Windows 8: App updates do not install

In Windows 8 it can happen in some cases that the app updates are not installed at all or only incorrectly. We'll tell you what this can be and how you can solve the problem.

Windows 8: Why are app updates not installed?

Windows 8 has some problems despite its lead over Windows 7. This also includes the app updates. For some users, updates in the store can rarely be loaded or are completed with an error. Windows 8.1 may help. However, until the new version appears, the following approaches can solve your problem.

Activate Windows Update

If the "Windows Update" service is not running in the background, no apps can be installed. If someone else has deactivated the service, you have to start it yourself:

1. Press the "Windows" and "R" keys simultaneously.
2. Enter "services.msc" in the input field and click "OK".
3. Scroll down to "Windows Update" in the list of services. Right-click on it and select the "Start" option in the context menu (see picture).
4. In most cases, app updates should work again.

Reinstall Windows 8 app updates

In many cases, it also helps if you delete the app in question and reinstall it:

1. Go to the start screen by pressing the Windows key.
2. Simply type the first few letters of the app's name on your keyboard without any further action. Now the app you are looking for should appear.
3. Right click on the app.
4. A bar appears at the bottom, in which you click on the button with the trash and the text "Uninstall".
5. Then confirm the query by clicking "Uninstall" again. The app will now be removed.
6. Open the store and download the app again. That should fix the problem in most cases.

Sync app licenses

If there are errors when synchronizing the app license, problems can occur during the update. It is therefore advisable to synchronize the app license yourself:

1. Open the Windows Store and move the mouse to the upper or lower right edge of the screen so that the Charm Bar opens.
2. Click on "Settings" at the bottom and then on "App updates".
3. Click on the button "Synchronize licenses" under the point "App licenses" (see picture).
4. Try installing the app update again.

Refresh Window 8

If the problem lies deeper in the Windows system, you can use the "Refresh" function:

1. Move the mouse to the top or bottom right of the screen so that the Charm Bar opens.
2. Click on "Settings" at the bottom and then on "PC Settings".
3. Select the "General" item on the left.
4. Here you will find the option "Refresh PC without affecting files". Click on "Let's go", the app data will be reset (see picture). However, the refresh also removes all programs and apps that are not from the store.

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Install the desktop application

If the problem cannot be solved at all, you can often use the Destkop version of the app or an alternative. The Skype program can be found, for example, both as a Windows 8 app and as a desktop application.