Windows Update error 0x80070422 appears when your system cannot reach the update servers because a required background process is turned off or malfunctioning. You will usually see this code when clicking Check for updates in Settings, and the screen will display a message like “We couldn’t connect to the internet” or “Windows Update isn’t working right now.” The underlying cause is almost always a disabled Windows Update service, a corrupted update cache, or a misconfigured Group Policy setting.
This guide provides a complete sequence of fixes that address the root cause rather than just refreshing the screen. You will restore the necessary services, clear corrupted temporary files, and verify system policies. Follow each step in order to resolve error 0x80070422 and prevent similar update failures from returning.
Before You Start
Create a system restore point before modifying services or running command-line scripts. Open the Start menu, type create a restore point, and press Enter. Click the Create button in the System Properties window and name the restore point. This safety measure lets you revert system changes if a fix causes unexpected behavior.
Step 1: Enable the Windows Update Service
Open the Services management console by pressing Win + R, typing services.msc, and pressing Enter. This tool displays every background process running on your computer. You will see a long alphabetical list of services that control everything from printing to networking.
Scroll down to find Windows Update in the list and double-click it to open its properties window. The Properties dialog shows the current status, startup type, and login account for the service. You will notice that the Status field likely reads “Stopped” and the Startup type shows “Disabled” when error 0x80070422 appears.
Change the Startup type to Automatic and click the Start button to run the service immediately. Setting it to Automatic ensures Windows launches the service every time you turn on your PC. After clicking Start, wait a few seconds until the Status field changes to “Running.” Click Apply and OK to save your changes.
If the Start button remains grayed out, your system account lacks permission to modify the service. Right-click services.msc in the Start menu and choose Run as administrator before trying again. Once the service runs, return to Settings and attempt to check for updates again.
Step 2: Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Navigate to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters. This section houses built-in diagnostic tools that Microsoft provides for common hardware and software problems.
Locate Windows Update in the list and click the Run button next to it. The troubleshooter will scan your system for broken configurations, missing registry entries, and stopped services. You will see a progress bar followed by a results screen that lists any issues it detected and fixed automatically.
Wait for the scan to finish, then click Close and restart your computer. Restarting forces Windows to reload all service configurations with the troubleshooter’s corrections applied. After the reboot, open Settings and try checking for updates to see if the error clears.
If the troubleshooter reports that it found no issues but the error persists, proceed to the next step. The automated tool cannot always repair deeply corrupted update cache files, which requires manual intervention.
Step 3: Reset the Windows Update Cache
Open Command Prompt as an administrator by searching for cmd in the Start menu, right-clicking the result, and selecting Run as administrator. Elevated command-line access is required because you will stop system services and delete protected files.
Type the following commands one at a time, pressing Enter after each line:
net stop wuauservnet stop cryptSvcnet stop bitsnet stop msiserver
These commands halt the Windows Update service, the Cryptographic service, the Background Intelligent Transfer Service, and the Windows Installer. You will see a confirmation message like “The Windows Update service was stopped successfully” after each command. Stopping these services allows you to safely delete temporary update files without the system locking them.
Type ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old and press Enter. This command renames the folder that stores downloaded update packages. Renaming it instead of deleting it preserves the original files in case you need to reference them later. Windows will automatically create a fresh SoftwareDistribution folder the next time it needs to download updates.
Type ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old and press Enter. The catroot2 folder holds cryptographic signatures that verify update authenticity. Renaming it forces Windows to rebuild the signature database from scratch, which clears corruption that often triggers error 0x80070422.
Type the following commands to restart the services you stopped earlier:
net start wuauservnet start cryptSvcnet start bitsnet start msiserver
You will see “The service was started successfully” messages. Close the Command Prompt window, return to Settings, and click Check for updates. The system will now download fresh copies of any pending updates instead of relying on corrupted temporary files.
Step 4: Verify Group Policy Settings
Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor. This tool is available on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. Home edition users can skip this step and move to Step 5.
Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update in the left pane. The right pane displays every policy setting Microsoft provides for controlling how your organization manages updates.
Look for the policy named Configure automatic updating and double-click it. You will see three radio buttons: Not Configured, Enabled, and Disabled. If Disabled is selected, Windows blocks all automatic update activity and triggers error 0x80070422 when you try to check manually.
Select Not Configured or Enabled, choose your preferred update schedule from the dropdown, and click OK. Setting it to Not Configured restores the default behavior that most users need. If you work in a managed environment, your IT department may have set this policy intentionally, and you will need to contact them for changes.
Close the Group Policy Editor and run gpupdate /force in an elevated Command Prompt. This command forces your computer to immediately apply any policy changes you just made. After the command finishes, restart your PC and test Windows Update again.
Step 5: Check Date, Time, and Disk Space
Open Settings > Time & language > Date & time. Incorrect system clocks prevent your PC from establishing secure connections with Microsoft servers, which causes update failures.
Toggle Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically to On. You will see the current date and time update instantly. If the toggle was already on, click Sync now to force an immediate connection with Microsoft’s time server.
Navigate to Settings > System > Storage and verify you have at least 20 GB of free space. Windows needs temporary storage to download, verify, and install update packages. If your drive shows less than 20 GB free, click Cleanup recommendations to remove temporary files, old downloads, and unused apps. You can also run diskclean from the Start menu to launch the classic Disk Cleanup utility and clear system files.
After adjusting the time settings and freeing up space, return to Windows Update and click Check for updates. The system should now communicate with the servers without interruption.
Troubleshooting
Error 0x80070003 or 0x80070002 appears after resetting the cache. These codes indicate Windows cannot find the update files it expects. Open an elevated Command Prompt and run sfc /scannow to repair corrupted system files. Wait for the scan to complete, then restart your PC and try updating again.
The Windows Update service starts but immediately stops again. This behavior usually points to a corrupted system account or a conflicting third-party antivirus program. Temporarily disable your antivirus software, restart the Windows Update service in services.msc, and test the update. If the service stays running, add Windows Update to your antivirus exclusion list before re-enabling protection.
Error 0x80070005 or 0x8007000D shows up during download. These are permission and corruption codes. Run the command icacls C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution /grant system:(F) /T in an elevated Command Prompt to restore full system access to the update folder. After the command finishes, restart the Windows Update service and try again.
Pro Tip: If you frequently encounter update errors on a corporate PC, ask your IT administrator about using wsusctrl or Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. These tools let organizations deploy updates through a local server, which bypasses internet connectivity issues and gives you full control over installation schedules.
Final Tips
Keep your system restore points active so you can roll back changes if a future update causes instability. Regularly check the Windows Update service status in services.msc if you install third-party optimization tools that sometimes disable background processes. When troubleshooting, always note the exact error code and the step where it appears, as this information helps Microsoft support teams diagnose the issue faster.
If you have tried all the steps above and Windows Update still fails, consider using the Windows 11 Installation Media tool to perform an in-place upgrade. This process reinstalls Windows while preserving your files and apps, which clears deep system corruption that standard troubleshooting cannot reach.
Over to you: Which Windows Update error code has caused you the most trouble?
