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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →0x80070422 means Windows tried to use a required service that is disabled or not running. For Windows Update, upgrades, and many Microsoft Store operations, the first service to check is Windows Update. If a conventional desktop installer (an MSI package) shows the same message, Windows Installer may be the relevant service instead.
Use the workflow below to identify the service involved, restore its documented startup state, restart Windows, and test again. The code is a service-state clue; it does not by itself prove that the installer package is damaged.
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What error 0x80070422 means
Microsoft maps 0x80070422 to ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED. Microsoft’s Windows client troubleshooting reference describes it this way: “This issue occurs when the Windows Update service stops working or isn’t running.” In practical terms, Windows cannot start a service that the update or installation workflow needs.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe same number can appear in more than one workflow. Windows Update, a feature upgrade, or a Store installation may depend on Windows Update and related transfer services. A downloaded desktop program using an MSI package may instead be blocked by Windows Installer. That is why changing a random service, or repeatedly downloading the installer, often does not help: you must first match the error to the workflow that produced it.
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Identify the workflow before changing anything
| Where the message appears | Service to inspect first | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Settings > Windows Update, a Windows upgrade, or an update check | Windows Update | Set the service to Automatic, start it if stopped, restart Windows, and test again. |
| Microsoft Store download or installation | Windows Update, then the related update services | Check the Windows Update service and the supporting services listed below. |
A downloaded desktop program or an .msi package |
Windows Installer | Stop and restart Windows Installer, verify that it is enabled, then run System File Checker if corruption is possible. |
If the dialog names a service, use that name. If it does not, note the exact application, package type, and point at which the failure occurs. An installer that launches a standard setup wizard is a different case from an update downloaded through Settings.
Primary fix: restore the Windows Update service
These steps apply when 0x80070422 appears during Windows Update, a Windows upgrade, or a Store operation that relies on update components.
- Open the Services console. Press Win+R, type
services.msc, and press Enter. Approve the User Account Control prompt if Windows displays one. - Locate Windows Update. In the list, find the service named exactly Windows Update. Double-click it to open Properties.
- Change the startup type. Set Startup type to Automatic, then select Apply. This is the documented baseline for the primary 0x80070422 procedure; some current Windows builds and managed policies may use different trigger behavior, so do not alter unrelated services.
- Start the service if it is stopped. Select Start. Wait for the status to change to running. Select Apply, then OK.
- Close Services and restart Windows. A restart clears a pending service transition and reloads update components.
- Retry the original action. Open the same Windows Update, upgrade, or Store screen and repeat the operation that produced the code.
- Record a different error precisely. If Windows Update now reports another code, copy the complete text and number. A changed error usually means the disabled-service barrier was removed and a separate dependency or update problem is now being reported.
What a successful change should look like
In Windows Update’s Properties dialog, the startup type should show the value you selected, and the service status should be Running after you start it. The status can change later when Windows manages the service; the important test is whether the original operation works after a restart. Do not judge success solely by the absence of an error in Services.
Check the related services for Store and update workflows
If Windows Update is enabled and running but the same code persists in an update or Store context, inspect the supporting services below in services.msc. The following startup modes are a diagnostic baseline from Microsoft guidance, not a reason to change every service on every Windows edition.
| Service | Baseline startup mode in the cited guidance | Why it can matter |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Update | Manual or enabled as required by the Windows build and workflow | Coordinates update detection, download, and installation. |
| Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) | Manual | Transfers update files in the background. |
| Update Orchestrator Service | Automatic (delayed start) | Schedules and coordinates update activity. |
| Delivery Optimization | Automatic | Handles delivery of some update and Store content. |
| Windows Modules Installer | Manual | Supports servicing Windows components. |
- In
services.msc, open each named service’s Properties. - Compare its startup type with the baseline in the table and with the behavior expected on your Windows release. A corporate policy, security baseline, or Windows version can legitimately use a different mode.
- If a service is stopped, select Start and note the exact message if it refuses to start.
- Apply only the necessary change, close the dialog, and retry the original update or Store action after restarting Windows.
Do not indiscriminately set every service to Automatic. A service that is intentionally Manual may be started on demand, and changing unrelated startup settings can create new boot or policy problems.
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When a normal program installer shows the message
A conventional desktop installer can surface the same numeric code with wording such as: “The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.” In this case, the relevant service may be Windows Installer, not Windows Update.
