How to fix the error of not being able to install software on Windows

Why can't you install apps or software on Windows 10/11? Here's everything you need to know about how to fix software not installing errors on Windows .

Instructions for fixing errors that prevent software installation in Windows 10/11

• Restart the computer
• Check application installation settings in Windows
• Free up storage space on your PC
• Run the installer with admin rights
• Check your app's 64-bit compatibility

Restart the computer

This is a common troubleshooting step but important for a reason. The reason why the software cannot be installed on the PC may be due to a temporary problem. Before you go into more in-depth fixes, try restarting your system first.

If you still cannot install the software after that, try the methods below to fix the computer error that prevents you from installing the software.

Check application installation settings in Windows

Windows 10 and Windows 11 let you install traditional desktop apps and programs from the Microsoft Store. Some settings will limit your rights, you can only install apps on the Store. Therefore, you should check them first.

To do this, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features . At the top of the screen, you'll see the Choose where to get apps section . If the drop-down menu is The Microsoft Store only (recommended) , you won't be able to install the app elsewhere. This prevents you from installing traditional software for Windows.

Change this setting to Anywhere (or Anywhere, but let me know if there's a comparable app in the Microsoft Store if you want) and Windows will not block you from installing the software.

If you have an older version of Windows 10, you should check for a similar setting in Settings > Update & Security > For developers . Here, go to Use developer features , make sure Sideload apps is selected . Selecting Microsoft Store apps may prevent you from installing regular software.

In the latest versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 , you will not see the above 3 options. Instead, you'll see a Developer Mode slider (on Win 11, it's in Settings > Privacy & security > Developer Mode ). You don't need to enable it to install regular apps, so you can disable it.

If you are trying to install an app that needs to enable this setting, make sure it is trustworthy. Installing software from unknown sources can harm your computer.

Finally, if you are using Windows 10 S or Windows 11 S mode, you can only install apps from the Microsoft Store. To exit S Mode, open Microsoft Store, find Switch out of S mode and continue downloading the apps you want.

Free up storage space on your PC

If disk space is limited, you cannot install new software. Although this rarely happens with small applications, installing large tools such as Microsoft Office or Adobe products requires several GB. In this case, you will not be able to install them. Therefore, check and remove excess junk in the storage drive.

Run the installer with admin rights

Thanks to User Account Control (UAC) in Windows, your account uses admin rights only when needed. Because most software requires admin rights to install, you will always see a UAC prompt when installing a new app.

If you are only installing one app for your current account, you do not need admin rights. However, installing software for all users will require admin approval. Make sure you do not turn off UAC otherwise the admin permission notification may not appear.

Sometimes UAC browsing doesn't work. You may see an error message that the installer cannot run into a specific folder or refuses to launch at all. At this point, you must run the installer yourself with admin rights.

To do that, close the installer dialog box if it's open, then right-click the installation file and select Run as administrator . After granting admin rights, try installing again and wait for the results.

In case you do not have admin rights on the current computer , ask the device manager.

Check your app's 64-bit compatibility

A lot of software supports both 32-bit and 64-bit. 64-bit software only runs on 64-bit versions of Windows. However, 32-bit apps can still run on both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows, because 64-bit systems are backward compatible.

The software will usually automatically choose the appropriate version to install on the system or only install the 32-bit version if that is the only option available.

Once you know the version of Windows you're using, keep an eye on software download pages and make sure to download the version that's compatible with your system. X86 is for 32-bit, and x64 is for 64-bit.

Above are the simplest but most effective ways to fix laptop errors that cannot install software on Windows . Hope the article is useful to you.