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Error 0x80070426 usually means that a Windows service or Microsoft app component required by Xbox, Microsoft Store, or Windows Update is unavailable, damaged, or incorrectly registered. It does not prove that Windows is outdated, and it is not exclusively an Xbox error.
Use the repairs below from least destructive to most advanced. Stop when the affected app works again.
Quick repair checklist
- Restart Windows and check Xbox service status.
- Synchronize the system date, time, and time zone.
- Install Windows updates and Microsoft Store updates.
- Run
wsreset.exe. - Repair, then reset, Xbox and Microsoft Store.
- Check Xbox and Gaming Services in
services.msc. - Run Microsoft’s Gaming Services Repair Tool.
What 0x80070426 means
The code is a symptom of a failed dependency rather than a single confirmed cause. Xbox PC, Microsoft Store, Windows authentication, Gaming Services, and parts of the Windows app platform overlap. A problem in one layer can therefore appear in another.
- Windows Update or a related service is stopped or disabled.
- The Store cache, AppX registration, or account token is corrupt.
- Gaming Services, Xbox authentication, or an Xbox background service is damaged.
- A failed upgrade, damaged user profile, incorrect clock, VPN, proxy, firewall policy, or security software is interfering.
- Microsoft or Xbox is experiencing an outage.
Microsoft Q&A reports commonly associate this symptom with Windows Update services, but that is troubleshooting experience rather than a definitive error-code diagnosis: Microsoft Q&A.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
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Use the symptoms to choose a path
| What fails | Most useful first checks |
|---|---|
| Windows Update, Xbox, and Store | Windows services, system files, update components, or an outage |
| Store works but Xbox does not | Xbox app, Gaming Services, or Xbox authentication |
| Xbox and Store cannot sign in | Date and time, Store cache, account tokens, and authentication services |
| Apps work in another Windows account | The original profile or per-user app registration |
| Browser sign-in works but Windows apps do not | The local Windows app-authentication and service layer |
| Apps install but games will not launch | Gaming Services or Xbox services |
Fixes in escalation order
1. Restart and check for an outage
Restart the PC before changing services or removing packages. If several Microsoft apps stopped working together, check Xbox Live status. This identifies a service-side incident; it does not diagnose local corruption.
2. Correct the clock
- Open Settings → Time & language → Date & time (Windows 11), or the equivalent Date & time page in Windows 10.
- Enable Set time automatically and, where available, Set time zone automatically.
- Select Sync now, then retry the app.
An incorrect clock can break secure account authentication even when browser sign-in succeeds.
3. Install Windows updates
On Windows 11, open Start → Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates. On Windows 10, use Start → Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update → Check for updates. Install everything offered and restart. Microsoft recommends this as part of its Store-app troubleshooting sequence: Microsoft Support. An updated PC can still produce 0x80070426; updating is a low-risk check, not proof of the cause.
4. Update Store components
Open Microsoft Store → Library → Get updates. Let Store, Xbox, Gaming Services, and related components update. If Store will not open, continue to the cache reset.
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5. Reset the Microsoft Store cache
- Press Windows key + R.
- Type
wsreset.exeand select OK. - Wait for the blank Command Prompt window to close. Microsoft Store should open automatically.
- Restart Windows and test again.
This clears the Store cache; it is not the same as resetting the Store app and normally does not remove installed games. Microsoft documents the behavior at Microsoft Support.
6. Repair, then reset the apps
Windows 11: open Settings → Apps → Installed apps, select the three-dot menu beside Xbox, choose Advanced options, and select Repair. Test it, then select Reset only if necessary. Repeat for Microsoft Store, Gaming Services, and Xbox Identity Provider when listed.
Windows 10 uses Settings → Apps → Apps & features → Xbox → Advanced options. Repair preserves local app data where possible; Reset clears it and may require you to sign in again. Microsoft supports this repair/reset approach for malfunctioning Store apps: Microsoft Support.
7. Check Xbox and Gaming Services
- Press Windows key + R, enter
services.msc, and press Enter. - Where present, check Gaming Services, Xbox Live Auth Manager, Xbox Live Game Save, and Xbox Live Networking Service.
- Start or restart a stopped service. Do not leave a required service disabled; use Manual or Automatic where appropriate.
Names and availability vary by Windows edition and installed component version. Xbox documentation identifies Gaming Services and Xbox Live Auth Manager as possible sign-in dependencies: Microsoft Learn.
