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The string 0x8007042 is probably incomplete. Microsoft documents 0x80070422—with one more digit—as the error for a Windows Update service that is disabled or stopped. Copy the complete code from the original message before changing anything; the final character determines whether you should repair Windows Update, investigate Microsoft Store downloading, or follow a Windows Firewall branch.
What the 0x8007042 code means
There is no separate Microsoft definition for the seven-character string 0x8007042 in the official troubleshooting table. A Microsoft Q&A thread contains that truncated wording, but a community post does not establish a distinct Windows error code. In many download and update cases, the missing character is the final 2, making the complete code 0x80070422.
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Microsoft’s current table labels 0x80070422 as Windows Update service is disabled or stopped.
When that is the code shown by Windows Update or a general Windows download, enabling and starting the Windows Update service is the appropriate first repair. A similar-looking code can point somewhere else: 0x8007042c is associated with Firewall failures in Microsoft Q&A discussions. Treating every truncated message as 0x80070422 can therefore send you to the wrong service.
Confirm every character before you repair anything
Do not rely on the title of a web page, a cropped screenshot, or memory. Locate the original message and copy the complete hexadecimal value, including the final digit and the 0x prefix. Uppercase and lowercase letters do not change the code, but a missing or changed digit does.
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Where to look
- Windows Update: Open Settings, go to Windows Update, and open the notification or update history entry that reported the failure.
- Microsoft Store: Reopen the download or installation notice and expand its details if the Store provides a details link.
- Event Viewer: If the error appeared in a system notification, check the relevant Windows log entry and copy the full value from its details.
- Installation logs: Setup programs and update packages often record the complete code even when the visible dialog truncates it.
Write down the affected feature at the same time: Windows Update, a general Windows download, Microsoft Store, or Windows Firewall. Also note whether every Windows account is affected or only one. Those comparisons are more reliable than the shortened title when you choose the next branch.
Choose the correct repair branch
| Complete code or wording | Typical feature | Documented meaning or context | First action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0x80070422 | Windows Update or a general Windows download | Windows Update service is disabled or stopped | Set Windows Update to Automatic, start it, restart the PC, then check for updates |
| 0x8007042 (truncated) | Any download dialog or notification | No separate official Microsoft definition; the final character is missing | Recover the complete code before changing services |
| 0x8007042c | Windows Firewall | Associated with Firewall failures in Microsoft Q&A | Confirm the final character and use a Firewall-specific path rather than a Windows Update-only fix |
| Microsoft Store message with a different complete code | Store download or installation | Community reports say enabling Windows Update allowed Store downloading to start; restarting Network List Service is another community suggestion | Verify the exact code, then check Windows Update and consider the Network List Service suggestion as a separate troubleshooting step |
Fix 0x80070422 through Windows Update
Use these steps when the complete code is 0x80070422 and the failure occurs in Windows Update or a general Windows download. The service setting is the central repair; restarting the computer and running the troubleshooter confirm whether the change resolved the problem.
1. Open the Services console
- Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type
services.mscand press Enter. - If Windows asks for administrator approval, approve it with an administrator account. Service startup settings cannot be changed from a standard account without elevation.
2. Set Windows Update to Automatic
- In the list, find Windows Update. The list is alphabetical, so scrolling to the W section is usually fastest.
- Double-click Windows Update to open its Properties window.
- Open the Startup type menu and select Automatic.
- Look at Service status. If it says Stopped, select Start.
- Select Apply, then OK. If the service was already running, applying the Automatic startup setting still matters because Windows can otherwise leave it disabled at the next boot.
If the Startup type menu is locked, the Services console was not opened with sufficient rights or a policy is controlling the service. Sign in with an administrator account and try again. Do not guess at unrelated services while the code is still unconfirmed.
3. Restart Windows
Restart the computer from Start > Power > Restart. A restart reloads the service configuration and clears a service state that may not refresh immediately after a manual change.
4. Check for updates again
- Open Settings.
- Select Windows Update.
- Select Check for updates.
- Allow the check to complete. If updates appear, let the installation finish and restart when Windows requests it.
If the same code returns, record whether the service remained set to Automatic and whether it is running. That distinction tells you whether the setting failed to persist or whether another update component is involved.
5. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter
Microsoft recommends running the Windows Update troubleshooter when enabling the service does not clear 0x80070422. Open Settings and search for Windows Update troubleshooter, then run the troubleshooter offered for your Windows edition. Follow its prompts, allow it to apply a proposed repair, and restart if it requests one. Return to Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates after the troubleshooter completes.
Clear a damaged or stuck Windows Update cache
Microsoft also documents stopping Windows Update, clearing the contents of C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution, and starting the service again when the update cache is damaged or stuck. This is a second-line step: perform it after confirming 0x80070422 and trying the service and troubleshooter procedure.
