Error 0x80073D02 in Windows: how to fix app install and update failures

Applies to: Windows 11 and Windows 10, for apps installed from the Microsoft Store, App Installer (.msix or .appx files) or company tools such as Intune Company Portal.

What 0x80073D02 means

Microsoft lists 0x80073D02 as ERROR_PACKAGES_IN_USE: the package is in use by a running process. Store apps are installed as packages, and Windows won’t replace a package’s files while something is using them. You might see it as a failed update in the Microsoft Store’s Downloads list, or as a message that the package couldn’t be installed because resources it modifies are currently in use.

It often affects apps that keep running in the background, such as Phone Link, Xbox apps, Microsoft Teams, Widgets, or the Store itself. It also happens with shared components such as Windows App Runtime or Microsoft.UI.Xaml, because several apps can be using them at once. Nothing is broken; Windows is just waiting for the files to be free.

Fix 1: Close the app and its background processes

1. Close the app’s window, and check the icons next to the clock for it; right-click and choose Quit or Exit if it’s there.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. On the Processes tab, look for the app’s name, right-click it and select End task.
3. For a Store app, you can also go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps (in Windows 10, Settings > Apps > Apps & features), select the three dots next to the app (or the app itself in Windows 10), choose Advanced options and select Terminate.
4. Go back to the Microsoft Store, open Library (or Downloads) and select Retry or Get updates.

If the failing item is a shared component such as Windows App Runtime, close every app you have open, not just one, before retrying.

Fix 2: Restart, then update again

A restart is the most reliable way to free a package that’s in use, because apps that run at sign-in or in the background can’t hold it while Windows is starting. Restart the PC (use Restart, not Shut down, because Fast Startup can keep parts of the previous session), then open the Microsoft Store first and run the update before opening other apps.

If an update in Settings > Windows Update is waiting for a restart, finish that first; a pending Windows update can also keep system packages busy.

Fix 3: Reset the Microsoft Store cache

If the Store keeps showing the same failed update, clear its cache. Press Win + R, type wsreset.exe and press Enter. A blank window opens for a few seconds, then the Store starts on its own. This doesn’t uninstall apps or remove your account. Then try the update again.

If the Store itself won’t open or is missing, see Microsoft Store missing in Windows first. If the Store says a service isn’t running, error 0x80070426 covers the services it needs.

Fix 4: Repair or reset the app

When one app always fails to update, repair it:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select the three dots next to the app and choose Advanced options.
2. Select Terminate, then Repair. Repair keeps your app data.
3. If that doesn’t help, select Reset. Reset deletes the app’s data and settings on this PC, so sign in again afterwards.
4. As a last resort, uninstall the app and install it again from the Microsoft Store.

Not every app shows Repair and Reset; built-in parts of Windows may only offer some of these options.

Fix 5: Find what’s holding the package

If you install apps with App Installer, PowerShell or a management tool, the logs show which package failed and why:

• Open Event Viewer (search for it in Start) and go to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > AppxDeployment-Server.
• Open the Microsoft-Windows-AppXDeploymentServer/Operational log and look for errors at the time of the failed install. The details usually name the package and give a more specific reason than the Store does.

In PowerShell, Get-AppxLog shows the same events. Once you know the package name, check which apps use it in Task Manager, close them, and install again. If you’re deploying an MSIX package, close all running instances of the app on the device before updating it.

Fix 6: Repair Windows system files

If installs fail with 0x80073D02 for many different apps even after a restart, check Windows itself. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

Restart when both finish and try again. If SFC reports files it can’t fix, see “Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation”.

Related guides

• Microsoft Store missing in Windows: how to get it back
• Error 0x80070426: how to fix it
• Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation
• Microsoft Edge won’t open: how to fix it

Official sources: for more detail, see these Microsoft pages:

• Microsoft Learn: MSIX deployment troubleshooting
• Microsoft Support: Fix problems with apps from Microsoft Store

Frequently asked questions

Is error 0x80073D02 a virus or a sign of damage?

No. It only means the files Windows wants to update are in use. Close the app or restart and the update normally goes through.

Why does the Microsoft Store keep retrying the same update?

The Store retries automatically, and if the app starts again in the background each time, the update fails again. Close the app, turn off its option to run at startup if it has one, and update straight after a restart.

Will resetting the Microsoft Store delete my apps?

wsreset.exe only clears the Store’s cache. Your installed apps, purchases and Microsoft account stay as they are.

What is ERROR_PACKAGES_IN_USE?

It’s the internal name for 0x80073D02. Windows uses it when an app package can’t be changed because a running process is using it.