Error 0x80070005 in Windows: Access Denied

Error 0x80070005 (also known as E_ACCESSDENIED) is one of the most common issues in Windows. It indicates that the system or application lacks the permissions to perform the requested operation. You are most likely to encounter it when trying to update Windows, activate a license, or install an application from the Microsoft Store.

In this guide, we will discuss all known causes and provide step-by-step instructions for troubleshooting.

Causes of Occurrence

Before proceeding with the fix, it is important to understand what exactly is causing the error:

• Insufficient user rights — the current account does not have administrator rights
• Corrupted system files — Windows Update files or system components are corrupted
• Antivirus conflict — third-party software blocks access to system folders
• Incorrect permissions — restrictive rights are set on the SoftwareDistribution or Catroot2 folders
• Corrupted user profile — the account profile is corrupted and cannot obtain the necessary access tokens

Method 1: Run as Administrator

The simplest and often effective method.

1. Press Win + S and type cmd
2. Right-click on Command Prompt
3. Select Run as administrator
4. Repeat the operation that caused the error

If you do not see the "Run as administrator" option, your account is not part of the administrators group.

Method 2: Windows Update Troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in update diagnostic tool.

1. Open Settings → System → Troubleshoot
2. Click on Other troubleshooters
3. Find Windows Update and click Run
4. Wait for the diagnosis to complete and apply the suggested fixes
5. Restart your computer

Method 3: Reset Windows Update Components

If the troubleshooter did not help, let's reset the update components manually.

Open the command prompt as an administrator and execute the commands in order:

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

After executing, restart your computer and try to update again.

Method 4: Check and Repair System Files

Corrupted system files are a common cause of the error.

sfc /scannow

If SFC found errors but could not fix them, use DISM:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Wait for the process to complete (it may take 15-20 minutes) and restart your PC.