A practical, forum-ready guide for WindowsForum.com — what the official docs say, what changed recently, and step‑by‑step workflows and troubleshooting to keep your movie library working across your PCs and Xbox devices.Short summary (TL;DR)
- Purchased Movies & TV content tied to your Microsoft account can be downloaded to a maximum of five devices. (support.microsoft.com)
- When you sign in and buy on a device it is automatically added; to remove a device you must sign into that device and use the app’s Settings → Download devices → Remove this device. You may only remove one device every 30 days. (support.microsoft.com)
- Microsoft has stopped selling new movies and TV shows in the Microsoft Store (store closure announced in mid‑2025); however, previously purchased content remains available for playback and download on supported devices. (support.microsoft.com)
- Even though Microsoft no longer sells new entertainment content on the Store, many people still rely on Movies & TV to play and re‑download purchases they already own. Managing which devices are associated with your account controls where you can download purchased files for offline viewing and helps when you reach the five‑device limit. (support.microsoft.com)
- See which devices are associated
- Open the Movies & TV (Films & TV) app on the Windows device.
- Settings → Show my download devices. A popup lists devices associated to your account. (support.microsoft.com)
- Add a device
- Sign in to the Movies & TV app and purchase content on that device; the device is added automatically. (support.microsoft.com)
- Remove a device
- Sign in on the device you want to remove.
- Open Movies & TV → Settings → Download devices → Remove this device.
Note: you can only remove one device every 30 days. (support.microsoft.com)
- “Up to five devices” — what’s counted
- The limit is per Microsoft account for Movies & TV downloads: five devices total (this is the same limitation consistently documented in Microsoft support material). If you try to buy or download on a sixth device you’ll be blocked and prompted to remove one of the other devices. (support.microsoft.com)
- Why purchases may be restricted even though playback still works
- Microsoft stopped selling new titles (the storefront was closed in mid‑2025), but the Movies & TV app keeps supporting playback and downloads of content you previously bought. That’s why device association and the five‑device limit remain relevant for existing purchases, even though new purchases are no longer offered from Microsoft. (support.microsoft.com)
- The 30‑day removal restriction — practical effect
- The rules let you remove a device, but only one device every 30 days. In practice: plan removals carefully (for example before giving away or selling a PC), because you cannot mass‑flush devices to free slots — you are rate‑limited. (support.microsoft.com)
- View devices (full steps)
- Start → open Movies & TV (the app may be labeled “Films & TV” on some language/region builds).
- Click the three‑dot menu or the gear (Settings).
- Click “Show my download devices”. A popup lists each device name (and typically the platform). This dialog is read‑only for devices other than the one you’re signed in to. (support.microsoft.com)
- Remove the device (exact method Microsoft documents)
- Sign in on the device you intend to remove (you must be signed into that device).
- Open Movies & TV → Settings → Download devices.
- Click “Remove this device.” You’ll see a confirmation that the device will lose downloaded items; those downloads are removed locally but can be redownloaded later if you add the device again. Remember: only one removal per 30 days. (support.microsoft.com)
- When you attempt to purchase or redeem on an extra device, Movies & TV will show a message along the lines of “To download this rental/purchase, remove one of your other devices.” The resolution is to remove an existing device (using the method above) or sign back into one of your already‑associated devices to download there. (support.microsoft.com)
- Problem: “I can’t remove a device — the dialog is read‑only.”
- Explanation: The “Show my download devices” dialog is informational; to remove a device you must be signed in on that device and use the Download devices page in Settings to remove it. Several forum threads and Microsoft Community posts show users discovering the difference between viewing and removing devices. (answers.microsoft.com)
- Problem: Movies & TV app is missing or won’t reinstall from the Store
- Quick fix (re‑register built‑in UWP package — admin PowerShell):
- Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
Code:# Check whether the package exists Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *ZuneVideo* # If present, re-register the package (copy/paste as a single command) Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.ZuneVideo | ForEach-Object { Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" } - If the built‑in package files still exist, re‑registering the AppXManifest recreates the registration and typically restores the app. This technique is the standard approach used by Windows admins and shown in community knowledge bases.
- If the package is missing entirely:
- You can try to reinstall via the Microsoft Store page for Movies & TV (availability varies). If Store reinstallation is not possible on your build/account, the forum guidance shows two fallback options:
- Re‑register from on‑disk AppxManifest entries in C:\Program Files\WindowsApps or C:\Windows\SystemApps (if the package files remain on disk).
- If registration fails repeatedly with HRESULTs (0x80073CF9, 0x80073D05, etc.), follow the usual DISM / SFC repair steps and clear per‑user package state in %LocalAppData%\Packages before retrying.
