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Software Center Is Not Opening – 5 Working Fixes

Problem Summary

If Software Center won't open, crashes immediately, or gets stuck on the loading screen, follow these proven solutions in order. Most issues are resolved with the first two fixes.

20-30 min
Total Time
95%
Success Rate
Beginner
Difficulty
Optional
Command Line

Recognize These Symptoms?

  • Clicking Software Center icon does nothing
  • Software Center briefly appears then disappears
  • Loading screen appears but never completes
  • Error message appears when trying to open
  • Software Center process visible in Task Manager but no window

What Causes This Problem?

Corrupted SCCM Client

The Software Center client files are damaged or incomplete

High Likelihood

Background Services Not Running

SMS Agent Host or Windows Management services are stopped

High Likelihood

Corrupted Cache Files

Damaged installation cache preventing proper startup

Medium Likelihood

WMI Repository Issues

Windows Management Instrumentation database corruption

Medium Likelihood

User Profile Corruption

Local user profile issues affecting Software Center

Low Likelihood

Step-by-Step Solutions

Try these solutions in order. Most problems are fixed by the first two methods.

1

Restart SMS Agent Host Service

⏱️ 2-3 minutes✅ 85%Beginner

This service manages Software Center communication with the SCCM server.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Press Windows + R and type 'services.msc'
  2. Find 'SMS Agent Host' in the services list
  3. Right-click and select 'Restart'
  4. Wait for the service to restart completely
  5. Try opening Software Center again

Command Line Alternative:

# Alternative PowerShell method (run as administrator):
Restart-Service -Name "CcmExec" -Force
Get-Service -Name "CcmExec"

Important: You need administrator privileges to restart services.

2

Clear Software Center Cache

⏱️ 5-10 minutes✅ 75%Intermediate

Corrupted cache files can prevent Software Center from starting properly.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Press Windows + R and type 'control smscfgrc'
  2. Click the 'Cache' tab
  3. Select all items in the cache list (Ctrl+A)
  4. Click 'Delete Files' button
  5. Confirm the deletion when prompted
  6. Close the Configuration Manager Properties window
  7. Try opening Software Center

Command Line Alternative:

# Manual cache cleanup (run as administrator):
cd "C:\Windows\ccmcache"
del /s /q *.*
# Or remove entire cache directory:
rmdir /s /q "C:\Windows\ccmcache"

Important: This will delete all cached installation files and force re-download.

3

Rebuild WMI Repository

⏱️ 10-15 minutes✅ 70%Advanced

Corrupted WMI can cause Software Center to fail during startup.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
  2. Type 'winmgmt /verifyrepository' and press Enter
  3. If errors are found, type 'winmgmt /salvagerepository'
  4. Wait for the process to complete
  5. Restart your computer
  6. Try opening Software Center after restart

Command Line Alternative:

# Check and repair WMI repository:
winmgmt /verifyrepository
winmgmt /salvagerepository
# If salvage fails, try reset:
winmgmt /resetrepository

Important: WMI repository reset may affect other management tools temporarily.

4

Repair SCCM Client Installation

⏱️ 15-20 minutes✅ 90%Advanced

This completely repairs the SCCM client if files are corrupted.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
  2. Navigate to C:\Windows\ccmsetup
  3. Run 'ccmsetup.exe /mp:[your_MP_server] /uninstall'
  4. Wait for uninstallation to complete (5-10 minutes)
  5. Run 'ccmsetup.exe /mp:[your_MP_server]' to reinstall
  6. Wait for installation to complete
  7. Restart your computer
  8. Software Center should now work

Command Line Alternative:

# Repair SCCM client (contact IT for MP server address):
cd C:\Windows\ccmsetup
ccmsetup.exe /uninstall
# Wait for completion, then:
ccmsetup.exe /mp:your_sccm_server.company.com

Important: Contact your IT department for the correct MP server address before running this.

5

Reset User Profile Settings

⏱️ 5 minutes✅ 60%Intermediate

Sometimes user-specific Software Center settings become corrupted.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Close all Software Center windows
  2. Press Windows + R and type '%appdata%'
  3. Navigate to Microsoft\SMS\
  4. Delete or rename the 'SMS' folder
  5. Press Windows + R and type '%localappdata%'
  6. Navigate to Microsoft\SMS\
  7. Delete or rename this 'SMS' folder too
  8. Restart your computer
  9. Try opening Software Center

Command Line Alternative:

# Remove user-specific Software Center data:
rd /s /q "%appdata%\Microsoft\SMS"
rd /s /q "%localappdata%\Microsoft\SMS"

Important: This will reset all your Software Center preferences and history.

Still Not Working?

If none of these solutions work, the issue may be more complex and require IT support.

Next Steps:

  • • Contact your IT support team
  • • Check Windows Event Viewer for errors
  • • Try logging in with a different user account
  • • Consider reinstalling Windows updates

Information to Provide IT:

  • • Which solutions you tried
  • • Exact error messages you see
  • • When the problem started
  • • Windows version and build number

Prevent This Problem

Best Practices:

  • • Restart your computer weekly
  • • Keep Windows updated
  • • Don't force-close Software Center
  • • Maintain adequate disk space (5GB+)

Warning Signs:

  • • Software Center takes longer to open
  • • Frequent application installation failures
  • • Software Center crashes occasionally
  • • Missing applications in the catalog

Related Troubleshooting

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No Applications Showing

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