Windows Update error 0x80070005, explained and fixed

0x80070005 is the access-denied error: a file, folder, or registry key the update needs is locked down tighter than the update process can open. It appears at the install stage, after the download completes, and it also shows up when installing apps and drivers for the same underlying reason.

The fix, in order

  1. Restart the PC and retry. A one-off permission clash from a half-finished previous operation clears with a reboot more often than people expect.
  2. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter. Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters → Windows Update → Run. It catches stopped services, cache problems, and registration faults automatically.
  3. Temporarily disable third-party antivirus. Security suites lock down system folders aggressively, and update installers are a classic collision. Disconnect add-on security software for the install attempt only; Windows Security stays active.
  4. Check the update services are running and not hardened. In services.msc, Windows Update, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), and Cryptographic Services should be present and startable. If a “debloat” or hardening tool disabled services or tightened folder permissions, undoing that is the fix.
  5. Repair the component store and system files. From an admin Command Prompt: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, then sfc /scannow. Restart afterwards; a repaired store often lets the same update sail through on the next attempt.
  6. Reset the Windows Update components. In an admin Command Prompt, stop the services: net stop wuauserv, net stop cryptSvc, net stop bits, net stop msiserver. Rename C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution to SoftwareDistribution.old and C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 to catroot2.old, then restart the four services with net start. This rebuilds the download cache and the update database from scratch.

If it still happens

If the code also appears when installing ordinary apps, the permission damage is wider than Windows Update: run the DISM/SFC step, check the drive for errors with chkdsk /f, and as the last resort do an in-place repair install from Microsoft’s installation media (choose “Keep personal files and apps”), which resets default permissions across the system folders.

Common questions

Does 0x80070005 mean I have a virus? No. It means access was denied. Malware can change permissions and cause it, and so can over-zealous security or hardening tools, but the code itself is a permissions report, not an infection report. A full scan is a reasonable completeness check, not the main road.

Why does it happen to only one update? Each update touches a different set of files and keys. One locked-down folder or key is enough to fail the update that needs it while others, which never go near it, install normally.

Related errors

Windows Update error 0x80070020 · Windows Update error 0x80070422 · Windows Update error 0x80070002