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If Windows shows 0x80070422 while Windows Update or Microsoft Defender is updating, a required Windows service is disabled or stopped. The quickest supported repair is to open services.msc, set Windows Update to Automatic, start it, restart the PC, and check for updates again. The code written as 0x800070422 usually contains one extra zero; verify the value in the original message or log before using a code-specific fix.
What error 0x80070422 means
Microsoft documents 0x80070422 as ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED. In practical terms, Windows tried to use a service needed for an update or security-intelligence download, but that service is disabled or is not running. Microsoft Support describes the related message as “0x80070422: Windows update service is disabled or stopped,” while Microsoft Learn notes that the problem occurs when the Windows Update service stops working or is not running.
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This is a service-configuration problem, not a diagnosis that your computer is infected. The same code can appear in several situations, so the correct next step depends on what failed:
| What failed | Most likely area to check | First action |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Update cannot download or install updates | Windows Update service | Set the service to Automatic and start it in services.msc |
| Microsoft Defender security-intelligence (definition) update fails, but ordinary Windows Update works | Another antivirus product controlling Windows Security Center | Review that product’s supported settings or removal process |
| A feature upgrade or Windows installation repeatedly fails | Windows Update components or a stopped service | Enable the service, then use the Windows Update troubleshooter; consider Microsoft’s component-reset guidance if needed |
The message actually contains 0x800070422 or another value |
Uncertain code or a transcription error | Check the screenshot, event log, or installer log before applying a code-specific procedure |
Check whether the extra zero is a typo
The commonly documented value is 0x80070422—eight hexadecimal characters after the prefix. The value in the title, 0x800070422, has an additional zero. Treat it as a likely typing or transcription error only when the surrounding message matches the disabled-service problem. If a screenshot or log really shows a different code, record the complete value, including every character, and do not assume that the instructions for 0x80070422 apply.
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You can copy the code from the Windows Update or Windows Security message, or capture a screenshot before closing it. This prevents a second problem from being mistaken for the documented service error.
Fix Windows Update by enabling its service
These are the primary manual steps for the usual Windows Update case. Changing a service normally requires an administrator account. The labels are the same on supported Windows editions, although the surrounding Settings pages differ between Windows 10 and Windows 11.
- Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type
services.mscand press Enter. If Windows asks for permission, approve the administrator prompt. - In the Services window, scroll to Windows Update. Selecting the list and typing the first letters of the name can be quicker than scrolling.
- Right-click Windows Update and select Properties. This is Microsoft’s specified path to the service settings.
- In the Startup type dropdown, select Automatic. Do not leave it at Disabled; a disabled service cannot be started by the update process.
- Look at Service status. If it says Stopped, click Start. If it is already running, leave it running and continue.
- Click Apply, then OK, and close the Services window.
- Restart Windows. After signing in, open Windows Update and select Check for updates (or the equivalent button shown by your edition).
Restarting matters because an update attempt may have already failed while the service was disabled. A fresh start lets Windows load the new service configuration before it retries the update.
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Do not repeatedly switch the setting without checking the status. If the service is set to Automatic but stops again, note whether it stops immediately after you click Start or only after an update attempt. That distinction helps separate a service-start problem from a failure later in the update process. Restart once, run the troubleshooter described below, and preserve the exact message if the service stops again.
Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Windows includes an automated troubleshooter that performs diagnostics and attempts common repairs. Use it after confirming the service setting:
- Open Settings.
- Search Settings for Troubleshoot, then open the troubleshooting page.
- Choose the Windows Update troubleshooter. On current Windows 11 builds it is under System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters; Windows 10 may show it under Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
- Select Run (or Run the troubleshooter) and let the diagnostic finish.
- Apply any repair it reports, restart if requested, and check for updates again.
The troubleshooter is an attempt at common repairs, not a guarantee that every update failure will be corrected. If it reports that no change was made, continue with the branch that matches your symptom instead of running unrelated repair tools.
When only Microsoft Defender definition updates fail
A different pattern is possible: Windows Update installs normally, but Microsoft Defender security-intelligence updates fail with 0x80070422. Microsoft explains that a non-Microsoft antivirus product can use the Windows Security Center API to disable Defender. In that arrangement, Defender may be prevented from updating because the other product has taken control of security-center status.
