Don't sign into Windows with an online account. You can still do offline only accounts and it fixes this problem. The Microsoft Store still works too but IDK why you'd use that (just bringing this up to prove a point).
Moments like this are why people get frustrated—tools should get out of the way, not add extra hoops. Everyone’s setup works… until it suddenly doesn’t.
Always remember: Your OS should do nothing more than provide a GUI for you to access apps and run apps. Anything else is not necessary.
Your OS can run your home server. No need for GUI if you know what you're doing.
For some tasks (e.g. web browsing), you need a GUI. CLI browsers won't cut it.
But what if my computer is JUST running Jellyfin? No need for a web browser?
From a non-technical user's pov kinda true.
But not true at all when you enumerate the actual responsibilities of an OS.
The OS shouldn't even do that. That's the job of the display manager and desktop environment
True.
I also want it to have a built-in clock and calendar in the taskbar. But Microsoft won't even let me have that! They got rid of the calendar!
And of course that error code just means "there was an issue with the store" WOW THANKS SO MUCH DETAIL TO GO OFF OF
Technically the numerical code still gives you a precise search key to find other people discussing the same issue.
... You know, as would be useful for a serious operating system where online support doesn't mean trawling the bowels of Reddit praying somebody's had the same issue and found a reproducible solution.
Hello I'm a 12 year Microsoft MVP and Certified independent advisor here to help.
Please type "CMD" into the start menu then type "ckdsk /f /r"
If this solved your issue please click on "Accept as solution"!
Unrealistic. Every repair on Windows starts with DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth followed by sfc /scannow
...wait. no... That's the correct way. The MS MVP in the forum always mix it up and tell you to run them in reverse...
For anyone who's interested, Microsoft have provided an update that's about as helpful as you might have expected, right at the top of the Github issue where this has been reported.
! Note
What we Know
- There is an issue impacting all store applications on Windows as of 2026-01-21.
- There have been some reports that choosing to Repair the Terminal application has restored it to working order.
There have been some reports that choosing to Repair the Terminal application has restored it to working order.
... Or, you know, dont hook that shit so tight into your store that it breaks if the store is offline or something gets messed up? I have personally never seen applications randomly stop working on Linux (Unless i did something stupid, i once fucked up glibc for all flatpaks system-wide on Fedora), specially now that im on NixOS, its just not possible for a program's files to get corrupted on NixOS since the store is read-only (Of course if it doesnt gracefully handle config errors and the config gets corrupted then it will break, but often times it would just be deleting the file and letting it create a new one, not reinstalling the application).
Steps to reproduce
Open Terminal
Expected Behavior
It would be pretty nice, if the terminal would open
For what it's worth, only one of my two systems is experiencing this issue.
The one with the issue is running windows 11, and the working system is running Linux.
Priceless.
LMAO the next action taken after that comment:
microsoft locked and limited conversation to collaborators
Its a work device so I'm signed in like a good little corporate peon, still they manage to fuck it up.
Then your IT has blocked use of the terminal and store for your account.
Which makes sense for regular users to reduce the chance of fuck-ups and rise of a shadow IT.
This isn't a Microsoft issue (except for the slightly unspecific error message).
I'm guessing this is a misleading post? Probably a random app in the store that's called "terminal" that is broken and the actual windows command prompt is working fine.
We use Windows 11 at work. One of the desktops has an error where you can log in but windows displays a notification to the effect of "You're not logged in, your settings and app preference aren't available."
Other than Edge most of the built in programs don't work. No errors, no notifications -- clicking the icon to open them does nothing. Notepad, file explorer, etc.
Can confirm this is an actual issue from Microsoft impacting lots of normal system apps that update via the Microsoft Store and/or Windows Update.
I’ve seen it mess up Notepad, Snipping Tool to name a few.
It’s pretty egregious that a bug like this can mess up utilities already installed on your computer.
Windows is really feeling like a single-player video game that requires an always on connection.
Source: I’m an IT professional who has been helping people with this since yesterday.
More source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5729246/how-to-fix-error-code-0x803f8001
What's the actual fuck Microsoft
They're preparing to rent people desktop access over the internet. Gotta trim up that you don't own shit store code.
I maintain over a hundred windows 11 machines. I recently push new software that I had to manually configure on each machine. While doing this I checked for problems. Over half had terminal and other programs like notepad installed separately. All the machines are in a domain environment but windows 11 ignores many of the GPO's I have in place. Its pathetic and just a reason to have to do more work. So I have no problem believing that terminal had been installed and then disabled due to some microsoft account nonsense.
Command prompt is slowly becoming legacy. Microsoft wants powershell to be its successor thus Terminal was born.
I actually want a distro that I don't have to constantly fix.
You see, the problem is, that you try to open the Terminal on Windows Home or Pro. Personal use doesn't include advanced features like Terminal access. Please upgrade to a Windows Enterprise License to continue to be able to use the Terminal.
Alternatively you may try using Copilot to run commands and change system settings in a text based environment.
^/s^
i was about to suggest using winget to reinstall it but then i realized that would require a functional terminal to accomplish, something i had taken for granted
It sucks. But I'm pretty sure there's some kind of bug going on in win 11 right now. I was even getting that earlier today when trying to open snipping tool after it was already open. I think they just borked some store check code somewhere.
I think they just borked some store check code somewhere.
The fact that this is even possible just demonstrates how broken Windows is fundamentally.
Microsoft: “Let’s fire our QA teams. We’ll force our dev team to use AI in coding. Then we’ll have the public test it.”
Also Microsoft:
I recently tried to install librewolf onto a W11 machine from the windows store. It won’t even launch that. Not even an error or nothing just gone.
don't use the windows store, when not required you can never know what else they package into your apps. google and amazon's android app stores do this, the latter is even open about adding tracking libs to apps
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