- Open Services. Press Win+R, enter
services.msc, and press Enter. - Find Windows Installer. Open its Properties and confirm that the service is not set to Disabled. The exact startup behavior can vary by Windows release, so use the service’s current description and the error text as your guide rather than forcing an unrelated mode.
- Stop and restart it when possible. If the service is running, select Stop, wait for it to stop, then select Start. If it is stopped, select Start directly. Select Apply and OK.
- Restart Windows. Then launch the same installer again from a trusted local copy.
- Run System File Checker when Windows files may be damaged. Open Command Prompt with administrator rights and run:
sfc /scannowAllow the scan to finish, follow the result it reports, restart Windows, and retry the installer. The Windows Installer advice comes from an older Microsoft support discussion, so confirm the service name and complete error on your current Windows release before applying it. If Windows Installer itself will not start, preserve the exact service error instead of repeatedly clicking Start.
If changing the service is denied or it immediately disables itself
A service that returns Access is denied, switches back to Disabled, or fails with another code can indicate a policy restriction, incorrect permissions, a dependency failure, or corrupted Windows files. There is no single repair that is established for every combination of those symptoms.
Capture the facts before making further changes
- The exact service name shown in the error, Services, or an event log.
- The service’s startup type before and after you try to change it.
- The complete error text and numeric code returned when you select Start.
- Whether the failure occurs in Windows Update, Microsoft Store, an upgrade, or an MSI installer.
- Whether a restart changes the behavior.
These details distinguish a disabled service from a permissions or dependency problem and give Microsoft support enough information to select the correct troubleshooting branch.
Use supported troubleshooting for policy and corruption cases
If a work or school computer controls services, an administrator may have deliberately applied the setting. Contact that administrator rather than overriding the policy. For a personal computer, use Microsoft’s current Windows Update or upgrade troubleshooting flow with the captured service name and error. If the service files or permissions appear corrupted, seek Microsoft support and provide the SFC result and the exact service error.
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Avoid downloading unofficial “service-fix” registry files. They can change permissions or startup entries without explaining what policy or dependency caused the failure, and they can make later repair harder.
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A repeatable diagnostic method when more than one workflow fails
When updates, Store installs, and desktop installers all fail, compare the cases instead of assuming that every failure has one cause.
| Comparison point | Question to answer | How it narrows the problem |
|---|---|---|
| Application or package type | Is it Windows Update, Store content, an upgrade, or an MSI desktop program? | Identifies whether Windows Update or Windows Installer is the first service to inspect. |
| Service named | Does the dialog or event log name a specific service? | Prevents changing a service that the failing workflow never uses. |
| Startup state | Is the service Disabled, Manual, or Automatic? | Shows whether the error matches a disabled-service condition or a different failure. |
| Start test | Does the service start successfully, and what exact error appears if it does not? | Separates a simple stopped state from permissions, dependency, or file problems. |
| Restart result | Does the original operation work after a full restart? | Confirms whether the service change was applied or whether another component remains blocked. |
Test one change at a time
Change the service that matches the failing workflow, restart, and test. If you change five startup modes at once, you cannot tell which setting mattered or which one introduced a new problem. Keep a short record of the original mode, the new mode, and the result so you can restore an intentional policy setting.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing 0x80070422 with a bad installer download. The code primarily identifies a disabled or stopped service. Re-downloading the package does not enable that service.
- Checking only Windows Installer. For a Windows Update or Store failure, Windows Update and its update-related services are the appropriate starting point.
- Checking only Windows Update. For an MSI setup program, Windows Installer may be the service that is disabled.
- Ignoring the restart. Microsoft’s documented sequence includes restarting the PC before checking the operation again.
- Changing every service to Automatic. Startup modes differ by Windows build, policy, and workflow. Use the documented baseline only as a targeted diagnostic.
- Forcing registry changes. Unofficial registry files can damage permissions and obscure the original cause.
- Assuming hardware is required. This is a Windows service-state problem; no physical product is needed to perform the documented fixes.
When to stop troubleshooting manually
Escalate when the service cannot be enabled because of policy, when Start consistently returns an unexplained error, when the service disables itself after a restart, or when SFC reports unresolved corruption and the original operation still fails. Give support the workflow, service name, startup type, complete error, restart result, and SFC output. That evidence is more useful than a screenshot containing only the number 0x80070422.
For a straightforward Windows Update case, the practical sequence is: enable and start Windows Update, restart, retry, then inspect BITS, Update Orchestrator, Delivery Optimization, and Windows Modules Installer only if the failure remains. For an MSI case, inspect Windows Installer first and use SFC when system-file corruption is plausible.
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