If Windows shows “download denied 0X800070422,” first verify the characters. Microsoft’s current error table lists 0x80070422 (not 0x800070422), identified as ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED. It usually means the Windows Update service is disabled or not running. Re-enable and start that service, then retry the download. Do not change the registry or reset update folders until you have confirmed the exact code.
The same code can appear while downloading from Windows Update, Microsoft Store, Xbox, or a Microsoft-account workflow. The affected surface determines which additional service or permission check is relevant.
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Confirm the exact error before changing anything
Read the code directly from the message, or capture a screenshot. Hexadecimal Windows codes are easy to mistype: one extra zero changes the identifier and can send you to the wrong repair procedure. Microsoft’s Windows Update table, updated May 6, 2026, documents 0x80070422. The spelling 0x800070422 is not the code shown in that table.
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Write down the app or workflow that produced the message:
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- Windows Update in Settings
- Microsoft Store while installing or updating an app
- Xbox app or a Microsoft-account sign-in flow
- A different installer or download utility
Also note whether the account is an administrator, whether the computer is managed by an employer or school, and whether the error appears for every download or only one item. Those details determine whether a local service, account privilege, policy, or another code is involved.
What 0x80070422 means
Microsoft defines 0x80070422 as ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED. In the Windows Update context, the Windows Update service has stopped working or is not running. Microsoft’s documented mitigation is to check whether that service is running. A download can therefore be denied even when the network connection itself is fine: the component responsible for obtaining and installing update content is unavailable.
The code does not, by itself, prove malware, damaged hardware, or a bad download file. Treat it as a service-configuration problem first. If the on-screen identifier differs, stop and follow the branch for that code instead of applying these steps blindly.
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Fix the Windows Update service in Services
Use an administrator account. If the computer belongs to an organization, a policy may intentionally control the service; in that case, contact the administrator before changing it.
- Open the Services console. Press
Windows key + R, typeservices.msc, and press Enter. Approve the User Account Control prompt. - Find Windows Update. In the list, select the entry named Windows Update. You can click the list and type the first letters to jump to it.
- Inspect its state. The Status column may show Stopped or be blank. Double-click the entry to open its properties and check Startup type. If it is Disabled, it cannot start until an allowed startup mode is selected.
- Choose an allowed startup mode. Set Startup type to a non-disabled option available on your edition, such as Manual or Automatic. Windows may use a trigger-start configuration, so do not assume that Automatic is required on every installation.
- Start the service. Select Start in the properties dialog. If Start is unavailable, click Apply after changing the startup type, close and reopen the properties, and try again. Select OK only after the service reports that it is running.
- Retry the original action. Close Settings, Microsoft Store, or Xbox if it is open, launch it again, and repeat the download or update. A service change may not be noticed by an already-open app until it is restarted.
If Windows refuses to start the service
Read the exact message shown by Services. “Access is denied” usually means the current account lacks the required administrative rights or a policy is enforcing the disabled state. Sign in with an administrator account, or ask the device administrator to review the setting. Do not work around an organizational policy by editing the registry.
If the service starts and immediately stops, record that behavior and the original code. Proceed to the component-repair section only after confirming that the screen really shows 0x80070422; a different servicing error can require a different remedy.
When Microsoft Store or Xbox is the affected app
Store and Xbox downloads can depend on more than Windows Update. If the failure occurs during Microsoft-account sign-in, check the Microsoft Account Sign-In Assistant service in the same Services console.
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- Open
services.mscas an administrator. - Locate Microsoft Account Sign-In Assistant and open its properties.
- Check whether it is disabled or stopped. If it is disabled, choose a non-disabled startup mode, apply the change, and start the service.
- Restart the Store or Xbox app and try the sign-in or download again.
A Microsoft Q&A report dated May 1, 2023 describes one user whose sign-in returned immediately after this service was enabled. That is a case-specific report, not a universal Microsoft diagnostic rule; use it as a targeted check when account authentication is the failing step, not as a replacement for checking Windows Update.
Repair Windows servicing components with DISM and SFC
Use these commands when the verified code is 0x80070422 but the Windows Update service cannot remain running, or when Windows servicing continues to fail after the service is enabled. Microsoft documents them for related component-store corruption errors, so they are an escalation path rather than the first response to a simple disabled service.
