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To fix error 0x80070422, re-enable the Windows Update service: open services.msc, set Windows Update to Automatic, start it, restart your PC, and check for updates again. Microsoft identifies this code as a disabled or stopped Windows Update service. The same condition can also prevent Microsoft Store or Xbox downloads from completing.
The commonly typed “8×80070422” is a typo; the Windows error code is 0x80070422. If the service will not start, use the Windows Update troubleshooter and then investigate policy, network, firewall, security-software, or component-reset issues.
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What error 0x80070422 means
Microsoft classifies 0x80070422 as “Windows Update service is disabled or stopped.” Microsoft Learn maps the code to ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED. In practical terms, Windows cannot use the service that checks for, downloads, and installs updates because its startup state is disabled, it has stopped, or another control prevents it from running.
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Although the message often appears in Windows Update, the same service state can surface when a Microsoft Store or Xbox app cannot download or update a game. Fixing the Windows Update service is therefore the correct first step even when the visible failure occurs in a game launcher or Store window.
Check these conditions before changing the service
- Sign in with an administrator account, or have administrator credentials available. Starting a protected Windows service may require elevation.
- Save open work and close installers, game launchers, and update windows before restarting.
- If the PC belongs to a school, employer, internet café, or other organization, assume that a policy may control service startup. A local change can be reversed automatically by management.
- Note your Windows edition and the exact screen showing the error. Windows 11 and current Windows 10 use Settings > Windows Update; older releases use Update & Security > Windows Update.
Microsoft’s upgrade-error guidance states that support for Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025. Windows 10 computers may continue to run after that date, but the end-of-support date affects the availability of free Windows Update support and should be considered when deciding whether to keep troubleshooting an older installation or move to a supported Windows release.
Primary fix: enable and start Windows Update
These are Microsoft’s direct service-repair steps. Perform them in order.
- Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type
services.msc, then press Enter. Approve the User Account Control prompt if Windows displays one. - In the Services list, locate Windows Update. The list is alphabetical, so scrolling to the W section is usually fastest.
- Right-click Windows Update and select Properties.
- Open the Startup type menu and choose Automatic. This allows Windows to start the service rather than leaving it disabled.
- Look at Service status. If it says Stopped, click Start.
- Click Apply, then OK to save the change.
- Restart the computer. A restart ensures that the service configuration and any pending Windows components are loaded in a clean session.
- After signing in, open Settings > Windows Update. On older Windows versions, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
- Select Check for updates. Allow the scan to finish before opening a game or Store download.
If the scan completes and updates download normally, the disabled-service condition was the immediate cause. You do not need to alter registry values or delete update folders simply because the code appeared once.
If Windows Update will not start
Run the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter
When the Start button in Services produces an error, or the service stops again immediately, run Microsoft’s built-in troubleshooter. In Windows 11, open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters, find Windows Update, and select Run. On older Windows versions, open Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot and choose the Windows Update troubleshooter.
Let the diagnostic complete, apply any recommended repair, restart the PC, and repeat the Windows Update check. The troubleshooter is especially appropriate when the service appears to be configured correctly but update detection still fails.
Check whether a policy is controlling startup
On a managed computer, an administrator can disable or restrict update services. If the Startup type returns to Disabled after a restart, or you cannot change it, do not repeatedly force the setting. Contact the organization’s IT administrator and provide the code, the service name, and the time the setting reverted. The administrator may need to change a device-management or group-policy rule instead of the local Services entry.
Review security software and recent system changes
Microsoft’s broader upgrade guidance lists third-party security software and previous system changes among possible sources of update interference. If the problem began immediately after installing or changing security software, consult that product’s supported Windows Update compatibility procedure rather than permanently disabling protection. Do not remove security software or leave real-time protection off as a test unless the vendor or an administrator gives you a controlled, temporary procedure.
Similarly, if a cleanup utility, optimization script, privacy setting, or manual service change preceded the error, undo only the documented change. Keep a record of each adjustment so you can reverse it if the symptom changes.
Check network, proxy, and firewall access
A running service still needs to reach Microsoft’s update infrastructure. Microsoft’s upgrade-error guidance recommends checking the network connection, proxy configuration, and firewall access when updates cannot download. Confirm that ordinary web access works, then review whether a proxy is configured intentionally in Windows or on the network. On a managed network, ask the administrator whether Microsoft update endpoints are permitted.
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A firewall rule that blocks update traffic can produce download failures even after the service is enabled. Do not broadly disable the firewall. Instead, use the firewall or security product’s supported application and network logs to identify a blocked Windows update process, and have an administrator approve the required exception when appropriate.
