Windows can sometimes be a little cryptic when it comes to designating error codes, and the error 0x80004005 is no exception. Aside from it being a little longer than some of the most common error codes, it also includes some numbers that may be a little hard to list down if the error just happened to appear and disappear quickly. Despite that, however, the error code 0x80004005 is actually one of the easiest Windows error codes to fix.
In this article, we take a look at the error code 0x80004005 on Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers, its causes, and how to fix it.
What causes the 0x80004005 error code on Windows?
There are many reasons why some users are experiencing the error code 0x80004005. One of the most usual causes of this behavior is driver incompatibilities. This is because for hardware to work best with the system, it will need to have an updated driver. However, it will be very hard to know which driver is causing this, but some apps like Driver Easy will let you know which drivers currently need some updating to do.
The root of the issue might also be a failed software installation. Although some software may appear to have been successfully installed on your computer, there are also instances when it encounters some issues during the installation process like poor network connection or some antivirus programs messing up with the installation. In this case, you may encounter the 0x80004005 issue upon launching some specific apps.
Finally, the most common cause of this issue is the system itself. Perhaps the computer has experienced improper system shutdown due to power failure. It might also be because of an accidental deletion of a crucial system file or system element entry, a broken Windows update due to a corrupted file, or moving and renaming system folders.
How to fix the 0x80004005 error code on Windows?
As mentioned, despite its code, the 0x80004005 error is one of the easiest Windows issues to troubleshoot and solve. The following methods are our tried and tested ones so far.
- Run Windows update troubleshooter – One of the main causes of the 0x80004005 error code is failed and corrupted Windows update. To solve this issue, you may try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter to see if you had some previously failed updates. To do that:
- On Windows 10, go to Start, click on Settings and navigate to Update & Security and then Troubleshoot. On Windows 11, it is Start > Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooter.
- Next, under Get up and running, select the option for Windows Update and Run the troubleshooter. After it finished running, you should restart your computer.
- Delete everything in the Windows update folder – If the first method did not work, go to your Windows update folder and delete every single file inside the folder. Don’t worry as these files will be added back to the folder once you initiate an update. To do this:
- Navigate to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution for Windows 11, or C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download for Windows 10.
- Once inside the specific folder, delete every single file in there. You may also just delete the entire folder as Windows should be able to add it back upon reboot.
- Run Windows update – Now that you are done with the first two methods, it will be best if you can scan for new system updates or continue all the pending updates for your computer. In this way, Windows will be able to detect the missing folders and files (the ones we deleted on the second method) and re-add them back. It will also restart all the failed updates or updates that were only halfway finished.
- Delete temporary files – Sometimes, the issue may just have been caused by Windows temporary files. This infamous file folder is notorious for causing a lot of issues on the computer if left to accumulate. To do this:
- Click the Search icon from the Taskbar the type “Run”.
- Launch the Windows Run command application then type %temp% or temp and click OK. This will take you directly to the Temporary folder.
- Inside the Temporary folder, delete every single file. Then restart your computer.
- Disable Outlook mail notification – Microsoft Outlook may also cause this issue when it is trying to attempt to notify you of new messages. To solve that, try to disable the mail notification. If the issue persists, try starting Outlook in Safe Mode. If starting Outlook in Safe Mode solves the issue, then perhaps all you need to do is to re-install the Outlook app.
- Disable Windows Defender – For some reason, using the Outlook app with Windows Defender or any other antivirus suite enabled may cause the dreaded 0x80004005 error. If turning off the mail notification did not work for you, then you may also try disabling Windows Defender or any antivirus program that you used for your computer.
- Use an alternative file unzip program – If you are encountering the issue upon unzipping or extracting a compressed file, then you may want to try using an alternative program. If this does not solve the issue, refer to the next method.
- Re-register jdscript.dll and vbscript.dll – If using an alternative file-extracting program did not work for you, then you may try re-registering the jdscript.dll and vbscript.dll. To do this:
- Launch the Command Prompt as Administrator, then type regsvr32 jscript.dll, and press the Enter key.
- After doing so, type regsvr32 vbscript.dll and then press the Enter key again.
- Add a key to the Windows Registry – If all the previous methods did not work for you, then maybe adding a key to the Windows Registry will. To do that:
- Type “Regedit” in the Search box, then select and run the Registry Editor as Administrator.
- Inside the Registry Editor, go to HKLM > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies > System.
- If you are using a 32-bit system, create a new DWORD registry value called LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy.
- If your computer is running on a 64-bit system, create a QWORD registry value called LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy.
- In both cases, set the value to numeric 1, then select OK. To finalize everything, restart your computer.
- Contact Windows Support – If none of the methods work (which at this point, it should have), then the last resort would be to contact Windows Support. You may also ask for advice from the Windows community and forums to help you resolve this issue. Reddit’s Windows community is definitely one of the best places to start.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What causes the error code 0x80004005?
There are a lot of causes to this issue. One of the more common causes is driver incompatibilities, however, most of the time, it is because of failed and corrupted updates, deleted system file, or issues with the power failure. This problem may also occur if a file that the Windows Product Activation (WPA) requires is either damaged or missing.
Can you fix the error code 0x80004005?
Yes. Despite its rather compicated code, the 0x80004005 error is one of the easiest Windows error to solve. In this article, we have provided ten of the most tried and tested methods to solve this issue.
How do I solve the 0x80004005 issue on my Xbox 360?
To solve the 0x80004005 issue on your Xbox 360, you will need to restart your console by going to Settings > Turn Off.
