Can't install to Machine Scope with Winget - 8000FFFF Catastrophic failure

[OranguTech]

At heart this is probably a winget issue, but since DSC is a core utility that needs to be bootstrapped, figured I'd start here:

winget install --id Microsoft.DSC --source winget --accept-source-agreements --silent --scope machine

An unexpected error occurred while executing the command:
0x8000ffff : Catastrophic failure

(This works as expected if you don't specify and it installs to user scope.)

Looking at the winget logfiles, there's a lot of "Element not found" entries, seemingly one for every "store" (.msix?) app:

2026-06-02 15:13:33.188 [CORE] WinGet, version [1.28.240], activity [{538F36A2-B8CB-4BDE-82B0-637E4F2ABD52}]
2026-06-02 15:13:33.188 [CORE] Process: winget.exe[30508], Offset: 00007FFB17A20000
2026-06-02 15:13:33.189 [CORE] OS: Windows.Desktop v10.0.26100.8390
2026-06-02 15:13:33.189 [CORE] Command line Args: "C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\winget.exe" install --id Microsoft.DSC --source winget --accept-source-agreements --silent --scope machine
2026-06-02 15:13:33.189 [CORE] Package: Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller v1.28.240.0
2026-06-02 15:13:33.189 [CORE] IsCOMCall:0; Caller: winget-cli
2026-06-02 15:13:33.197 [CLI ] WinGet invoked with arguments: 'install' '--id' 'Microsoft.DSC' '--source' 'winget' '--accept-source-agreements' '--silent' '--scope' 'machine'
2026-06-02 15:13:33.197 [CLI ] Found subcommand: install
2026-06-02 15:13:33.197 [CLI ] Leaf command to execute: root:install
2026-06-02 15:13:33.224 [CLI ] Executing command: install
2026-06-02 15:13:33.233 [REPO] Named source requested, found: winget
2026-06-02 15:13:33.233 [CLI ] Created authentication arguments. Mode: silentPreferred, Account: 
2026-06-02 15:13:33.247 [CORE] Examining extension: PFN = Microsoft.Winget.Source_8wekyb3d8bbwe, ID = IndexDB
2026-06-02 15:13:33.247 [CORE] Found matching extension.
2026-06-02 15:13:33.256 [CORE] Examining extension: PFN = Microsoft.Winget.Source_8wekyb3d8bbwe, ID = IndexDB
2026-06-02 15:13:33.256 [CORE] Found matching extension.
2026-06-02 15:13:33.313 [REPO] Opening database for ImmutableRead at 'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Winget.Source_2026.602.2231.38_neutral__8wekyb3d8bbwe\Public\index.db'
2026-06-02 15:13:33.314 [REPO] Opened SQLite Index with version [2.0], last write [2026-06-02 14:30:32.000]
2026-06-02 15:13:33.447 [REPO] Creating new SQLite Index with version [Latest] at ':memory:'
2026-06-02 15:13:33.449 [REPO] Reading MSI UpgradeCodes
2026-06-02 15:13:33.714 [FAIL] WindowsPackageManager.dll!00007FFB17DCBF8D: LogHr(1) tid(7718) 80070490 Element not found.


2026-06-02 15:13:33.714 [FAIL] WindowsPackageManager.dll!00007FFB17B08BBD: LogHr(2) tid(7718) 80070490 Element not found.


2026-06-02 15:13:33.714 [REPO] winrt::hresult_error[0x80070490: Element not found.] exception thrown when getting DisplayName for AD2F1837.HPSystemInformation_2023.227.1120.0_neutral_~_v10z8vjag6ke6
2026-06-02 15:13:33.716 [FAIL] WindowsPackageManager.dll!00007FFB17DCBF8D: LogHr(3) tid(7718) 80070490 Element not found.


2026-06-02 15:13:33.716 [FAIL] WindowsPackageManager.dll!00007FFB17B08BBD: LogHr(4) tid(7718) 80070490 Element not found.


2026-06-02 15:13:33.716 [REPO] winrt::hresult_error[0x80070490: Element not found.] exception thrown when getting DisplayName for Microsoft.Getstarted_2021.2312.1.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe
[...]
2026-06-02 15:13:33.895 [REPO] winrt::hresult_error[0x80070490: Element not found.] exception thrown when getting DisplayName for MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience_526.11701.50.0_neutral_~_cw5n1h2txyewy
2026-06-02 15:13:33.999 [REPO] Creating checkpoint database directory: C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\Checkpoints\{603A7A83-9BC1-4068-BECF-2325195B3215}
2026-06-02 15:13:34.000 [REPO] Creating new Checkpoint database with version [Latest] at 'C:\Users\MParsons\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\Checkpoints\{603A7A83-9BC1-4068-BECF-2325195B3215}\checkpoints.db'
2026-06-02 15:13:34.039 [FAIL] C:\__w\1\s\external\pkg\src\AppInstallerCLICore\Argument.cpp(490)\WindowsPackageManager.dll!00007FFB17BE79CC: (caller: 00007FFB17BE4A91) Exception(1) tid(7718) 8000FFFF Catastrophic failure


2026-06-02 15:13:34.039 [CLI ] Caught wil::ResultException: C:\__w\1\s\external\pkg\src\AppInstallerCLICore\Argument.cpp(490)\WindowsPackageManager.dll!00007FFB17BE79CC: (caller: 00007FFB17BE4A91) Exception(1) tid(7718) 8000FFFF Catastrophic failure