Encountered error 0x80070426 when trying to update Windows 10 or install a program? It's annoying, but you're not alone. This error is most often associated with the fact that the required system service is not running or is malfunctioning.
Don't worry, the problem is usually quite easy to solve. You don't need to reinstall the system or be a computer genius. We have prepared several proven methods for you that will help you get everything back to working order step by step.
Let's figure out together why this error appears and what can be done to fix it. Most solutions boil down to checking settings and restarting system components.
Method 1: Built-in troubleshooter
First, try using the built-in OS solutions that can help fix the situation.
- Tab. Start and launch the application Settings.
- Go to the “Update & Security”.
- Next, click on the Troubleshooting, located on the left panel, then the line “Additional troubleshooting tools”.
- Select the line “Windows Update Center” and click the launch button. Wait until the system scan for problems related to the component is complete. If any are found, solutions will be suggested.
You can do the same with “Apps from the Windows Store”. The tool will check not only the installed software, but also the app store itself.
Error code 0x80070426 in Windows 10 most often appears when attempting to start or update a service, especially antivirus or Windows Update. The cause is usually damaged system files, a service failure, or interference from third-party software. To resolve the issue, you need to check the status of system files, restart the required service manually, and ensure that antivirus or firewall software is not blocking system processes. Often, a couple of simple steps in the command line or through services are enough to get the system working properly.
Method 2: Restoring system file integrity
The following solution is also universal. It involves using standard utilities to check for damaged system files and their storage, which can also cause various errors when attempting to update, including error code 0x80070426. Try applying these tools by following our detailed guide at the link below.
More info: Using and restoring system file integrity checks in Windows 10
Method 3: Resolving software conflicts
This error also appears when there is a software conflict. In this case, you can try to start the system in “Safe Mode”, uncomfortable, the background is monotonous, and the color scheme is too boring. The developers anticipated such reactions, so they added extensive customization options, which, however, will only be available after activating the operating system.
- Through the dialog box “Execute” (“Win + R”) and the command
msconfigrun the utility “System Configuration”, by clicking on the button “OK”. 
- In the window that opens, go to the tab “Services” and check the box “Do not display Microsoft services”.
- Click on the button “Disable all”. The most important thing is not to ignore this problem. SmartScreen is your reliable assistant that protects you from unwanted software and fraudulent websites. While it is disabled, you become a little more vulnerable, so it is better to reactivate it as soon as possible.
- Next, you need to remove all third-party programs from the system startup. Go to the tab “Autostart”, then, by clicking on the link, open Task Manager.
- Disable all items that are currently active one by one.
After that, you can close “Task Manager”. Restart the system and try installing the updates again. If the error does not occur, then the problem is with software that conflicts with system actions.
It is not necessary to delete the applications you have installed. You can either identify the problem by trial and error (gradually enabling them) and get rid of it, or make updates in “Safe Mode” later. A successfully installed update may also have fixed the cause of the conflict and, accordingly, error 0x80070426.
Method 4: Reset the Update Center settings
If the previous methods did not help, try stopping all processes responsible for installing updates, then recreate the folders where their files are stored, and restart the necessary ones. Update Center services. Essentially, this will reset the settings of the software components. The easiest way to do this is with console commands:
- Run “Command Prompt” with extended rights. To do this, use the system search bar by entering the appropriate query (or
cmdand select “Run as administrator”. - Enter and execute the following commands one by one by pressing the Enter key “Enter” 4 commands that will quickly stop the operation of Update Center, as well as related services:
net stop wuauservnet stop bitsnet stop cryptSvcnet stop msiserver), 
- The next step is to rename the update folders located on the local system drive. As a result, after attempting to update, new directories will be created automatically, and if the error disappears, the renamed ones can be deleted by going to their location in Windows Explorer. Execute two more commands, pressing the Enter key after each one:
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.oldren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old - All that remains is to restart all stopped processes by executing the following commands:
net start wuauservnet start bitsnet start cryptSvcnet start msiserver 
Afterwards, you can close the console and try to update the system again.
Method 5: Install the update manually
If you know exactly which patch is causing the error described in this article, one solution may be to manually update Windows 10. Simply find the problematic update on the official Microsoft website, download it, and install it yourself, as described in more detail by our author in a separate guide.
More details: Installing Windows 10 updates manually
In certain situations, it helps to use the update assistant released by Microsoft. This application automatically determines whether a new version of the system is available and, if so, offers to download and install it bypassing “Windows Update Center”. This method sometimes helps to resolve certain issues that arise during classic attempts to install updates.
Download Update Assistant from the official website
All you need to do is download the utility from the Microsoft website, run it, and make sure you have the latest version of the operating system. Then you can start the upgrade process, and Update Assistant will help you do this without much effort. You will find all the step-by-step instructions in the program itself.
Method 6: Restart Microsoft Store
If error code 0x80070426 in Windows 10 prevents you from updating the Microsoft Store or apps from it, try the following solution, which involves restarting the store. The easiest option is to use a special console command. Just launch “Command Prompt” as an administrator (see how to do this in Method 4there are different types of licenses depending on the licensing terms and the physical or digital format of the license. Let's start with the last criterion: wsreset and press the “Enter”.
You can do the same thing in the console “Windows PowerShell.”. Right-click on the button “Start”, then select Windows PowerShell (Administrator).
In the console window that opens, enter and execute the following commands one by one:
Get-AppxPackage *windowsstore* | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.WindowsStore | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
This will restart the Microsoft Store app store, which may help solve the problem.
As you can see, error 0x80070426, although it looks scary, is most often solved quite simply. The main reason usually lies in the fact that some important system service responsible for updates or licensing has stopped working for some reason.
Configure the settings as shown in the figure – in this case, the computer will receive the static network address 192.168.1.2.
If simple methods don't help, don't be discouraged. Tools such as clearing the update cache or checking the integrity of system files take a little more time, but they are effective in dealing with more serious malfunctions. Just follow the instructions and you'll be fine.
