How to Fix App Removal Failed Error 0x80073CFA in Windows 11

On a Windows 11 computer, removing apps is a quick and simple process. Unwanted app removal can occasionally be stopped and prevented by an error code like 0x80073CFA. If you’re lucky, a straightforward restart might resolve the issue. If not, you might have to work hard and dig farther. Windows uninstall errors like these can happen for a number of different reasons and are confusing.

Uninstalling a game or app from the store occasionally results in a strange error. 0x80073cfa appears as you attempt to uninstall the application. In this case, neither Windows 10 nor the application can be opened or uninstalled. The same error message might also appear if you update the app through the Microsoft Store. Many Windows users claim that whenever they attempt to uninstall an app they first downloaded from the Windows Store, the process is always interrupted by the Error Code (0x80073CFA).

Every time a user tries to uninstall an app, they get this error. It is known that both Windows 10 and Windows 11 are affected by the problem. We came to the conclusion that a number of different underlying causes could either directly or indirectly contribute to this specific issue after conducting a thorough investigation. We mentioned below are the ways to Fix App Removal Failed Error 0x80073CFA in Windows 11.

Ways to Fix App Removal Failed Error 0x80073CFA in Windows 11

Run Windows Apps troubleshooter

1. Right click on “Start” in Windows and select “Settings“.
2. Navigate to Update and Security.
3. Select Troubleshooting (on the left side).
4. If you do not see Troubleshooter on the right side of the window, click Additional Troubleshooters.
5. Locate Windows Store Apps and click Run Troubleshooter.
6. Wait for Windows to finish scanning and display the results.

Check for system file corruption

1. Type “cmd” in Windows search.
2. Right-click on the search result and select “Run as administrator”.
3. In the new window, type the following command and press Enter
   1. sfc /scannow
4. Wait until Windows repairs the corrupted system files.
5. Exit the command prompt and restart your computer. Uninstall the application again.
6. If the SFC scan did not find anything or could not repair the corrupted system files, it is possible that the DISM scan can repair the Windows image files. To do so, open the command prompt again as administrator, type the following commands and press Enter after each one.
   1. dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth
   2. dism /online /cleanup-image /checkhealth
   3. dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

Uninstall the app in question via PowerShell

1. Right click on the Start button and select PowerShell (Admin). If you do not see such an option, type PowerShell in
2. Windows search, right-click on the result, and select Run as administrator.
3. When a new window opens, type the following and press Enter
   1. Get-Appxpackage -Allusers
4. You will see a large list of apps installed on your PC. Scroll down until you find the app you are having trouble uninstalling.
5. Once found, copy the one listed under PackageFullName.
6. Now replace PackageFullName with the name you copied and enter the following command
   1. Remove-AppxPackage -Package PackageFullName
7. In this case, it is Microsoft.SeaofThieves_2.98.3841.2_x64_8wekyb3d8bbwe, so type the following and then press Enter
   1. Remove-AppxPackage -Package Microsoft.SeaofThieves_2.98.3841.2_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
8. This should uninstall the program in question. However, a write error may still occur. If this is the case, you need to resolve the underlying problem in your computer.

Reset Windows Store

1. Press Win + R keys on the keyboard.
2. Type WSReset.exe and press Enter.
3. A pop-up will appear for a short time.
4. When it disappears, the Windows Store is reset.

Run System Image and File Scans

System file corruption is a frequent cause of uninstallation errors. Windows functions can be fixed by using the command-line tools System File Checker and Deployment Image Servicing and Management. How to use them is as follows:

1. Start the Command Prompt with administrator privileges. For more information on how to use the Command Prompt, see “Introduction to the Command Prompt“.
2. Type and execute (Enter) the Image Service command:
   1. DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
3. Then tap in and execute the following scan command:
   1. sfc /scannow
4. Scanning should take about 15-30 minutes, but may take longer. Please stand tight until the scan is displayed as completed.
5. Restart Window after the scan is executed.

What are the cause App Removal Failed Error 0x80073CFA in Windows 11

Common Windows Store Inconsistency: There is a very good chance that this issue arises because of a specific Windows Store inconsistency if you’re only experiencing it when trying to delete or uninstall UWP (Universal Windows Platform) applications. Running the Windows Store Troubleshooter in this situation and making the suggested fix are the fastest ways to resolve the problem.

Corrupted Windows Store Cache: It turns out that another situation where you might run into this error is when the uninstaller is actually prevented from working by some sort of corruption that is kept in the cache folder of the Windows Store. If you find yourself in this situation, your first line of defence should be to run a wsreset.exe process to clear the cache folder.

Windows is outdated: Microsoft claims to have already patched this problem with a number of hotfixes made available through all channels of distribution (on both Windows 10 and Windows 11). Install all pending updates to ensure that you have these hotfixes installed before attempting more complex troubleshooting techniques.

Microsoft Store is outdated: If your Microsoft Store is out-of-date, Microsoft will prevent you from performing some sensitive operations (like uninstalling a UWP app that is related to the system) as a security measure. Make sure to install all pending Microsoft Store updates to make sure this isn’t the cause of your 0x80073CFA error.

Final Words

Error code 0x80073cfa removal failed frequently results from incorrect settings or connectivity problems. However, using the appropriate Windows PowerShell cmdlet, you can quickly uninstall the application. Being able to access and view the most popular video games via the Xbox one app, which can be used similarly to Steam or any other gaming apps, is very convenient.

Unfortunately, not everything works perfectly every time, just like with any other Windows component. Users might occasionally encounter the error code 0x80073cfa. We hope our article on “How to Fix App Removal Failed Error 0x80073CFA in Windows 11” will surely help you to do so. If you know more information about steam, you can also visit the official website.