PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteError 0x80070422 usually means that a Windows service required by the operation is disabled or stopped. For Windows Update, enable and start the Windows Update service in services.msc, restart the PC, and check again. If the error persists, run the Windows Update troubleshooter and use Microsoft’s supported component-reset procedure. The similarly named EnableFeaturedSoftware registry value is community guidance, not a universal fix, so do not add or change it before the service and troubleshooter steps.
What 0x80070422 means
Microsoft Support describes 0x80070422 as “Windows Update service is disabled or stopped.” Microsoft Learn maps the underlying Windows error to ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED: a required service has stopped working or is not running. The code identifies a service-state problem, not one particular game, update, or application failure.
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On a gaming PC, you may see the code while downloading a Windows update, installing an update needed by a game, opening Microsoft Store, or using Xbox-related features. The service that must be repaired depends on which component displayed the message. Do not change unrelated services simply because the hexadecimal code matches.
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- Windows Update: The message appears in Settings while checking for, downloading, or installing Windows updates. Start with the Windows Update service.
- Microsoft Store: The Store may show the same code when a Store-related dependency is disabled. Confirm the failure in the Store before changing services.
- Xbox or another Windows component: A different dependent service may be stopped. Note the exact app and operation so that you repair the relevant component instead of guessing.
If you are unsure, reproduce the error and write down the app, the action that failed, and whether Windows Update itself can check for updates. That short record determines which branch of the procedure applies.
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Before changing anything
Use an administrator account
Changing a service startup type, resetting update components, or editing the system registry normally requires administrator approval. Sign in with an administrator account or have the account holder approve the User Account Control prompt.
Save work and record the current state
Close games and installers, save open documents, and note whether the Windows Update service is already running. If you later need to undo a change, the original startup setting is useful. A restart is part of the normal repair sequence, so do not begin while an important task is running.
Do not jump to the registry
The registry value often written as EnableFeaturedSoftware is discussed in a Microsoft Q&A thread. That community discussion does not establish that every affected PC should contain the value, or that setting it to a particular number fixes 0x80070422. A missing value is not evidence of damage. The supported service and troubleshooter steps are safer and easier to reverse.
Primary fix: enable and start Windows Update
These are Microsoft’s direct steps for the Windows Update form of 0x80070422.
- Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
- Enter
services.mscand press Enter. Approve the administrator prompt if Windows asks. - In the Services list, locate Windows Update. The list can be sorted alphabetically; click the Name column if necessary.
- Double-click Windows Update to open its Properties dialog.
- Open the Startup type menu and choose Automatic.
- Check Service status. If it says Stopped, select Start.
- Select Apply, then OK. If the service was already running, stopping and starting it is not required; changing a disabled startup type and applying it is sufficient.
- Restart Windows.
- After signing back in, open Windows Update and select Check for updates. Test the same operation that produced the error.
If the service starts successfully and the update completes, no registry edit is needed. If Start is unavailable, the service immediately stops again, or Windows reports another service error, continue with the checks below rather than repeatedly clicking Start.
Run the Windows Update troubleshooter
Microsoft recommends the Windows Update troubleshooter when enabling the service does not clear the error. The exact Settings labels differ between Windows 11 and Windows 10.
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- Open Settings.
- Choose System, then Troubleshoot.
- Select Other troubleshooters.
- Find Windows Update and select Run.
- Apply any repair the troubleshooter offers, restart if requested, and check for updates again.
Windows 10
- Open Settings.
- Choose Update & Security, then Troubleshoot.
- Open Additional troubleshooters, select Windows Update, and choose Run the troubleshooter.
- Accept an applicable repair, restart Windows, and retry the update.
If your edition uses a different Settings layout, search Settings for troubleshoot and open the Windows Update troubleshooter from the results. The goal is the Windows Update diagnostic, not a generic hardware or network diagnostic.
Reset Windows Update components when the service fix is not enough
Microsoft’s upgrade guidance also recommends resetting Windows Update components when appropriate. A reset clears damaged temporary update state while preserving installed applications and personal files. It is a broader intervention than changing one service, so use it only after the service and troubleshooter steps have failed.
Prepare for an advanced reset
- Use an administrator account.
- Close Settings, Microsoft Store, Xbox, game launchers, and any installer that may be downloading an update.
- Restart once before beginning if Windows has a pending restart.
- Record the exact error and the date so you can tell whether the reset changed the symptom.
Use Microsoft’s current reset procedure
Microsoft’s reset guidance changes with Windows releases and can include stopping update-related services, renaming the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 working folders, and starting the services again. Follow the procedure for your Windows version exactly from Microsoft’s Windows Update documentation; do not delete system folders or improvise service names. Renaming rather than deleting lets Windows create fresh working folders while leaving the old state available for rollback until the repair is confirmed.