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8. Run Gaming Services Repair Tool
Use the official Xbox Gaming Services Repair Tool, or Microsoft’s direct link aka.ms/GamingRepairTool. Download only from Microsoft, run it as administrator if requested, let it finish, restart, and test Xbox. It targets Gaming Services installation and update failures; it will not fix an unrelated profile, Windows Update, or network-policy problem.
9. Reinstall Gaming Services (advanced)
Use this only after the reversible repairs and the official tool. Close Xbox, Store, and games, then open Windows Terminal or PowerShell as administrator:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.GamingServices | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
start ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9MWPM2CQNLHNInstall Gaming Services from the Store page, restart, and test. This sequence is widely recommended in Microsoft-hosted Q&A (example; example), but it is not a universal official fix for this code.
-AllUsersrequires administrator rights and may be blocked on managed PCs.- If no package is found, use the repair tool or open the Store page directly.
- Removing Gaming Services can temporarily affect Xbox or PC Game Pass titles until it is reinstalled.
- Do not run registry-deletion scripts from unverified websites.
10. Repair Windows system files
From an elevated Command Prompt or Terminal, run:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannowWait for each command to finish, then restart. DISM repairs the component store; SFC checks protected system files. A successful scan does not guarantee that Store registration or Gaming Services is healthy.
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11. Test another Windows profile
Create or use a separate local Windows account and test Store and Xbox. If they work there, the original profile, per-user cache, or registration is likely damaged. If they fail in both accounts, focus on system-wide services, Gaming Services, policy, networking, or an outage. This is a diagnostic test, not an automatic requirement to abandon the original account.
12. Repair Windows as a last resort
If multiple accounts are affected, Windows Update repeatedly fails, DISM/SFC do not help, and Gaming Services cannot be installed, consider an in-place repair installation using Microsoft’s current installation media or recovery route. A repair install is different from a clean install and is intended to preserve personal files and, depending on edition and route, applications. Back up first and verify edition compatibility; no repair route guarantees every application or setting.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If 0x80070426 appears specifically in Windows Update
- Run the Windows Update troubleshooter through the current Settings troubleshooting interface or the Get Help app.
- Confirm that update-related services are not disabled.
- Run DISM and SFC as shown above.
- If supported steps fail, reset the local update cache from an elevated terminal:
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop cryptsvc
net stop msiserver
ren C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 catroot2.old
net start wuauserv
net start bits
net start cryptsvc
net start msiserverThis is an advanced fallback reported in Microsoft-hosted Q&A, not a guaranteed first-party fix for this error: Microsoft Q&A. A service may already be stopped, restart automatically, or refuse to stop; reboot before renaming folders if necessary. Renaming is safer than deleting, but it still changes Windows Update’s local cache.
Other checks before reinstalling Windows
- Temporarily disconnect a VPN and review Windows proxy settings.
- Check that firewall or endpoint policy is not blocking Store or Xbox traffic. Never permanently disable protection; restore it immediately after any controlled test.
- On LTSC, enterprise-managed, debloated, or modified Windows editions, Store and Gaming Services may be unavailable.
- Store visibility can depend on region, family settings, account, and app availability: Microsoft Support.
Frequently asked questions
Does 0x80070426 mean Windows is outdated?
No. Fully updated systems can show it when a service, cache, token, registration, or Gaming Services installation is damaged.
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- 1TB CUSTOM SSD AND XBOX VELOCITY ARCHITECTURE — Reduce load times dramatically with the custom 1TB NVMe SSD and XBOX Velocity Architecture, enabling lightning-fast performance and seamless world streaming.
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Will wsreset.exe delete my games?
It clears the Microsoft Store cache. It normally does not remove installed games, although Store sign-in or cached state may need refreshing.
Should I delete Gaming Services registry keys?
No. Use app Repair/Reset, the official Gaming Services Repair Tool, and the documented advanced reinstall sequence first. Unverified registry scripts can damage Windows.
Why does browser sign-in work when Xbox sign-in fails?
Browser authentication and Windows app authentication use different local components. The Store cache, Xbox Identity Provider, Gaming Services, Xbox Live Auth Manager, clock, or profile can fail while web sign-in remains functional.
What if the Gaming Services Store page will not open?
Run the Gaming Services Repair Tool, repair or reset Microsoft Store, verify that the Windows account and edition permit Store apps, and test a second profile. A managed or LTSC installation may intentionally lack the component.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell whether the problem is my account or the whole PC?
Test Microsoft Store and Xbox in a separate local Windows account. Success there points to the original profile or per-user registration; failure in both accounts points to system-wide services, components, policy, or networking.
Quick Recap
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