The 0x80070005 access denied error
What does error code 0x80070005 mean?
Written by The CommonFixes team · fact checked by CommonFixes review desk
Last updated
Short answer
0x80070005 simply means access denied. Something Windows tried to read or write was refused. In everyday use the culprit is one of four things: the account is not an administrator, the folder or registry key has lost its permissions, security software is holding the file open, or the update components are in a broken state after an earlier failure. The quickest thing to try first: confirm you are on an administrator account — Open Settings, Accounts, Your info. If it does not say Administrator, sign in to an account that does, or ask whoever set the computer up. Updates and installers cannot write to system folders from a standard account. Most people are done in about 25 minutes.
Full walkthrough below: 6 steps for Windows, rated medium.
Sounds like this
- •An update, install or Store download fails with 0x80070005
- •The message mentions access denied
- •It works on another account on the same machine
Why it happens
0x80070005 simply means access denied. Something Windows tried to read or write was refused. In everyday use the culprit is one of four things: the account is not an administrator, the folder or registry key has lost its permissions, security software is holding the file open, or the update components are in a broken state after an earlier failure.
Work through these in order
0% done- 1
Confirm you are on an administrator account
Open Settings, Accounts, Your info. If it does not say Administrator, sign in to an account that does, or ask whoever set the computer up. Updates and installers cannot write to system folders from a standard account.
- 2
Turn off third party security for a few minutes
Pause or exit any antivirus that did not come with Windows, then retry. Real time scanning locks files mid install and Windows reports that as access denied. Turn the protection back on as soon as you are finished.
- 3
Run the Windows Update troubleshooter
Settings, System, Troubleshoot, Other troubleshooters, then Run beside Windows Update. It repairs service permissions, which is exactly what this code complains about.
- 4
Reset the update components
In Terminal (Admin) run net stop wuauserv, net stop bits and net stop cryptsvc, rename the folders with ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old and ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old, then start the three services again. Windows recreates both folders with correct permissions.
- 5
Repair the system image
Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth followed by sfc /scannow in the same window. Missing or altered system files often present themselves as permission failures.
- 6
Test with a fresh local account
Settings, Accounts, Other users, Add account, choose the option to add someone without a Microsoft account, then make the new account an administrator and sign in. If everything installs there, your original profile is damaged and moving your files to the new account is faster than repairing it.
If none of that worked
If the error names a specific folder or registry key, right click it, open Properties, Security, Advanced, and check that the Administrators group and SYSTEM have full control. Company laptops are a separate case: your workplace may block the action on purpose and only the people who manage the device can change that.
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Who wrote this and how we checked it
The CommonFixes team
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We are a small group of people who spend our days repairing laptops and desktops for family, friends and small offices. Every guide here starts with a problem someone actually brought to us, and we only write down the steps that put the machine right.
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This guide was last updated on 10 August 2026. If a step no longer matches what you see on screen, tell us on the contact page and we will test it again.
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