Master Chief collection installed. Figuring this is the culprit for my problems and want to delete it so i can create a new Windowsapp folder with the MS Store, i click to delete but keep getting
messages saying "Cant delete as a file in this location is running in another location". After further investigation i have found the file to be in the MSIXVC folder and the file is 050FBB4D-16E5-42A8-945A-963D007974AA If i try and delete this file manually,
I get a message saying this file is running in System and cannot be deleted.

I really dont want to format my D drive due to having a very large amount of games and files installed and am very frustrated that MS would make such an awful system for installing games from the MS Store. if i have to do a format ill never install anything
from MS store again and no longer purchase games as this is ridiculous.

Any help appreciated.

:)

Korhog

if you try to install the game from xbox app then you have this error too?

Obsessive Power

Hi,

Windows error code 0x8007005 is an 'access denied error. This error is appearing because like you already said, there is already a 'WindowsApps' folder in the root directory of D:\ drive.

You shouldn't need to format the drive to remove this folder. You might be able to delete this folder via Windows in Safe mode or via a version of Linux booting from a USB Flash drive. Or, you could use a third party
application to rename or delete this older WindowsApps folder. I've had some success with a application called

IO Bit Unlocker

Once the folder is either deleted or renamed, you should be able to assign D:\ drive as a drive for installing Windows Apps and games again. This will then make a new WindowsApps folder.

Unlike other software delivery systems, Windows encrypts and sandboxes applications downloaded from its own store this is for security and anti-piracy reasons.

andersonpassos

Thank you for contact us! I'm Anderson, an Independent Consultant and a Microsoft user like you.

good evening

You can try the following steps to install Sea of Thieves on a different drive:

Create a symbolic link (also known as a "junctions") between the folder where Windows Store installs apps on the C drive, and a folder on the D drive. This tricks the Windows Store into thinking the app is installed on the C drive, when it's actually on the D drive.

Uninstall Sea of Thieves from the Windows Store, if it's already installed.

Open an elevated Command Prompt window (right-click the Start button and select "Command Prompt (Admin)").

Run the following command to create a symbolic link:

mklink /J "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.SeaOfThieves_1.0.29.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe" "D:\SeaOfThieves"

Close the Command Prompt window and open the Windows Store app.

Reinstall Sea of Thieves and it should install to the D drive, using the symbolic link created in step 4.

This should resolve your issue and allow you to install Sea of Thieves on the D drive.

Obsessive Power

While your D:\ drive has plenty of storage the same can not be said for the C:\ drive. With only 6.68GB you won't be able to install any Windows updates.

I'm pretty sure the C:\ drive will still be utilised during the download/install process of Windows Store games. Could you try moving one or more of your apps/games from C:\ to D:\ and then try the download again?

Obsessive Power

In this example, the external drive is D:\

Nearly all Windows Apps and games are installed to a protected and encrypted folder called WindowsApps.

If you've taken your D:\ drive from either another PC or you have installed Windows 10 again from scratch, your previous WindowsApps folder will no longer be accessible and Windows 10 will not be able to access or install Windows Store Apps and games to this drive. To use this drive for Windows Store games and apps, it will need to be deleted.

Please follow this guide to help you delete your current WindowsApps folder. Once done you will also need to the delete two additional folders called 'WpSystem' and 'WUDownloadCache'. These folders are not protected so should easily be removed.

Once your old folder is deleted you should be able to change the drive Apps are installed to in Windows 10 to the D: drive. Doing this will create a new WindowsApps folder on your drive.

Please let us know how you get on.

Windows Store wont install to D drive