What causes 0x80070005 in Windows Update and how can I fix permissions?

[Victoria_D]

I’ve been getting a weird error code 0x80070005 every time Windows Update tries to install the latest cumulative update, and it just fails and rolls back. I’ve run the Update Troubleshooter, but it didn’t fix the permission issue it seems to be having.

[Edward.H]

I ran into that exact 0x80070005 thing when Windows Update tried to install the last cumulative update. It kept failing and rolling back, and the Update Troubleshooter did not fix the permission hiccup. It felt more like an access-right wall than a broken download.

[BenjaminS]

From my side it wasn’t a clean fix either, just a sense that something was locking the update components. I paused the Update service, toyed with resetting a few components in my head, and kept trying, but the failures still showed up in waves.

[Aria_R]

One time I blamed the antivirus or a backup tool that sneaks into the update folders. I turned off real time protection for a moment during an attempt and one update slipped through, but the problem came back later anyway.

[Aubrey.R]

Do you see any related events in Event Viewer about permission denied on SoftwareDistribution or Catroot2?