How to Fix Windows Error 0x80070422: EnableFeaturedSoftware and Windows Update Troubleshooting

Error 0x80070422 normally means the Windows Update service is disabled or stopped. Open services.msc, set Windows Update to Automatic, start it, restart Windows, and check for updates. If that does not work, run Microsoft’s Windows Update troubleshooter, repair system components with SFC and DISM, and check whether Group Policy or another management system is forcing the service off.

What error 0x80070422 means

Microsoft labels 0x80070422 as ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED. In the Windows Update context, the service that delivers and installs updates is not running, or its startup configuration prevents it from running. Microsoft Learn’s error table advises checking whether the Windows Update service is running: Common Windows Update errors.

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The code can appear when you select Check for updates, during an upgrade, or while another Windows component is trying to use update infrastructure. The code itself does not prove that system files are corrupted, that malware is present, or that the registry is damaged. Those are possible secondary causes only after the service configuration has been checked.

EnableFeaturedSoftware is a separate registry setting discussed in a Microsoft Q&A thread. Some community answers suggest setting that value to 1 under a Windows Update Auto Update registry branch. It is conditional advice, not Microsoft’s universal treatment for 0x80070422. The value may be absent, controlled by policy, or irrelevant to the service state. Repair the service first and do not create or alter a registry value blindly.

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Prepare before changing Windows

• Write down the exact code and message, and note whether it appears in Windows Update, the Microsoft Store, or another screen.
• Press Win+R, enter winver, and record the Windows edition and version. The Settings labels and available policies differ between Windows 10 and Windows 11.
• Sign in with an administrator account. Starting a service, repairing protected files, and changing policy normally require elevation.
• Save open work and disconnect only nonessential peripherals. Do not interrupt a repair, restart, or update installation once it has begun.
• If the computer belongs to an employer or school, identify that before changing settings. A local fix can be overwritten by Group Policy, WSUS, endpoint security, or an optimization utility.

Fix the Windows Update service first

Microsoft’s direct procedure is the lowest-risk and most relevant fix. It changes the service startup setting rather than editing protected files or the registry.

1. Press Win+R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Approve the User Account Control prompt.
2. In the Services list, locate Windows Update. The list is alphabetical; selecting it and typing the first letters can be faster than scrolling.
3. Double-click Windows Update. Set Startup type to Automatic. If your organization’s instructions specify another startup mode, follow those instructions instead.
4. Read the Service status line. If it says Stopped, select Start. If it is already running, select Stop only when you are deliberately applying an administrator’s repair procedure; otherwise leave it running.
5. Select Apply, then OK. Close the Services window.
6. Restart the PC. After signing back in, open Settings, choose Windows Update, and select Check for updates.

Microsoft gives the same service sequence in its Windows Update troubleshooting guidance. If Start is unavailable, an access-denied message appears, or the setting returns to its former value after a reboot, do not repeatedly force it. Those symptoms point to permissions or management controls and are covered below.

Run the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter

The troubleshooter checks common update conditions and can apply supported repairs without requiring you to guess which cache or component is at fault. The exact labels vary by release.

Windows 11

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
3. Find Windows Update and select Run.
4. Apply any recommended action, restart if requested, and try Windows Update again.

Windows 10

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters.
3. Select Windows Update, then choose Run the troubleshooter.
4. Accept a repair only after reading what it changes, restart, and test the update process.

If the troubleshooter reports that it could not identify a problem, that does not disprove a service or policy issue. Continue with the service status and system-file checks rather than repeatedly running the same diagnostic.

Repair protected Windows files and components

Use these commands when the service is enabled but updates still fail, the troubleshooter reports servicing corruption, or an interrupted update may have left component files inconsistent. Run them from an elevated Command Prompt.

1. Open Start, type Command Prompt, right-click it, and select Run as administrator. Choose Yes at the User Account Control prompt.
2. At the prompt, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and wait for it to finish. On some installations, DISM may need access to Windows Update or an installation source; follow the syntax and source requirements Microsoft lists for your installed version.
3. When DISM completes, run sfc /scannow. System File Checker verifies protected files and replaces damaged copies when a valid component is available.
4. Restart Windows even if both commands report success, then check the Windows Update page again.

Do not close the window simply because the percentage appears to pause. Component repair can take time, and a forced shutdown can create another incomplete servicing operation. If either command reports that it could not repair files, keep the complete message or error number; it determines whether a repair source, servicing reset, or administrator review is appropriate.

Reset update components only when the supported procedure calls for it

Microsoft’s upgrade-error guidance includes resetting Windows Update components when enabling the service and repairing components do not resolve the failure. A reset can affect update caches and service state, so it is more invasive than the first steps.

