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APP PACKAGE ERROR · ERROR_REMOVE_FAILED

0x80073CFA: Uninstall of a Microsoft Store App Failed

0x80073CFA is the result Windows returns when the removal of an app package fails. App packages are the format Microsoft Store apps use; Microsoft documents this code in its app-package troubleshooting pages, not among the Windows Installer errors.

WHAT WINDOWS SAYS

Package removal failed.

You may get this error for failures that occur during package uninstall.

Wording from Microsoft's documentation, linked under Sources.

TECHNICAL SUMMARY

Number0x80073CFA
Windows nameERROR_REMOVE_FAILED
Where it appearsResult of an app-package removal
In PC Tweaker UninstallerShows Windows' reason

What causes 0x80073CFA

  • The app may be running. Microsoft's MSIX troubleshooting table lists this first.
  • Its state may be corrupted.
  • It is a protected inbox app. Microsoft states that system and inbox apps cannot be removed with Remove-AppxPackage.

How to fix 0x80073CFA, safest step first

Microsoft's fix follows its three causes, in this order:

  1. Close every instance of the app and try again

    Close the app's windows, then check Task Manager for a process of the same app still running and end it there. Uninstall again from Settings > Apps > Installed apps.

    To undo: Start the app again.

  2. Restart the PC and try once more

    Use Start > Power > Restart. It is the first solution on Microsoft's page for programs that will not install or uninstall.

    To undo: Nothing to undo: a restart changes no setting.

  3. Try again in a clean boot

    For a corrupted state, Microsoft's table says to try in a Clean Boot environment. Follow Microsoft's clean boot article, then uninstall the app again.

    To undo: Microsoft's article ends with the steps to reset the computer to start normally: turn the services and startup items back on, then restart.

  4. If it is a built-in app, stop here

    Microsoft states that system and inbox apps cannot be removed with Remove-AppxPackage. The check below shows how Windows describes the package. Commands that claim to force these apps out are outside what Microsoft documents, and we do not list them.

    To undo: Nothing to undo.

Check it yourself, without changing anything

  1. Read how Windows describes the package (PowerShell)

    Replace partofname with part of the app's name. NonRemovable and SignatureKind are how Windows itself labels the package. Nothing is changed.

    Get-AppxPackage -Name *partofname* |
  Format-List Name, PackageFullName, Version, SignatureKind, NonRemovable
    PowerShell

  2. Read the deployment log (PowerShell)

    Microsoft's troubleshooting page uses Get-AppxLog and also points to Event Viewer > Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > AppxDeployment-Server for a more specific error. Nothing is changed.

    Get-AppxLog | Select-Object -First 30 TimeCreated, Id, Message
    PowerShell

What PC Tweaker Uninstaller does with 0x80073CFA

Shows Windows' reason

PC Tweaker Uninstaller lists Microsoft Store apps next to desktop programs and removes them through Windows' own package manager, for the current user and without administrator rights. If Windows refuses, it shows "Windows refused the removal:" followed by the text Windows returned, or the code when there is no text. It does not run commands to force a protected app out, and it does not offer removal for packages it rates Keep, such as the Windows shell and shared runtimes.

PC Tweaker Uninstaller: see the exact command before a removal runs

Common questions

Why can't I uninstall a built-in Windows app?

Microsoft states that system and inbox apps cannot be removed with Remove-AppxPackage, and lists a protected inbox app among the causes of 0x80073CFA.

Is 0x80073CFA a Windows Installer error?

No. Microsoft lists it as ERROR_REMOVE_FAILED in its troubleshooting table for app packages. Windows Installer errors such as 1603 are in a different list.

Where is the detailed reason for the failed removal?

In the app deployment log. Microsoft points to Event Viewer > Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > AppxDeployment-Server, and to PowerShell's Get-AppxLog.