- Open the security or antivirus application you installed and check whether it is set as the active provider in Windows Security Center.
- Use that product’s own supported setting to relinquish control, if the product offers one. Do not delete service entries or edit the registry to force two antivirus products to run together.
- If you no longer need the product, use its documented uninstall process, restart Windows, and open Windows Security to confirm which provider is active.
- Retry the Microsoft Defender security-intelligence update. If it still fails, capture the exact message and determine whether Windows Update itself is also failing.
Do not assume that every third-party security program is the cause. This explanation applies when another product is actually registered through the Windows Security Center API; a Defender-only failure can also have another configuration or service cause.
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For upgrade and installation failures that continue
If enabling Windows Update and running the troubleshooter does not resolve a feature upgrade or installation failure, Microsoft lists resetting Windows Update components as an additional supported troubleshooting path. Component reset procedures vary by Windows version and should be followed from Microsoft’s current instructions for that version.
Before attempting a reset, write down the exact error, Windows edition and version, whether ordinary updates work, and whether the Windows Update service remains running after a restart. This information determines whether a component reset is appropriate or whether the failure belongs to the installer, storage, policy, or another service.
A reset is not the same as randomly deleting folders or changing registry values. Avoid registry edits, scripts copied from unverified forums, and downloaded “driver fixer” utilities unless an administrator has a documented, version-specific procedure and a recovery plan.
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If the service cannot be started or the setting keeps reverting
The Start button is unavailable
If Start is unavailable while the startup type is Disabled, change the dropdown to Automatic first, select Apply, and then check whether Start becomes available. A standard user account may not be allowed to change the setting; sign in with an administrator account or obtain assistance from the person who manages the PC.
The service starts, then stops again
Restart Windows once and test Windows Update before changing anything else. If the service stops again, run the Windows Update troubleshooter and save its result. A service that repeatedly stops can indicate a damaged update state, a policy, or interference from security software; the exact log or message is needed to choose the next supported repair.
The setting changes back to Disabled
Something is actively applying the disabled setting. Check whether the PC is managed by an organization and whether a security product is controlling update services. Do not fight an organizational policy on a work or school computer; contact the administrator. On a personal PC, remove or reconfigure software only through its supported controls, then restart and verify the Windows Update service again.
Verify the repair
- In
services.msc, Windows Update shows Startup type: Automatic. - The service status is Running after a restart, or it starts when Windows begins an update check.
- Windows Update completes a check without displaying
0x80070422. - If the original problem was Defender-only, Windows Security identifies the intended active provider and the security-intelligence update completes.
- If an upgrade failed, retry it only after the service and troubleshooter steps have completed; record any new code rather than reusing the old one.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the mistyped code: one extra zero changes the value. Confirm the original text first.
- Changing the wrong service: the documented first repair for this code is Windows Update, not a random service with a similar name.
- Skipping the restart: the new startup configuration may not be applied to the failed update attempt until Windows restarts.
- Running two security products without checking ownership: another antivirus product can disable Defender through Windows Security Center.
- Deleting registry keys or downloading an unverified repair utility: these actions can create a different service or update problem and are not required for the initial fix.
- Assuming one symptom proves one cause: an update failure, a Defender definition failure, and an upgrade failure can share the same code while requiring different follow-up steps.
When to stop troubleshooting
Stop and seek administrator or Microsoft support when the code differs from 0x80070422, a managed-PC policy immediately reverses the setting, the service fails with a new error, or an upgrade continues to fail after the documented service and troubleshooter steps. Provide the exact code, the full message, Windows version, whether Windows Update or Defender failed, and what happened when you clicked Start. Those details are more useful than a generic statement that “Windows Update is broken.”
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Final decision guide
For the standard Windows Update case, set Windows Update to Automatic in services.msc, start it, restart Windows, and check again. Use the Windows Update troubleshooter if the error remains. If only Defender definitions fail, investigate whether another antivirus has taken control through Windows Security Center. For persistent upgrade failures, follow Microsoft’s Windows Update component-reset guidance. If the message really contains 0x800070422 rather than 0x80070422, verify the code before doing anything code-specific.
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