So, I was unable to download the client before the stress test ended. This was very disappointing, but whatever - I can wait a month to play. However what is extremely concerning is that absolutely nobody can tell me what the 0x80073CF9 error actually means.
I've gone through 5 MS live chats, 1 being a remote session where the rep reinstalled W10. Nothing helped. I click Download on the beta (or the real client) and am able to download 10~mb then I get the 0x80073CF9 error. After that I click retry, 10 more mb until another 0x80073CF9 error. I suppose I can click retry a gold hoard's worth of times and be ready by launch day, but that should not be needed. My SoT ticket was closed with a link to the "please try these things" page - none of which helped, and then nobody has responded to it since I re-opened it. The latest Microsoft rep seems hellbent on telling me that my motherboard drivers are incompatible with the Fall Creator's update of W10 and are preventing the download of this game (Mind you, no other app on the Windows store has this issue for me, just this game). My flatmate in the same house on the same LAN had no issues installing either, so it doesn't seem like a network issue.
Copying the game files from a friend's computer is out of the question because of how stupidly locked down the MS Store is. BTW, if you haven't actually looked at your files, not only are they EFS protected, W10 locks down the WindowsApps folder so hard that no amount of permissions or owner swapping will allow you to copy the files to a portable drive for backup or transfer.
I have done the following through the various threads and live-chats and nothing has helped. In fact nearly all of the solutions below are for resolving 0x80073CF9 error if it happens for everything, not just one game.
The Error only happens on Sea of Thieves Closed Beta and Sea of Thieves, no other app.
I have done W10 In place upgrade
AUInstallAgent Folder is present in C:\Windows
AppReadiness folder is present in C:\Windows
AUInstall folder is present in C:\Windows
ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES has full control to the AppRepository\Packages folder
ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES has full control to the WindowsApps folder.
I have full control to both of the above folders.
I have Run DISM Commands for CheckHealth, ScanHealth, and RestoreHealth
WSReset has been run
Windows Updater has been run
The Windows Applications Troubleshooter, Microsoft Account Troubleshooter have both been run.
wuauserv has been restarted and SoftwareDistribution folder has been replaced.
I have enabled the legit admin account and attempted installs from
Xbox Insider has been running in the same screen as the MS Store as well.
I'm signed out of the Windows Store entirely and the beta/game client still allows me to install, so maybe it's an account issue with the game?
At this point I'd simply like to know what 0x80073CF9 means so maybe I can fix this and play the game I paid for in a month's time. Again, no other application from the windows store presents this error, all install fine. Just this game.
I just want to play the game :(