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Microsoft’s documented code is 0x80070422, not 0X800070422. It means the Windows Update service is disabled, stopped, or otherwise not running. The primary fix is to open services.msc, set Windows Update to Automatic, start it, restart Windows, and check for updates again.
What error 0x80070422 means
The extra zero in 0X800070422 is most likely a transcription or typing error. Microsoft documents 0x80070422 as ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED. Microsoft’s Windows Update support wording is: “0x80070422: Windows update service is disabled or stopped.” Its upgrade and installation guidance describes the related message as: “The service cannot be started because it is disabled.”
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In practical terms, Windows is trying to use Windows Update but the service that handles update detection and installation is not running. The code identifies the service state; it does not, by itself, prove why the state changed. A service may have been disabled by a configuration change, stopped after a failed operation, or left inactive after another system problem.
| What you see | What it indicates | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
0x80070422 |
Windows Update is disabled, stopped, or not running. | Enable and start Windows Update in Services. |
0X800070422 |
Likely a mistyped version of the documented code. | Use 0x80070422 when searching Windows settings or support instructions. |
| “The service cannot be started because it is disabled.” | The update service cannot start while its startup setting is disabled. | Change the service startup type, then start it. |
Before you change anything
- Save open work and close applications that may restart during an update.
- Sign in with an account that can change Windows services. If Windows asks for administrator approval, approve it only if you intended to make this change.
- Confirm the code. A different Windows Update code can require a different repair path.
- Keep the computer connected to power, especially if you are using a laptop.
You do not need to buy hardware or an accessory to repair this error. The first repair is a Windows configuration change.
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Primary fix: enable and start Windows Update in Services
This is the most direct repair because it addresses the service state named by the error.
- Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
- Enter
services.msc, then press Enter. The Services window opens. - Scroll through the list and find Windows Update. The list is alphabetical, so you can select the list and type the first letters to move to the entry.
- Double-click Windows Update to open its Properties dialog.
- Open the Startup type menu and select Automatic.
- Look at Service status. If it says Stopped, click Start. If it is already running, leave it running after changing the startup setting.
- Click Apply, then click OK to close Properties.
- Close the Services window and restart the computer.
- After Windows starts again, open Windows Update and select Check for updates. On Windows 11, open Settings > Windows Update. On Windows 10, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
The restart matters because it loads the changed service configuration in a fresh Windows session. If Windows Update now checks for updates normally, the service-state problem is resolved.
If the service was already set to Automatic
A startup type of Automatic does not guarantee that the service is currently running. In the same Properties dialog, check Service status and click Start if necessary. Apply the setting, close the dialog, restart Windows, and test Windows Update again.
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If the Start button is unavailable or the service stops immediately
Do not repeatedly force the service to start. Record the exact message shown by Windows, including any additional error number. Then proceed to the built-in troubleshooter. If the troubleshooter cannot correct the state, use Microsoft’s Windows Update component-reset procedure as the next escalation.
Run the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter
Use this after the manual service change if the code returns, Windows Update will not open, or the service cannot be started normally. The troubleshooter checks common update configuration problems and can apply supported repairs without requiring you to change several settings by hand.
Windows 11
- Open Settings.
- Select System, then Troubleshoot.
- Choose Other troubleshooters.
- Find Windows Update and select Run.
- Allow the checks to finish. Read each proposed change before accepting it.
- Restart Windows if the troubleshooter requests it, then return to Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.
Windows 10
- Open Settings.
- Go to Update & Security, then Troubleshoot.
- Select Additional troubleshooters.
- Choose Windows Update, then select Run the troubleshooter.
- Accept a repair only after reviewing what Windows says it will change.
- Restart if prompted and test Windows Update again.
Menu names can vary slightly by Windows build. If you do not see a separate Windows Update troubleshooter, use the Troubleshoot search in Settings and select the Windows Update option offered by your edition.