When the procedure is complete, restart Windows and run Check for updates. If the update downloads normally, the problem was in the update components rather than the EnableFeaturedSoftware value. If a reset reports that a service cannot be stopped or a folder is in use, restart Windows, close update-related programs, and repeat the documented procedure instead of forcing a deletion.
What to do about EnableFeaturedSoftware
Where the value is discussed
The name refers to a possible registry value under:
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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionWindows UpdateAuto Update
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Some community answers suggest creating or changing an EnableFeaturedSoftware entry, sometimes with a value of 1. That suggestion is not the same as a current, universal Microsoft Support procedure. The available discussion does not prove that the value belongs on every Windows installation, that its absence causes 0x80070422, or that setting it repairs a disabled service.
If you only want to inspect the value
- Press Windows key + R, enter
regedit, and press Enter. - Approve the administrator prompt.
- In Registry Editor, navigate to the path shown above. You can paste the path into the address bar in current versions of Registry Editor.
- Look for
EnableFeaturedSoftwarewithout changing any entry. - Close Registry Editor if the value is absent or you are not certain what it controls.
If a registry edit is unavoidable
Back up the relevant key first. In Registry Editor, select Auto Update, choose File > Export, save the .reg file somewhere you can find, and verify that the export completed. A registry edit can affect system behavior beyond Windows Update, and an incorrect value or data type can create a new problem. Do not create EnableFeaturedSoftware merely because a search result says to set it to 1; use the supported service, troubleshooter, and component-reset paths first.
If you already changed the value and the error remains, restore the exported key or remove only the entry you added, then restart and return to the service procedure. If you cannot determine what was changed, stop editing and use System Restore or qualified Windows support rather than deleting adjacent values.
When the code comes from Store, Xbox, or another component
The same hexadecimal code can be raised outside Windows Update. In those cases, changing the Windows Update service may not address the actual dependency.
Microsoft Store
Confirm that Windows Update itself works. If updates succeed but the Store still displays 0x80070422, record the Store action that fails and inspect the Services console for the service named in the Store’s diagnostic details. Do not disable or set unrelated services to Automatic at random. The Store branch may require a different dependent service or Store-specific repair.
Xbox features
Test whether the failure is limited to signing in, installing an Xbox app, or downloading game content. If Windows Update works, treat the Xbox message as a separate service-dependency problem. Repair the service identified by the Xbox diagnostic rather than assuming that EnableFeaturedSoftware controls it.
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Another Windows application
Capture the application name, operation, and complete message. A service-disabled error can be shared by many Windows components; the code alone cannot identify the correct dependency. Reversibility matters here: a targeted service change is safer than broad registry changes or disabling security-related services.
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Choosing the next remedy
| Remedy | Scope | Risk and reversibility | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set Windows Update to Automatic and start it | One service | Low; the startup setting can be changed back and a restart reverses a temporary state | Windows Update shows 0x80070422 |
| Windows Update troubleshooter | Windows Update diagnostics and supported automatic repairs | Low; Windows reports the proposed action | The service is enabled but the error persists |
| Component reset | Update caches and related working state | Moderate; follow the documented sequence and keep renamed folders until testing is complete | The service and troubleshooter do not resolve the failure |
| Registry inspection | A specific key and value | Higher; export before editing and avoid unverified values | You are diagnosing a known configuration change, not looking for a first-line fix |
| Service investigation for Store/Xbox | The dependency of the app that displayed the message | Varies; target only the identified service | Windows Update works but another Windows component reports 0x80070422 |
Common failure points and recovery
The Windows Update entry is missing
Do not create a replacement service in the registry. Restart Windows, confirm that you opened services.msc with administrator rights, and check whether the failure is actually from Store or Xbox. A missing service entry indicates a deeper Windows installation problem that needs supported repair rather than a guessed registry value.
The service starts, then stops
Check the service status again after a restart and run the Windows Update troubleshooter. If it repeatedly stops, proceed to the documented component reset. Record any new message shown in the Properties dialog; a service that cannot remain running may have a dependency or system-file problem that the basic startup change cannot correct.
Settings shows a different error after the change
Read the complete new message instead of continuing to apply the old fix. A different code can indicate a network, permissions, pending-restart, or component issue. Keep the original 0x80070422 record so you can distinguish a resolved service problem from a second failure.
The problem returns after a restart
Verify the Windows Update startup type again. If it reverted to Disabled, identify software or policy that is changing service settings and consult the administrator of the PC. Do not repeatedly force the registry value; it does not establish why the service is being disabled.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsQuick Recap
Safety checklist
- Confirm which app displayed 0x80070422 before changing a service.
- Use
services.mscand the Windows Update troubleshooter before registry editing. - Restart after enabling the service and after a component reset.
- Export the registry key before any edit.
- Never delete random registry values, system folders, or services to make the message disappear.
- Keep the exact error text and the Windows version available if you need further support.
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