I have Zorin 17 installed as a virtual machine on my Macbook.
I can download and install software from terminal but not via the software store. Anything selected there displays the ‘cancel’ button when I click to install but nothing happens.
I also cannot run the Zorin updater - I get a message to check my internet connection.
New to Linux, so sort of clueless...
How much RAM do you have assigned to the virtual machine?
You run it in a Virtual Machine. Is in the Settings of the VM Internet connection enabled?
I have 4gb assigned
It is. I can download apps via the terminal as well as use software update within the GUI.
I just installed Keepass using sudo apt install keepassxc
If you have more than 8 GiB RAM on you MAC, you could assign more RAM to the VM. On my Zorin Virtual machine with 4 GiB RAM the software center is also very slow, and I mostly use the terminal or synaptic package manager to install apps and update the system with the terminal (sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade). But such updates and software downloads take quite a long time.
I am not sure it is slow… rather not working?
When You have installed Zorin in the VM, You should have got a Welcome Screen. Were there some VM Packages offered for install?
My installation process was somewhat different.
I have an M1 Mac and installed Ubuntu Server first, then Zorin. I did not see any welcome screen; I did update all packages per the install instructions:
I'm wondering if you have all software sources now which are used in Zorin 17.
I found here a thread which shows the sources files:
Edit: Oops, I think I'm on the wrong track... Maybe it's a problem with policykit so that you don't get a prompt to enter the password for sudo rights. Then those apps wouldn't work, only the terminal.
What you can also check is if you have set a metered connection in your network settings. If so, disable it for testing. It can prevent updating packages.
Ah, You have Apple Silicon ... Okay, when the Terminal works, let's try with with a Reinstall. Maybe that helps:
sudo apt reinstall zorin-os-upgrader gnome-software
And could You post the Output of the Command sudo lshw -C network please?
[sudo] password for snpower:
*-network
description: Ethernet controller
product: Virtio network device
vendor: Red Hat, Inc.
physical id: 1
bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0
version: 00
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: msix bus_master cap_list rom
configuration: driver=virtio-pci latency=0
resources: irq:46 ioport:10c0(size=32) memory:10060000-10060fff memory:10040000-10043fff memory:10000000-1003ffff
*-virtio0
description: Ethernet interface
physical id: 0
bus info: virtio@0
logical name: enp0s1
serial: 16:48:ee:1f:92:68
capabilities: ethernet physical
configuration: autonegotiation=off broadcast=yes driver=virtio_net driverversion=1.0.0 ip=192.168.64.15 link=yes multicast=yes
No change after reinstalling gnome-software and zorin-os-upgrader.
Okay, the Drivers are there ... Okay, could you try something: Create a Bootstick with Zorin, then start it and choose ''Try Zorin'' to run the Live Mode. Check there if the Stuff works.
After chatting with UTM support online I learned that booting from USB is not supported... 
UTM - is that a University?
Sorry - no. It is a free virtual machine platform.
Hmmm... Interesting.
And you cannot install from Software Store. The Zorin OS Software Store is the Gnome Software Store.
Gnome Store defaults to Flatpak, because Gnome developed Flatpak and is pushing their own goods.
What if you open software store and change the selection from "Flathub" to "Zorin OS"
Does it then allow install? Afterall, you can install the .deb packages via terminal...
I have only seen one app that had Flatpak and an additional choice, which was Ubuntu. That did in fact install.
If the only choice is Ubuntu, the selected app will still not install - - so far I have to see both Flatpack and Ubuntu as choices.
Is it showing Ubuntu instead of Zorin OS as the source?
I wonder if the Virtual environment of UTM is a bit... restrictive...