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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchIf Windows shows error 0x80070422, Windows Update is usually disabled or stopped. Open the Services console, change Windows Update to Automatic, start it, restart the PC, and check for updates again. Those are Microsoft’s documented first steps.
The title sometimes appears as 0X800704022, with an extra final 2. Verify the exact code on your screen before troubleshooting. Microsoft documents 0x80070422 (not 0x800704022) as ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED.
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What Windows Update error 0x80070422 means
Microsoft Learn classifies 0x80070422 as ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED. Its explanation is: “This issue occurs when the Windows Update service stops working or isn’t running.” Microsoft Support describes the same condition as the Windows Update service being disabled or stopped.
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Windows may also display wording similar to “The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.” In practice, the error appears when Windows cannot start the service that checks for, downloads, or installs updates. It is a service-configuration problem first, not a message that identifies a particular game or graphics driver.
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Check the code carefully. Hexadecimal letters are not case-sensitive, so 0x80070422 and 0X80070422 mean the same thing. A final extra digit changes the code and may point to a different problem. If your screen shows another code after you recheck it, use that exact code when searching Microsoft’s support documentation.
| What you see | What it indicates |
|---|---|
0x80070422 in Windows Update |
Windows Update is disabled, stopped, or cannot be started. |
| “The service cannot be started” | Windows could not launch the required service; confirm its startup setting and current state. |
| “Access denied” while changing settings | Your account may lack permission, or file-system or registry permissions may have been changed. |
0X800704022 or another variant |
Recheck the displayed code; the extra digit may be a transcription error. |
Before you change the service
You need an account that is allowed to change Windows service settings. If Startup type, Start, or Apply is unavailable, sign in with an administrator account or ask the person who manages the PC to perform the steps. Save open work before restarting.
Use the built-in Services console first. It changes one service and is the narrowest, easiest-to-reverse fix. Do not begin by editing random registry permissions or downloading an unknown “repair” file; those actions can obscure the cause of an access-denied failure.
Fix 0x80070422 in the Services console
These are Microsoft Support’s primary steps for this error in both 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 list, find Windows Update. The list is alphabetical; clicking the list and typing “Windows Update” can help you reach it.
- Double-click Windows Update to open its Properties window.
- Open the Startup type menu and choose Automatic.
- Look at Service status. If it says Stopped, click Start.
- Click Apply, then OK.
- Restart the PC. After Windows starts, run Windows Update again.
If the service was already set to Automatic and running, leave it as it is, restart once, and test Windows Update. If the setting changed successfully but the service immediately stops again, continue with the cache reset rather than repeatedly clicking Start.
If Start is greyed out or the setting will not save
A disabled control or an “access denied” response means the current account or the service’s permissions do not allow the change. Do not force the change by assigning broad permissions to registry keys. Note the exact message and use the access-denied diagnosis later in this guide.
If Windows says the service has no enabled devices associated with it
That wording is part of the documented Windows error explanation. First confirm that you selected Windows Update, not a similarly named entry, and that you used an account permitted to modify services. If the service still cannot start after the cache reset, collect the requested troubleshooting information and escalate to Microsoft Support.
Check for updates after the service fix
On Windows 11, open Settings > Windows Update, then select Check for updates. On Windows 10, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, then select Check for updates. The labels can vary slightly by build, but both paths lead to the Windows Update check.
Allow the check to complete. If updates download or install normally, the stopped or disabled service was the immediate cause. If 0x80070422 returns, reset the update cache as described next.
Reset the Windows Update cache
Microsoft Support documents clearing the contents of C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution when the service change alone does not resolve the error. The procedure stops Windows Update before touching the directory, then starts it again so Windows can recreate the working cache.
- Press Win + R, enter
services.msc, and press Enter. - Locate Windows Update, open its Properties, and click Stop if it is running. Close the Properties window while leaving the Services console available.
- Open File Explorer and go to
C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution. - Delete the files and folders inside
SoftwareDistribution. Do not delete the parent Windows directory. - Return to Services, open Windows Update, and click Start.
- Restart the PC and check for updates again from Settings.
If Windows reports that an item is in use, return to Services and confirm that Windows Update is stopped before trying again. If the account cannot stop the service or delete the contents, use an administrator account. A successful reset does not require you to change registry permissions.
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This is broader than changing one startup setting because it removes the contents of the update cache. Microsoft documents the operation as a troubleshooting step for Windows Update; it is not a license to delete other folders under C:Windows. Limit the operation to the specified directory and its contents.