- Notes and caveats:
- The app’s internal package name is Microsoft.ZuneVideo (the Films & TV / Movies & TV UWP package), so many of the Appx commands and forum troubleshooting use that name.
- Problem: “I removed a device but it’s still listed”
- Possible causes:
- You removed the device but didn’t sign out correctly. Try removing again on the device (signed in), or wait for server sync and reboot. If the UI still shows the old device and you’ve hit the 30‑day rule, contact Microsoft Support for assistance (they can look up your account’s device associations). (support.microsoft.com)
- Collecting diagnostic logs for app registration failures
- If PowerShell Add-AppxPackage throws errors with an ActivityID GUID, run:
Get-AppPackageLog -ActivityID <GUID from error>
The log gives a detailed deployment trace you can paste to forums or support for interpretation. Community knowledge bases provide the same procedure. - For persistent “previous application data” blocking registration
- Rename or temporarily move the per‑user package folder under %LocalAppData%\Packages that contains Microsoft.ZuneVideo_…, append “.bak” and retry registration. That forces the app to recreate state (you’ll lose per‑app settings but it often clears blocked registration).
- System repairs before re‑registering
- If you suspect component corruption, run:
Reboot, then re‑try re‑registering the app.Code:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth sfc /scannow
- Microsoft’s decision to stop selling new movies and TV shows (July 2025)
- In mid‑2025 Microsoft removed the Movies & TV storefront on Windows and Xbox; at the time of that change the company stated that previously purchased content remains available and playable in the Movies & TV app, but new purchases are no longer offered. Articles from Windows Central, Tom’s Guide and The Verge covered this change. If you’re reading this to manage older purchases, the app and device associations are still relevant; you simply can’t make new purchases from Microsoft’s storefront any more. (support.microsoft.com)
- Movies Anywhere and migration options
- For U.S. customers, Microsoft recommends Movies Anywhere to sync eligible purchases across other retailers (Amazon, Apple, etc.), but moving purchases between services is limited by retailer policies — you cannot “transfer” Microsoft purchases into another account automatically in most cases. Check Movies Anywhere eligibility and sign‑in options if you want multi‑vendor access for eligible titles. (support.microsoft.com)
- Q: Can I download a purchase to more than five devices by signing out and back in repeatedly?
- A: No. The five‑device rule is an account limit; removing a device frees a slot but removals are gated (one removal every 30 days). You can’t circumvent the limit by frequent sign‑outs. (support.microsoft.com)
- Q: I sold my PC — how do I make its slot available?
- A: Sign in on that PC and remove it from Movies & TV → Settings → Download devices. If the PC is gone and you can’t sign in there, you may need to wait for the 30‑day window (if you’ve already used a recent removal) or contact Microsoft Support for help. (answers.microsoft.com)
- Q: Will I lose my purchases if Microsoft closed the store?
- A: No — purchases remain associated with your Microsoft account and playable in Movies & TV (Microsoft’s statements and follow‑up coverage confirmed that playback and previously downloaded content will keep working). However, you cannot buy new titles from Microsoft’s Store anymore. (support.microsoft.com)
- If you just need the basic actions to tell someone quickly:
- See devices: Movies & TV → Settings → Show my download devices. (support.microsoft.com)
- Remove device (must be signed in on that device): Movies & TV → Settings → Download devices → Remove this device. (One removal every 30 days.) (support.microsoft.com)
- App missing or broken: run the PowerShell re‑register command shown earlier (check for package name Microsoft.ZuneVideo first).
- Which exact Windows build are you running? (Settings → System → About → OS Build)
- Are you trying to remove a device you still have access to, or one you no longer control?
- Did you uninstall Movies & TV previously, or are you seeing registration/deployment HRESULT errors when re‑installing? If so, paste the error text or ActivityID from the PowerShell output.
- If you manage multiple playback devices (laptops, Surface, HTPC, Xbox), keep an inventory of the five slots and remove devices before you recycle/sell them. The 30‑day removal rate limit makes pre‑planning necessary. (support.microsoft.com)
- If the app misbehaves or is missing, the PowerShell re‑register approach is the standard safe step before more drastic repairs (reinstallation, in‑place Windows repair). Forum KBs document the exact commands and common followups; those posts are excellent troubleshooting references if the Add‑AppxPackage step throws deployment errors.
- If your main concern is long‑term access to purchased movies, consider syncing eligible titles with Movies Anywhere (U.S.), or keep local copies/backups where licensing and retailer terms allow.
Source: Microsoft Support How to associate devices with the Movies & TV app in Windows - Microsoft Support