High
Operating Systems
✓ Solution Verified by Community (100+ upvotes)
How to fix error 0x80070005 in Windows Update
Access denied during Windows Update. Permission issue with SoftwareDistribution folder.
Source: Community Report
· How we verify fixes
| Error Code | 0x80070005 |
|---|---|
| Affected System | Windows Update (Microsoft) |
| Difficulty | High |
| Estimated Time | 10 min |
| Requires Admin Rights | ⚠️ Yes |
| Requires Reboot | 🔄 Yes |
Solution Steps
- 1 Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
- 2 Stop Windows Update services (wuauserv, bits, cryptsvc).
- 3 Delete the SoftwareDistribution folder completely.
- 4 Restart all Windows Update services.
- 5 Open Registry Editor (regedit).
- 6 Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System.
- 7 Change EnableLUA value to 0.
- 8 Restart your computer.
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