Use the documented elevated Command Prompt reset
Microsoft also documents an advanced reset that stops Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) and Windows Update, renames the SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 folders, and then starts the services again. Use this option if the graphical cache procedure cannot complete or if you are comfortable working in an elevated command window.
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- Open Start and type Command Prompt.
- Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator. Approve the User Account Control prompt.
- Enter each command below, pressing Enter after each line:
net stop bits
net stop wuauserv
ren %systemroot%softwaredistribution softwaredistribution.bak
ren %systemroot%system32catroot2 catroot2.bak
net start bits
net start wuauserv- Wait for each command to finish before entering the next one. If a stop command reports that the service is not running, continue with the sequence; the purpose is to ensure the services are stopped before the folders are renamed.
- Close Command Prompt, restart the PC, and run Windows Update again.
These commands require administrator permissions. Microsoft describes the advanced procedure as intended for readers who are comfortable with command-line work. Do not paste unrelated commands into the same window, and do not remove the renamed folders while troubleshooting is still in progress.
When a rename command fails
A failed rename usually means a service still has a file open, the command window is not elevated, or the account lacks the required permission. Recheck that you opened Command Prompt (Administrator), run the stop commands again, and retry. If the error is explicitly “Access is denied,” use the CBS.log investigation below instead of changing permissions at random.
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Access denied can be a separate permissions problem rather than another form of the service-disabled error. Microsoft Learn notes that servicing failures can result from changed file-system or registry-key permissions. The useful next step is to identify the object named in the servicing log.
- Open File Explorer and enter
%Windir%logsCBSCBS.login the address bar. - Open the most recent
CBS.log. You may need administrator permission to read it. - Search the file for entries containing the exact text
, error. - Match the error entries to the time when the Windows Update or cache operation failed.
- Record the file, folder, or registry object identified by the matching entry.
Do not apply a generic permission reset just because a log line looks complicated. The correction depends on the specific object and the permission that was changed. If you cannot determine which permission needs correction, stop and contact Microsoft Support with the relevant log details rather than making a broad registry or file-system change.
Which fix should you choose?
| Approach | Access level | Scope | Risk and reversibility | Diagnostic value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Services console | Graphical interface; administrator permission required to change the service | Changes Windows Update’s startup setting and running state | Narrow and easy to undo by selecting the previous startup setting | Shows whether the service can start normally |
Clear SoftwareDistribution |
Services and File Explorer; administrator permission may be required | Deletes files and folders inside the Windows Update cache | Broader than a service change, but explicitly documented by Microsoft | Tests whether the cache state is preventing a new update check |
| Elevated Command Prompt reset | Command Prompt (Administrator) | Stops BITS and Windows Update and renames two update-related folders | Broader command-line operation; follow the sequence exactly | Provides a repeatable reset when the graphical procedure fails |
| CBS.log review | File-log inspection; administrator access may be needed | Does not change the system by itself | Lowest change risk; any permission correction must be targeted | Identifies the object associated with an access-denied servicing failure |
Common causes and matching symptoms
Windows Update is disabled
The service’s startup type is set to Disabled, so Windows cannot launch it during an update check. Setting it to Automatic and starting the service addresses this configuration.
Windows Update is stopped
The service may be configured correctly but not running. Starting it, applying the setting, and restarting the PC tests whether it can remain available across a normal boot.
The update cache needs a reset
If the service starts but the same code returns, Microsoft’s next documented path is to stop Windows Update, clear the contents of SoftwareDistribution, restart the service, and check again. The command-line procedure additionally renames catroot2.
Permissions were changed
An access-denied message can indicate altered file-system or registry-key permissions. The matching , error entries in CBS.log provide evidence about the affected object. Without that evidence, a broad permission change is risky.
The code was copied incorrectly
The frequently typed 0X800704022 includes one more digit than Microsoft’s documented 0x80070422. Confirm the code directly in Windows before applying this guide.
Windows 10 and Windows 11 differences
The Services-console and Command Prompt procedures are the same on supported Windows 10 and Windows 11 installations. The main visible difference is the Settings path used to start a new update check: Windows 11 uses Settings > Windows Update, while Windows 10 uses Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
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When to stop troubleshooting and escalate
Contact Microsoft Support when the service cannot be enabled after the documented steps, the cache cannot be cleared or renamed with an administrator account, or CBS.log identifies a permission problem you cannot safely correct. Microsoft requests deployment-troubleshooting information for escalation; provide the exact error code, the time of the failure, the step that failed, and the relevant CBS.log entry.
Do not keep repeating a command that returns access denied, and do not broaden permissions simply to make the command finish. A targeted diagnosis is safer than an unverified registry or file-system repair.
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