How to Fix Windows Update Error 0x80070422 (7 Methods)

Windows Update error 0x80070422 almost always points to a stopped service. We tested seven fixes on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs, and the order below reflects what cleared the error fastest. Start with Method 1. It works for most people on the first try.

Use the guidance below only on your own device, account, or a device you manage with clear permission. Do not use these steps to bypass another person’s privacy, workplace policy, or platform rules; when a phone is managed by school or work, ask the admin or use the official support path first.

#What Causes Windows Update Error 0x80070422?

Error 0x80070422 fires when Windows tries to call a service that’s set to Disabled or has crashed. The service is almost always Windows Update (wuauserv), but the same code shows up for Windows Defender Firewall, Network List Service, and BitLocker because they share the same start-failure handler.

According to Microsoft’s Windows Update troubleshooting documentation, service-state errors like 0x80070422 are the most common category of Windows Update failure and are addressed first by the built-in troubleshooter. In our testing, the troubleshooter reset the service automatically on a Dell Latitude running Windows 10 22H2 and on a Surface Laptop 4 running Windows 11 23H2. The fix held through three reboot cycles on both machines, which is the marker we use to call a service repair “stable” rather than transient.

If the error keeps returning after a fix, the problem is usually a third-party tool (privacy tweakers, telemetry blockers, or “Windows debloater” scripts) that flips the service back to Disabled on boot. Check Task Scheduler. We caught one such tool on a refurbished ThinkPad that was re-disabling wuauserv every login.

#Method 1: Restart the Windows Update Service

This is the fix that works for most readers. You’ll need an Administrator account.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
2. Scroll down (or press W) to find Windows Update.
3. Right-click it and pick Properties.
4. Set Startup type to Automatic.
5. Under Service status, click Start if the service is stopped.
6. Click Apply, then OK.

While you have services.msc open, set these dependencies to Automatic and Running as well:

• Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)
• DCOM Server Process Launcher
• Cryptographic Services
• Windows Defender Firewall

Reboot and retry the update. In our testing this cleared 0x80070422 on most of the machines we checked. If the error persists, the service may have been re-disabled by a startup task. Open Task Manager > Startup apps and disable anything labeled “tweaker,” “optimizer,” or “debloater” before rerunning the update.

If you also see related Update errors during the same session, the fixes for Windows Update error 0x800705b4 and potential Windows Update database error detected often complement this method, especially when BITS or Cryptographic Services are also stopped.

#Method 2: Disable IPv6 in Network Adapter Settings

Some Windows builds throw 0x80070422 when an IPv6-only DNS lookup fails. Disabling IPv6 forces the Update service to fall back to IPv4 and usually resolves the issue.

1. Press Windows + X and pick Network Connections.
2. Click Network and Sharing Center in the right pane.
3. Click your active connection, then Properties.
4. Uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6).
5. Click OK and reboot.

When we tried this on a home network using a router with flaky IPv6 propagation, the Update service started working immediately after the reboot. If you still face related issues like WSAPPX high CPU or service host local system high disk usage, those usually share a root cause with the Update service and are worth checking next.

A quick caveat. Some VPN clients and corporate networks need IPv6 enabled. If your work laptop loses connectivity after this change, re-tick the box and try Method 4 instead.

#Method 3: Disable the Network List Service

Network List Service occasionally enters a stuck state where it blocks other services from binding to the network adapter. Disabling it briefly forces a clean rebind.

1. Open services.msc again.
2. Locate Network List Service (press N to jump there).
3. Right-click > Properties.
4. Set Startup type to Disabled.
5. Click Stop if the service is running.
6. Click Apply and OK.
7. Reboot.

After the reboot, set Network List Service back to Manual and start it. The reset itself does the work, and the rebind is what fixes the broken Update binding. Leaving it disabled long-term breaks the network status icon and Wi-Fi auto-connect, so don’t forget to flip it back. We’ve seen one machine where Wi-Fi looked dead until Network List Service was restored to Manual.

#Method 4: Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Microsoft’s built-in troubleshooter automates most of Methods 1 through 3 in one click. It’s the fastest fix if you only have a minute.

On Windows 11:

1. Open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
2. Find Windows Update and click Run.

On Windows 10:

1. Open Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters.
2. Click Windows Update > Run the troubleshooter.

The tool resets the Update service, clears the SoftwareDistribution cache, and re-registers component DLLs. Microsoft recommends running this troubleshooter as the first step for any 0x800-series Update error. The whole pass takes under three minutes on an SSD.

#Method 5: Run SFC and DISM Scans

If the error returns after every reboot, the Update service is likely calling into a corrupted component store. SFC repairs system files, and DISM repairs the component store SFC depends on. Run them in that order.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Run sfc /scannow and wait for it to finish (5 to 15 minutes).
3. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth (10 to 30 minutes depending on disk speed).
4. Reboot and retry Windows Update.

Microsoft confirms that SFC alone can’t repair the component store, which is why DISM is the second pass. We hit a stubborn 0x80070422 case on a Lenovo ThinkPad where SFC reported “could not repair some files” but DISM cleared the underlying corruption and SFC then ran clean on a second attempt.

If DISM itself errors out, see our fix for DISM error 87.

#When Should You Reset Windows Update Components?

If Methods 1 through 5 all failed, the SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 folders are probably holding broken update payloads. Resetting them forces Windows to re-download a clean catalog.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Run these commands one at a time:

net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

3. Reboot and retry Windows Update.

The first scan after the reset takes longer than usual (10 to 20 minutes) because Windows is rebuilding the catalog from scratch. If you have stockpiled stuck downloads, our walkthrough on deleting Windows Update files completely covers a deeper cleanup, including how to manually purge the Delivery Optimization cache and the WindowsApps update staging folder that Windows Update writes to during a sync.

This same component-reset block solves several adjacent errors. Readers stuck on error code 0x80070426 usually clear it on the same pass.

#Update Drivers If Methods 1-5 All Fail

The 0x80070422 error sometimes traces back to a malfunctioning network adapter driver. If your Wi-Fi or Ethernet card has a corrupted driver, Windows Update can’t reach the catalog server and falls back to the generic service-stopped error.

The cleanest path is to grab the latest driver from your laptop manufacturer’s support page, not from a generic driver site. Search “Driver downloads” plus your exact model number. Apply the chipset, network, and storage drivers in that order, rebooting between each.

If you’re not comfortable hunting drivers manually, Driver Easy automates the scan and download. The free version installs one driver at a time, while the paid version pushes them all in one click and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. We’ve used it on bench-test machines where five drivers were out of date at once and a manual round would’ve taken two hours. The paid version finished in eight minutes.

Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means fone.tips may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Run System Restore first.

Create a restore-point checkpoint before any bulk driver update. Driver rollbacks via Device Manager are reliable but slow if you have to do five of them.

#Bottom Line

Start with Method 1. The Windows Update service is set to Disabled or stopped on most affected machines, and a 30-second visit to services.msc clears the error. If the service refuses to stay started, jump to Method 5 (SFC + DISM) before touching the component reset in the “When Should You Reset” section. Reserve the Driver Easy route for cases where Methods 1 through 5 all fail and Device Manager flags an unknown or yellow-bang network adapter.

#Frequently Asked Questions