Microsoft Store not working on Windows 11 24H2 image (Preset attached)

[weehong]

Hi everyone,

I created a custom Windows 11 25H2 image using NTLite, but after installation, I am running into two major issues with core Windows services.

Issue 1: Microsoft Store is not working
The Store fails to open or is unable to download and install apps. I explicitly enabled the compatibility flags for Windows Store (WindowsStore) and Appx Support (AppxSupport) before processing, so I expected core UWP/Store functions to remain intact.

Issue 2: Windows Update / Upgrade failures
The customized image cannot update Windows as expected. It keeps prompting errors and completely stops from updating or upgrading the OS. Currently, the only workaround is to restore Windows to an unmodified state in order to get updates working again. I have the Windows Update (WindowsUpdate) and Servicing Stack (ServicingStack) compatibility flags enabled, so I am not sure what is breaking the update pipeline.

Environment Information​

• Host OS: Windows 11 Professional 25H2 x64 (10.0.26200.8973)
• Target Image: Windows 11 Professional 25H2 x64
• NTLite Version: 2026.7.11258

Suspected Component Removals​

Looking closely at my <RemoveComponents> section in the attached W11 - Latest.xml file, I suspect one of these removals may have broken UWP/Store background services or the Windows Update mechanisms:

• e2a4f912-2574-4a75-9bb0-0d023378592b ('App Resolver') – Might handle UWP/Store protocol registration.
• microsoft.windows.contentdeliverymanager ('Content Delivery Manager') – Often required for background Store installs and OS updates.
• assembly.net ('.NET assembly cache') – Could potentially be causing background update failures.
• systemrestore ('System Restore') – I noticed I have this removed, which might complicate restoring or recovering from failed updates.

Could anyone point out which specific component removal is breaking the Microsoft Store and Windows Update in this build?
Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

(Please see the attached W11 - Latest.xml file for my full configuration).

 

[garlin]

Why are you modding a 26000.1 image with no updates? Have you tried this exact same preset with the GA build?

Base images of .1 (or whatever) are intended for later updates to be applied on top. Without updates, a lot of Windows is obviously broken. You can stop short of installing the latest CU, but you shouldn't running lower than the GA version.