- Windows 11 has been hit by two new bugs (on top of other recent glitches)
- One is causing a range of apps to crash, and is seemingly related to the Microsoft store
- The other is a problem related to cloud services, and is again causing some apps to misfire, including Outlook
Windows 11 has run into another couple of glitches, and people are now encountering problems with a range of apps crashing and generally misfiring.
Windows Central reports that certain apps are failing to work for some Windows 11 users, with multiple reports online outlining various frustrations – and our sister site has experienced this problem, too.
Apparently, a range of software is affected, and that includes some of Windows 11’s default apps, such as Notepad and Snipping Tool, as well as MSI’s Armoury Crate and the Alienware Command Center app, to pick a few examples.
When trying to open software, the bug strikes with an error code (0x803f8001 in many cases, or some other string of meaningless garbage as is typical of these so-called ‘stop codes’), as well as a message saying that the app in question is “currently not available in your account” (as shown on Reddit here).
The mention of ‘account’ refers to your Microsoft account, and the bug is seemingly tied into issues with either that account and the Microsoft store.
Windows Central linked to a post on Microsoft’s Learn portal complaining about the problem, where an independent advisor, Harold Milan, chipped in to say that: “The Microsoft Store error 0x803f8001 usually occurs when the Store cannot properly validate app licenses, causing built‑in or Store‑dependent apps to stop opening or updating. In most cases, this is due to a corrupted Store cache, a temporary Microsoft account sync issue, or a Store registration glitch rather than actual data loss.”
In a separate issue also flagged by Windows Central, Windows 11 users are reporting difficulties with some apps freezing up when saving files to cloud storage. This is happening after installing the January update for the OS (which turned up last week).
Microsoft admitted that: “After installing Windows updates released on or after January 13, 2026 (KB5074109), some applications might become unresponsive or experience unexpected errors when opening files from or saving files to cloud-backed storage, such as OneDrive or Dropbox.”
The software giant added: “For example, in some configurations of Outlook that store PST files on OneDrive, Outlook might become unresponsive and fail to reopen unless its process is terminated in Task Manager, or the system is restarted.”
That comes on top of issues that have already hit Windows 11 users following the January update, namely sleep mode being broken on some PCs, and glitches with Outlook too (which may be related to the mentioned buggy behavior with cloud services in some cases).
After last year’s run of nasty bugs in one form or another, it’s disappointing to see how wobbly the start of this year has been for Microsoft’s desktop OS, and I’m sadly not seeing any evidence of what I was hoping for in 2026 for Windows 11.
What can I do if I’m affected by these new bugs?
Regarding the latter cloud-related nastiness, there’s not much you can do, unless you’re hit by the problem with Outlook. In that case, Microsoft explains that “moving the PST files out of OneDrive should resolve the issue” with any luck.
For other apps, you can try contacting the developer for support, or wait for Microsoft to come up with a fix on its side. Microsoft notes that it is “working on releasing a resolution for this issue as soon as possible” but we don’t get any timeframe for the arrival of that patch.
The other solution would be to remove the January update causing all this trouble, but that will leave you without its security fixes (which is still possibly the lesser of two evils for some folks, perhaps). Be aware of the risks you would be taking by going this route, though, leaving some vulnerabilities unpatched.
As for the bigger problem with apps crashing due to flakiness related to the Microsoft store (or your Microsoft account), Windows Central says that the remedy it found worked was to install the January update (ironically, given all the strife it’s causing elsewhere). That doesn’t appear to work for everyone, though.
Other possible cures for these app crashing errors include resetting the Microsoft store cache to fix any corruption therein, as mentioned by the independent advisor above. This is a possible fix for all sorts of issues with the Microsoft store, in fact, and you can follow the instructions here to try it (the process is very easy).
Another trick to give a whirl is simply signing out of the Microsoft store, and then signing back in. You could also try uninstalling, and then reinstalling, the affected app, which has worked for some going by the many reports on this issue – though if you have multiple apps suffering from this bug, that could get tedious.
Finally, simply waiting a while is another tactic, as some app developers are seemingly working in the background on their end – either that, or Microsoft is. Some people have reported that after leaving their PC and going back later on, the issue has just resolved itself.
That would appear to indicate that it might just be a matter of waiting this one out, and hopefully not for long. It may also explain why the January update appeared to cure the problem for Windows Central, but not for others, as this might be a case of coincidental timing with applying that update.
Still, if you remain frustrated by this bug and you haven’t yet downloaded the January update, it’s definitely something to try – but I’d go through the other suggested remedies first.
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