With the dawn of Windows 11 comes a new generation of PC gaming. But if you’ve ever played PC games before, you know that issues are bound to arise at some point.
If your issue is that the Minecraft installer is not working in Windows 11, then keep reading. We’ll go over many potential fixes, so you can get back in the game.
Restart Your PC
This might seem like a superfluous recommendation, but restarting your computer might actually help. When you restart your computer, you clear the RAM and any temporary caches created by background processes, and allow your computer to start back up in its default state. That means if the Minecraft installer is misbehaving because of the state of your RAM, then a simple restart should fix the issue.
Force Restart the Minecraft Installer
If restarting your computer doesn’t do the trick, then you might try force restarting the Minecraft installer itself. In order to do this, you’ll need to open the Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Delete).
In the Task Manager, go to the detailed view, click on the Details tab, and then find the Minecraft installer process.
Right-click on the Minecraft installer process and then click End task.
Once the process closes, try running the installer again.
Run the Minecraft Installer in Compatibility Mode
Another possible fix for the Minecraft installer not working is to run the installer in compatibility mode. First, right-click the Minecraft installer and click Properties. Alternatively, you can click on the installer and press Alt+Enter to launch the Properties window.
In the Properties window, go to the Compatibility tab and check the box next to Run this program in compatibility mode for:, and select Windows 8. Then check the box next to Disable fullscreen optimizations. Once you’ve done this, click Apply and then OK.
Run the Minecraft Installer as Administrator
If, for some reason, you don’t have the proper privileges to run the Minecraft installer, then it won’t work. To get around this, you can try to run the installer as an administrator. All you have to do is right-click on the Minecraft installer executable and click on Run as Administrator.
Download the Installer From the Minecraft Website
If you’re still having issues with getting the Minecraft installer working, you can try downloading the installer directly from the Minecraft website. To do so, simply go to the Downloads section of the website, click on the Download launcher for Windows 10/11 button at the top of the page, and run the executable.
Use the Windows 7/8 Installer
If you still can’t get the Minecraft installer working, you might try using the Windows 7/8 installer from the Minecraft website. While it might sound counterintuitive, considering you’re installing Minecraft on Windows 11, the Windows 7/8 installer is an MSI package. For all intents and purposes, there’s no functional difference between the two, but the MSI version sometimes works when the EXE version doesn’t.
Simply head to the Downloads section on the Minecraft website, click the Download Launcher for Windows 7/8 link, and run the MSI installer.
Reset or Repair the Windows Store
If you’re trying to install Minecraft from the Windows Store and find that it isn’t working, you may need to reset or repair the Microsoft Store.
First, open up the Settings app (Windows key + I), go to the Apps tab, and click the Apps & features menu.
On the Apps & features page, scroll down until you find the Microsoft Store. Click on the three dots on the right, then click on Advanced options.
Now scroll down until you find the Reset heading. First, try clicking the Repair button to fix the Microsoft Store. If that doesn’t work, then try clicking the Reset button to reset the Microsoft Store.
Allow the Minecraft Installer Through the Firewall
If you’ve given the Minecraft installer proper permissions, but it still won’t work, then it could be that the firewall is blocking it from running. That means you should allow the Minecraft installer through the firewall to ensure it’s not blocking access.
To start, open the Settings app (Windows key + I), go to the Privacy & security tab, and click the Windows Security menu.
On the Windows Security window, click Firewall & network protection.
Now find the Allow an app through firewall option and click it. This will bring up the Allowed apps menu of the Control Panel.
Click the Change settings button. Now you’ll need to click the Allow another app… button to add it manually.
On the Add an app window, click on the Browse… button and navigate to the Minecraft installer. Once you have it selected, click on the Add button.
Now, make sure both the boxes under Private and Public are checked for the Minecraft installer, and press the OK button.
Disable Your Antivirus
This shouldn’t apply to you if you’re only running Windows Defender and using the official Minecraft installer. But if you’re running a third-party antivirus, such as Avast, you could be running into issues that stem from an overly-aggressive security algorithm.
The simplest way to check if your security software is holding the Minecraft installer hostage is to disable it temporarily, and then run the installer again. You can usually disable your antivirus by right-clicking the program’s tray icon, and searching for something like Turn off realtime protection. Just don’t forget to re-enable it after you’re finished!