Stop the service before touching the cache
- Press Win + R, enter
services.msc, and press Enter. - Open Windows Update and select Stop if the service is running.
- Select Apply and OK, then leave the Services window open or remember how to reopen it.
Clear the SoftwareDistribution contents
- Open File Explorer and enter
C:WindowsSoftwareDistributionin the address bar. - Select the files and folders inside SoftwareDistribution and delete them. You are clearing the contents, not deleting the Windows folder itself.
- If Windows reports that a file is in use, return to Services, confirm that Windows Update is stopped, and try again. Do not force-delete files that are actively locked.
Start Windows Update again
- In Services, open Windows Update.
- Select Start, set Startup type to Automatic if it changed, and select Apply and OK.
- Restart the computer.
- Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.
Clearing this cache removes downloaded update files that Windows can recreate. It does not prove that the shortened 0x8007042 string was a cache error; use the procedure only after the complete code and affected feature point to Windows Update.
If the download is in Microsoft Store
A Microsoft Store download that displays only 0x8007042 needs extra caution because the final digit may be different. First reopen the Store message and obtain the complete code. If the full value is 0x80070422, apply the Windows Update service steps above even though the symptom is in Store: one Microsoft Q&A answer reports that enabling Windows Update allowed Store downloading to start.
Another Microsoft Q&A discussion mentions restarting Network List Service. That is a community suggestion, not a guaranteed diagnosis or an official definition of the truncated code. If you try it, use the same controlled process: open services.msc, find Network List Service, choose Restart when available, and then retry the Store download. Record the complete code and the result so you can distinguish a useful change from coincidence.
Do not repeatedly clear the Windows Update cache for a Store error whose final character has not been confirmed. If the Store reports a different complete code, follow the branch for that code rather than assuming that 0x80070422 is involved.
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The similar-looking code 0x8007042c is associated with Firewall failures in Microsoft Q&A. That final character changes the repair path. A Windows Update service change may leave a Firewall problem untouched, so do not apply the update-only procedure until you have copied the complete value.
Confirm that the affected feature is actually Windows Firewall, capture the full message, and check whether the failure affects all Windows accounts or only one. If the code is 0x8007042c, use Microsoft’s Firewall-specific support guidance for your Windows edition. The available evidence does not establish a single universal manual repair for every 0x8007042c situation, so avoid disabling security features or changing unrelated services as an experiment.
Use symptoms to verify that the branch is right
Windows Update and general downloads
The strongest match is a complete 0x80070422 code, a Windows Update notification, and a Windows Update service that is stopped or disabled. The expected sequence is: set the service to Automatic, start it, restart Windows, check for updates, and run the troubleshooter if necessary.
Microsoft Store only
A Store-only failure with a different complete code is not automatically 0x80070422. Verify the code, then test the Windows Update service because community reports connect that service state with Store downloading. Treat a Network List Service restart as a separate suggestion, not proof of cause.
Firewall or security settings
A Firewall message, especially one ending in 2c, belongs to a different branch. Confirm the code and seek Firewall-specific instructions rather than clearing update files.
One account versus every account
If only one Windows account shows the problem, record that scope before making system-wide service changes. If every account shows it, a machine-level service or update component is more plausible. This comparison does not identify the cause by itself, but it prevents a per-user symptom from being mistaken for a universal Windows Update failure.
When the troubleshooter will not run
Write down the exact message, the complete hexadecimal code, and the service status shown in Services. Restart Windows and try the troubleshooter again. If it still will not run, keep those details together when consulting Microsoft Support; the truncated code alone is not enough to select a reliable repair.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Repairing a code you have not verified: One missing final character can change Windows Update into a Firewall branch.
- Starting with a cleaner or optimizer: The documented 0x80070422 cause is a disabled or stopped Windows Update service, so unrelated cleanup software is not a substitute for correcting that service.
- Deleting the wrong folder: Clear the contents of
C:WindowsSoftwareDistributiononly after stopping Windows Update; do not delete the Windows directory itself. - Disabling security controls: A Firewall symptom should not be handled by turning off protection as a test.
- Assuming a successful service start proves the issue is solved: Always restart Windows and select Check for updates to verify the result.
When to stop troubleshooting locally
Stop making changes when the code remains truncated, the complete value changes between attempts, or the affected feature is unclear. Save a screenshot or exact transcription, note the Windows edition, record the service status before and after each change, and keep the troubleshooter result. Those details let Microsoft Support distinguish a Windows Update service problem from a Store, Firewall, account, or installation-log issue without repeating unrelated repairs.
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