• Use Microsoft’s current reset procedure for the exact Windows version rather than copying an old batch file from an unknown site.
• Run the procedure from an elevated account and allow each service operation to finish.
• Restart after the reset and test one update check before making additional changes.
• If the PC is managed, obtain approval first; a reset can conflict with WSUS or a configuration-management policy.

A reset is not a substitute for identifying a policy that immediately disables the service again. If the same setting returns after every reset, move to the management checks below.

Handle EnableFeaturedSoftware carefully

The EnableFeaturedSoftware suggestion is often mixed into searches for 0x80070422, but it addresses a registry value, not the basic meaning of the error. Treat it as a conditional diagnostic step only when a trusted administrator or a specific Microsoft discussion has identified that value as relevant to your installation.

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Back up before looking at the value

1. Press Win+R, type regedit, and approve the elevation prompt.
2. In Registry Editor, select the Windows Update Auto Update branch referenced by the administrator or Microsoft discussion. Do not search-and-replace values across the whole registry.
3. With the relevant key selected, choose File > Export, save the .reg backup somewhere accessible, and confirm that the export covers the selected key.

Decide whether a change is justified

• If EnableFeaturedSoftware exists and an administrator has confirmed that it should be enabled, set its value to 1, close Registry Editor, restart, and retest.
• If the value is missing, do not create it just to make the error disappear. Its absence can be normal or can reflect policy on a newer or managed system.
• If the value changes back after a restart or policy refresh, stop editing the registry. The controlling policy must be corrected by the person or service that owns it.
• If you are unsure that you are in the correct key, cancel rather than guessing. An edit in the wrong branch can destabilize Windows and is not a general repair for 0x80070422.

Check Group Policy, WSUS, security software, and optimization utilities

On a work or school computer, Windows may be intentionally configured not to contact Microsoft’s public update service. A domain policy, WSUS configuration, endpoint-security product, or system-optimization utility can also disable the service or restore an old startup value.

Signs that management is involved

• The Windows Update service starts successfully but is disabled again after a restart, sign-in, or policy refresh.
• Services or Settings controls are greyed out, or an access-denied message appears even when you use an administrator account.
• Other users on the same organization-managed computers see the same code.
• Windows Update shows a message that settings are managed by an organization, or the device uses an internal update server.

What to do

1. Ask the organization’s IT administrator whether the service is intentionally disabled, whether WSUS is in use, and whether a maintenance window is required.
2. Provide the exact code, the Windows version from winver, the service’s startup state, and any troubleshooter, DISM, or SFC result.
3. Do not remove policy keys, disable security controls, or change an organization’s update server to bypass the restriction.

For a personally owned PC, review recently installed optimization software or security products and their update-related settings. Temporarily changing a product’s setting should be done only when its documentation provides a safe method; uninstalling protections or leaving them disabled creates a separate security risk.

Windows 10 support status matters

Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. A service repair can restore update functionality on an eligible installation, but it does not extend the operating system’s support lifecycle. For continued security updates, Microsoft recommends moving to Windows 11 when the hardware and edition meet its requirements. If a repaired Windows 10 PC still receives no applicable updates, verify whether the device is on a supported servicing channel rather than assuming that every failure is a service error.

Choose the next escalation by risk and control

Use these failure branches to avoid unnecessary changes

The service will not start

Record the exact message and any error number shown by Services. Confirm that you are elevated, then check whether policy or security software is enforcing the stopped state. Do not jump to a registry edit solely because the Start button failed.

The service starts, but the code returns after reboot

This pattern strongly suggests a scheduled policy, WSUS configuration, security product, or optimization utility is restoring the setting. Capture the startup type before and after the reboot and give that evidence to the administrator or the software vendor’s support channel.

SFC or DISM reports an error

Keep the complete output, including the percentage at which it failed and the error number. Repeating the same command without correcting a missing repair source or servicing problem rarely changes the result. Use Microsoft’s version-specific component-repair guidance or obtain administrator assistance.

There is no EnableFeaturedSoftware value

That absence is not evidence that the registry is broken. Leave the branch unchanged unless a documented policy or administrator specifically requires a value. Continue with the service, troubleshooter, and component-repair workflow.

Updates download but fail during installation

Note the second error code and the update’s knowledge-base identifier in Windows Update history. A download or installation failure can have a different cause from 0x80070422; do not assume that changing EnableFeaturedSoftware addresses it.

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Verify that the repair worked

1. Restart Windows after the last change that required it.
2. Open services.msc and confirm that Windows Update is running with the intended startup type.
3. In Settings > Windows Update, select Check for updates and let the first scan finish.
4. Open update history and confirm that the attempted update records a successful installation or a new, more specific error.
5. If the code returns, compare the service state before and after the restart and escalate with those details instead of repeating registry edits.

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EnableFeaturedSoftwareerror 0x80070422Windows 10Windows 11Windows troubleshootingWindows Update