Reset Windows Update components when the service repair is not enough
Microsoft’s upgrade and installation guidance includes resetting Windows Update components when enabling and starting the service does not clear the failure. A component reset is more extensive than changing one service setting: it refreshes the local update machinery and its cached working data so Windows can build a new update session.
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- Sign in with an administrator account.
- Open Microsoft’s documented Windows Update component-reset instructions for your Windows version and follow the sequence exactly.
- Use an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell only when the instructions specifically call for it. The reset sequence normally stops update-related services before clearing or rebuilding their local state, then starts the services again.
- Do not delete unrelated folders, registry entries, or personal files. The reset applies to Windows Update components, not to your documents, game saves, or installed games.
- Restart Windows after the reset completes.
- Open Windows Update and select Check for updates. If the process reports a new error, keep that exact code; it may identify a separate problem rather than 0x80070422.
A component reset can take longer than changing the service because it performs several maintenance operations. It is appropriate when the service is enabled but update detection still fails, when the troubleshooter reports damaged update components, or when an upgrade repeatedly stops at the same service-disabled message.
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| Path | Control | Time and effort | Best use | Can it help if Windows Update will not start? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Services manual fix | Direct; you change one service setting yourself. | Usually the shortest path when the service opens and starts normally. | The first occurrence of 0x80070422 or a clearly stopped service. | Yes, if the service was merely disabled or stopped. |
| Built-in troubleshooter | Guided; Windows checks and proposes supported repairs. | More steps than the manual change, but little configuration knowledge is required. | The code returns, the service state is unclear, or Windows reports another update configuration issue. | It may identify or correct the cause; follow its result rather than assuming success. |
| Windows Update component reset | More extensive; follows Microsoft’s reset sequence. | The longest and most disruptive of the three paths. | Repeated update or upgrade failures after the service and troubleshooter paths. | It can rebuild update components, but it cannot guarantee that every underlying failure is fixed. |
Diagnose the result after each attempt
Windows Update works after the restart
Stop troubleshooting at that point. The documented service-state condition has been corrected. Let Windows finish its update check and installation process without shutting down the computer midway.
The same 0x80070422 code returns
Reopen services.msc and verify both settings: Startup type should be Automatic, and Service status should be Running while Windows Update is being used. If either setting reverted, run the troubleshooter and then move to the component-reset guidance.
The message changes to a different code
That is useful diagnostic information. The original service-disabled condition may be resolved, while a separate update problem remains. Write down the new code and the full message before trying additional repairs; do not apply a fix intended for 0x80070422 to an unrelated code without checking its meaning.
The failure occurs during a Windows upgrade
Microsoft’s upgrade guidance uses the wording “The service cannot be started because it is disabled.” Apply the same service procedure first: set Windows Update to Automatic, start it, apply the change, restart Windows, and retry the upgrade. If the message persists, run the troubleshooter and then reset Windows Update components.
Common mistakes that prolong the problem
- Using the mistyped code: Searching for
0X800070422can lead to irrelevant results. The documented code is0x80070422. - Changing only the startup type: Selecting Automatic does not start a service that is currently stopped. Check Service status and select Start.
- Skipping the restart: Restart Windows before deciding whether the service change failed.
- Resetting components first: A full reset is unnecessary when the service was simply disabled. Start with the Services procedure.
- Deleting unrelated data: Windows Update maintenance should not involve personal folders, game installations, or save files.
- Assuming every update error is the same: Preserve any new code that appears after a repair; it may require a different solution.
Does this error affect games?
The code is a Windows Update service error, not a game-specific error. It can still matter to a gaming PC because Windows updates may be required for system maintenance or an operating-system upgrade. Repairing the service restores Windows Update’s ability to check for updates; it does not by itself repair a game installation, graphics driver, launcher, or network connection.
When to stop and seek more targeted help
Use the exact error text and code when asking for further support if all three paths fail. Include whether Windows Update was set to Automatic, whether the Start action produced an error, what the troubleshooter reported, and whether the problem occurred during ordinary update checking or during a Windows upgrade. Those details distinguish a service-state failure from a later update-component or installation problem.
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