0x80070005 Access Denied (Windows)

In short: Windows reports “Access denied”, often when updating or installing.

In more detail: The error 0x80070005 (E_ACCESSDENIED) means missing permissions.

In Depth

Possible causes

• Missing administrator rights.
• File permissions damaged.
• Security software blocks.

Solutions

1. Run as administrator.
2. Start the Windows Update troubleshooter.
3. Run sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth.
4. Switch off antivirus briefly as a test.

See also: Windows, Windows Defender, Task Manager