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- Open Windows Terminal (Admin), PowerShell (Admin), or Command Prompt (Admin) from the Start menu. Confirm the administrator prompt.
- Run the deployment-image repair command and wait for it to reach 100%:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth - After DISM finishes, run System File Checker:
Sfc.exe /Scannow - Read each result. If a command reports that it repaired files, close the terminal and restart Windows before testing the download. If it reports that it could not complete, preserve the message and code for the next support step rather than repeating it indefinitely.
- After the restart, open Services and verify Windows Update again, then retry the original download.
DISM repairs the Windows component store used by servicing; SFC checks protected system files against that store. Neither command changes the identity of the error. If the screen actually shows another hexadecimal code, use that code’s documented procedure.
Do not reset update caches for the wrong code
Microsoft’s entry for 0x80242006 recommends renaming these folders:
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That cache reset belongs to the 0x80242006 branch. It is not the documented mitigation for 0x80070422. Renaming update folders changes cached metadata and can create additional troubleshooting work, so do not perform it solely because a message contains the words “download denied.” First verify the code and the service state.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If the code is different, use the matching branch
| Code or symptom | What it indicates | First action |
|---|---|---|
0x80070422 |
Windows Update service is disabled, stopped, or not running. | Check Windows Update in services.msc; set an allowed startup mode and start it. |
0x80246017 |
The local user was denied authorization to download content. | Use an account with sufficient privileges, or ask the administrator to grant the required rights. |
0x80242006 |
A different Windows Update failure for which Microsoft lists update-cache folder renaming. | Follow the 0x80242006 procedure, including the three folders listed above, rather than the 0x80070422 service fix. |
0x800070422 exactly as displayed |
Not the identifier in Microsoft’s current Windows Update table. | Capture the full message, identify the app, and obtain the correct code before changing services or folders. |
When a code differs, compare five facts: the exact hexadecimal string, the affected surface, whether the relevant service is disabled or stopped, the account’s privilege level, and whether logs point to component-store corruption or a network/proxy failure. These distinctions prevent a valid fix for one error from obscuring another.
Check permissions and managed-device restrictions
Administrator rights
Some downloads require elevation or authorization even when Windows Update is healthy. If the message maps to 0x80246017, sign in with an account that has the necessary privileges or have an administrator approve the operation. Running random installers as administrator does not repair a denied Windows Update authorization and can create security risk.
Organization policy
On a work or school device, Windows Update may be disabled by policy. Services can show a disabled setting that returns after you change it. Do not repeatedly force the setting or edit policy-related registry values; ask the organization’s IT administrator to confirm whether updates are centrally managed.
Network and proxy symptoms
If the service is running but logs identify a network or proxy failure, treat that as a separate branch. Record the proxy or network message and the affected app. A service restart cannot correct an unreachable download endpoint, and a cache reset cannot correct an authorization refusal.
What to do when the download still fails
- Recheck the screenshot. Confirm that the code is 0x80070422 and not a visually similar identifier.
- Verify persistence. In Services, confirm Windows Update remains started after a restart. If it repeatedly returns to Disabled, suspect policy or a deeper servicing problem.
- Separate surfaces. Test Windows Update and Microsoft Store independently. A failure in only Store or Xbox points toward that app’s account or service path rather than a universal Windows Update outage.
- Run the documented escalation. Use DISM and SFC when service startup or servicing remains broken, then restart before testing again.
- Keep the evidence. Save the original screenshot, exact code, service status, command results, and any account or proxy message. This gives Microsoft support or an administrator enough context to choose the next repair without repeating unrelated resets.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Adding or removing zeros by guesswork: Windows error codes are exact identifiers; search and repair instructions for another code may not apply.
- Disabling more services: Turning off related services can make Store, Xbox, or account authentication fail in new ways.
- Resetting caches first: The cache-folder procedure documented for 0x80242006 is not the first-line fix for 0x80070422.
- Repeating DISM and SFC without reading results: These commands are escalation tools. Preserve a failure message instead of treating repetition as a cure.
- Assuming a Store symptom proves a Store defect: Account sign-in services can be involved, while the Windows Update service remains a separate check.
Once Windows Update is running, the correct account can authorize the operation, and any required component repair has completed, retry the original download from the same app. If the exact code changes, stop using this branch and follow the procedure for the new identifier.
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