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Windows error 0x80070042 means “The network resource type is not correct.” It usually appears when Windows is given a network resource that does not match what the current operation expects—for example, a stale mapped drive, an invalid UNC path, or a File History destination that is no longer available. The title 0X800700422 contains an extra trailing digit compared with the documented HRESULT, so confirm the exact code in the original dialog, Event Viewer, or setup log before changing anything.
Use the section that matches where you saw the error. Reconnecting or correcting the destination is the lowest-risk fix. Windows Update and installation failures need a different branch, while DISM and SFC should be reserved for evidence of Windows component corruption.
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1. Confirm the exact code and the situation
Error codes are useful only when the digits and the context are correct. The documented value is 0x80070042, not 0x800700422. Hexadecimal letters may appear in upper or lower case, but an additional digit changes the code.
Record where the message appeared
- Mapped drive or network share: Note the drive letter, server name, share name, and whether the path begins with two backslashes, such as
\servershare. - File History: Record whether the destination is an external USB disk or a network location.
- Windows Update: Note whether the code appeared while downloading, installing, or restarting for an update.
- Windows installation or upgrade: Record whether setup was running from Windows, installation media, or a restart phase.
If the message is no longer visible, check Event Viewer for entries at the time of the failure and look in the relevant Windows setup or update log. Copy the code exactly, including any leading or trailing characters, before following a repair guide.
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2. What 0x80070042 means
Windows maps HRESULT 0x80070042 to the Win32 error ERROR_BAD_DEV_TYPE. Its message is “The network resource type is not correct.” In practical terms, an operation expected one kind of resource but received another, or the path no longer resolves to the resource it describes.
The mismatch can be straightforward: a file-sharing operation may be pointed at a printer, a mapped drive may refer to a server that is offline, or a backup job may retain an old network destination. The same HRESULT can be surfaced by different Windows components, so there is no single universal repair command. Start with the resource and path, then move to the component-specific branch.
3. Use the least-invasive checks first
Verify the path and resource type
- Open File Explorer and enter the destination directly in the address bar. A file share should use a valid UNC path such as
\servershare; do not substitute a printer name or a local folder where a share is required. - If the operation uses a mapped drive, open This PC and check whether the drive shows as disconnected, unavailable, or with a different location than expected.
- Test the server or device independently. If the destination cannot be opened at all, fix connectivity, availability, or permissions before retrying the Windows operation.
- Check for a spelling change in the server, share, or folder name. A path that worked previously can fail after a server rename, router change, or removal of a shared folder.
Reconnect a stale mapped drive
- In File Explorer, right-click the stale drive under This PC and choose Disconnect.
- Restart the computer if Windows continues to display the old connection.
- Choose This PC, then Computer on the ribbon, and select Map network drive.
- Assign the intended drive letter, enter the current UNC path, and enable Reconnect at sign-in only if the location is reliably available.
- Open the newly mapped drive in File Explorer before retrying the backup, update, or application that produced the error.
If the same drive letter is mapped by a logon script or company policy, remove the obsolete mapping there as well; otherwise it can return at the next sign-in.
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File History is a common place to see this message because its saved destination can disappear or change type.
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External USB destination
- Reconnect the external USB drive directly to the computer.
- Wait for Windows to finish detecting the drive. Confirm that it appears in File Explorer and has the expected drive letter.
- Open Control Panel and go to System and Security > File History.
- Check the displayed drive. If Windows reports that it cannot find the destination, select a valid drive and turn File History back on.
- Choose Run now to test the backup immediately instead of waiting for the next scheduled run.
Network destination
- Confirm that the computer is connected to the same network as the server or NAS that stores the backup.
- Open the network location directly in File Explorer using its UNC path. Resolve any sign-in or availability problem there first.
- Return to Control Panel > System and Security > File History and reselect the network location.
- Use Run now and watch for a successful history update.
Microsoft’s File History guidance specifically calls for reconnecting an external drive or reselecting the network location, then allowing the next scheduled backup or starting it with Run now. Do not point File History at a printer, a shortcut, or a path that only works intermittently.
5. If the error occurs in Windows Update
When 0x80070042 appears during an update, first establish whether the update is trying to reach a network resource or whether setup has encountered a broader servicing failure. Apply the following checks in order.
Remove nonessential external hardware
Shut down the computer and disconnect nonessential USB storage, docks, card readers, printers, and other peripherals. Leave the keyboard, mouse, display, and the network connection needed for the update. Retry after Windows starts. Reconnect devices one at a time after the update succeeds.
Run the Windows Update troubleshooter
- Open Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
- Select Additional troubleshooters if that link is present.
- Choose Windows Update, then select Run the troubleshooter.
- Apply the proposed changes, restart Windows, and check for updates again.
Label names can vary slightly between Windows 10 builds. If the troubleshooter is not listed, use the Windows Update section in the Settings app to locate the current troubleshooting entry for that build.
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Use Disk Cleanup and check the system drive
- Search for Disk Cleanup, right-click it, and choose Run as administrator.
- Select the Windows system drive, usually
C:, and remove temporary update files and other categories you recognize as safe to delete. - Make sure the system drive has adequate free space for the pending update.
- In File Explorer, right-click the system drive, choose Properties > Tools, and use the drive’s error-checking option if Windows reports a problem.