When a deeper Windows Update reset is justified
If the service is set to Automatic, starts successfully, remains running after a restart, and the troubleshooter does not resolve the failure, Microsoft’s upgrade guidance recommends resetting Windows Update components when required. This is a deeper repair than changing one service setting because it refreshes the local update working state.
Use Microsoft’s documented component-reset procedure for your specific Windows release and follow it exactly. The procedure generally requires administrator rights and involves stopping update-related services, rebuilding local update caches, and starting the services again. Because the commands and component names vary by Windows version, do not copy a reset script from an untrusted forum or combine commands from different releases.
Use a cautious reset process
- Confirm that you have administrator access and have saved any work.
- Read the Microsoft procedure for your Windows version before entering commands. Keep the instructions open so you can compare each command and expected result.
- Run only the commands in that procedure, in the stated order. If a command reports an access or policy error, stop rather than improvising.
- Restart Windows after the reset completes.
- Return to Settings > Windows Update (or Update & Security > Windows Update on older versions) and select Check for updates.
A component reset is not the first response to 0x80070422. Start with the Services change and troubleshooter; escalate only when the service state is correct but the update system remains unusable.
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Windows Update says the service is disabled
Use the Services procedure first. The relevant setting is the Windows Update service, not a random service with a similar name. Set Startup type to Automatic, start it, restart, and check for updates.
Microsoft Store or Xbox cannot download a game
Close the Store or Xbox app, enable and start Windows Update, restart Windows, and retry the download. If the service is already running, use the Windows Update troubleshooter and then check network, proxy, firewall, and security-software interference. The 0x80070422 code does not by itself identify a Store-account or game-license problem.
The service starts but stops again
Record when it stops and whether Startup type changes back to Disabled. A recurring change points toward policy, security software, or another system-management setting rather than a one-time click error. Managed users should involve IT; home users should review recent system changes and run the troubleshooter before attempting a component reset.
The service cannot be edited
If Properties is unavailable, the controls are greyed out, or Windows reports that access is denied, the account may lack the required rights or a policy may be enforcing the setting. Sign in with an administrator account where permitted. On an organization-managed PC, ask the administrator to make the change.
Updates still fail after the service remains running
At that point, 0x80070422 is no longer a complete diagnosis. Run the troubleshooter, verify network and proxy access, inspect firewall or security-software blocks, and consider Microsoft’s documented component reset. Preserve the exact new error message because it may identify a different failure.
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| Remedy | When to use it | What it changes | Control and risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Services change | The Windows Update service is disabled or stopped | Sets Windows Update to Automatic and starts it | Reversible, local setting |
| Windows Update troubleshooter | The service setting is correct or will not stay fixed | Runs Windows’ built-in diagnostic and applies supported recommendations | Built-in diagnostic path |
| Network, proxy, firewall, or security review | The service runs but downloads or scans fail | Checks access to Microsoft update infrastructure and interference from protection or policy | May require administrator or network-owner changes |
| Component reset | Service repair and troubleshooting do not restore update operation | Rebuilds Windows Update’s local working components using Microsoft’s release-specific procedure | Deeper administrative change; follow the exact documented procedure |
| IT or administrator escalation | A policy controls the service or permissions block changes | Changes organization-managed configuration | Required for managed devices |
What not to do
- Do not interpret 0x80070422 as evidence of a failed hardware component; Microsoft defines it as a service state.
- Do not delete registry keys, service entries, or update folders at random. An incorrect deletion can create a different Windows problem.
- Do not run multiple repair scripts at once. You may not know which change caused a later symptom.
- Do not leave firewall or security protection disabled after testing. Use supported, temporary diagnostics and restore protection immediately.
- Do not keep forcing a local service change on a managed computer. A policy will likely overwrite it, and the administrator needs to decide the supported configuration.
- Do not assume that a successful service start guarantees every Store, Xbox, or Windows Update failure is fixed. If another error appears, troubleshoot that new code separately.
Optional shortcut after the manual steps
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When to escalate
Escalate to an administrator or qualified support professional when the service is controlled by policy, Services reports access-denied errors, the setting repeatedly reverts, or the component-reset procedure produces command errors. Provide the exact code, Windows version, whether Windows Update is set to Automatic, whether the service remains running after restart, and any new message from the troubleshooter. Those details distinguish a disabled-service problem from a network, policy, or component failure and reduce the risk of unnecessary system changes.
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