Disk Cleanup removes files selected by you; it does not correct a wrong network path. If the update still fails, continue with the cache reset rather than repeatedly deleting unrelated files.
6. Reset the Windows Update cache
A damaged or inconsistent update cache can prevent setup from completing. Use this procedure only in the Windows Update or installation context, and close Settings before starting.
- Open Command Prompt as administrator. Search for
cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. - Stop the Windows Update service:
net stop wuauserv- Open
C:WindowsSoftwareDistributionin File Explorer and delete the files and folders inside it. Do not delete theSoftwareDistributionfolder itself. - Return to the elevated Command Prompt and start the service:
net start wuauserv- Restart Windows and run Windows Update again.
If Windows says the service cannot be stopped, close update-related windows and retry from an elevated prompt. If the folder contains files that cannot be removed, restart Windows and repeat the stop, clear, and start sequence. This reset removes the local update cache; it does not repair a bad UNC path or make an unavailable server reachable.
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For an installation failure, begin with the general checks Microsoft lists for setup problems:
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- Disconnect nonessential external hardware.
- Run Disk Cleanup and confirm sufficient free space on the system drive.
- Check the hard drive for errors.
- Run the Windows Update troubleshooter when the upgrade is being delivered through Windows Update.
- Reset the Windows Update cache when the failure is tied to update downloads or installation.
After each change, retry the same installation path so you can identify which condition changed the result. If setup logs show a component-store or servicing error rather than a resource-path error, use the DISM and SFC section below. Do not assume that a successful component repair will correct an incorrect network resource type.
8. Run DISM and SFC only when logs support it
DISM and System File Checker are appropriate when Windows logs indicate component-store corruption or damaged protected system files. They are not a guaranteed response to a pure ERROR_BAD_DEV_TYPE path mismatch.
- Open Command Prompt as administrator.
- Run the component-store repair:
Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth- Wait for DISM to finish. Do not close the window if progress pauses temporarily.
- Run System File Checker:
Sfc.exe /Scannow- Restart Windows and retry the operation that failed.
Run the commands in this order. DISM repairs the component store that SFC uses as a source; SFC then checks protected system files. If both commands complete without reporting corruption, return to the path, mapping, File History, or update-specific branch instead of repeating them.
9. Choose the remedy by context
| Where the error appears | Resource to verify | First action | Scope and risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mapped drive or UNC share | Server, share, drive mapping | Open the UNC path directly; disconnect and recreate a stale mapping | Small, reversible path correction |
| File History to USB | Connected external drive | Reconnect the drive, reselect it in File History, choose Run now | Small, reversible destination change |
| File History to network | Reachable network location | Open the share, then reselect it in File History | Small, reversible destination change |
| Windows Update | Update cache and servicing state | Run the troubleshooter, check disk space, then reset SoftwareDistribution |
Moderate; affects cached update files |
| Windows installation or upgrade | Peripherals, disk, update components | Remove nonessential hardware, check the disk, and apply update checks | Moderate; retry may require a restart |
| Logs show component corruption | Windows component store and protected files | Run DISM, then SFC, and restart | Deeper system repair; unnecessary for a simple path mismatch |
10. Common mistakes that keep the error coming back
Using the wrong kind of path
A printer, device name, shortcut, or local folder is not interchangeable with a file share. If the application requests a network share, supply the actual UNC path and confirm that the destination opens as a folder containing the expected files.
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Keeping a dead mapping
A drive letter can remain visible after a server is renamed, a share is removed, or credentials change. Disconnect the old mapping and recreate it with the current server and share name. If a logon script recreates the mapping, update that script as well.
Resetting update files for a network problem
Clearing SoftwareDistribution is useful for an update-cache failure, but it cannot repair a mistyped UNC path or an offline backup server. Use it only after confirming that the error belongs to Windows Update or setup.
Running DISM and SFC automatically
These commands change servicing state and can take time. Use them when logs or the failure pattern point to component corruption, not as the first response to the literal “network resource type” message.
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Microsoft’s installation guidance states that, after October 14, 2025, Microsoft no longer provides free Windows Update software updates, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10. That date has passed, so a Windows 10 machine in 2026 should not be expected to receive the same free update service available before the end of support. This does not change the meaning of 0x80070042, but it can affect whether a later update attempt has an available supported payload. Check Microsoft’s current lifecycle information for the specific Windows 10 edition before treating an update failure as a temporary cache problem.
12. A clean retry checklist
- Confirm that the code is exactly
0x80070042, not0x800700422. - Write down where it appeared and what resource the operation was using.
- Open the destination directly and verify its type: UNC share, mapped drive, USB disk, or another supported location.
- Reconnect the destination or recreate a stale mapping.
- For File History, reselect the destination and choose Run now.
- For Windows Update or setup, remove nonessential hardware, run the troubleshooter, clean temporary files, and check the disk.
- Reset the Windows Update cache only in the update/setup branch.
- Use DISM followed by SFC only when logs indicate component-store or protected-file corruption.
- Restart Windows and test the same operation again, recording the exact result.
The practical order matters: correct the resource first, then apply the component-specific repair. A valid share path or reselected File History destination can resolve the error without changing Windows system files; deeper servicing commands are for a different failure pattern.
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