Windows Error 0x80080005: Causes and Fixes

Which fix do I need?

0x80080005 is thrown by many different components. Identify which one is failing first — that decides everything else.

What does 0x80080005 mean?

The code is a COM error, not a Win32 one. Windows defines 0x80080005 as CO_E_SERVER_EXEC_FAILURE — “Server execution failed” — decimal −2146959355.

“Server” here does not mean a machine on a network. In COM terminology a server is any component that runs out-of-process and exposes functionality to other programs. When an application needs one, it asks the COM Service Control Manager to start it. If that launch fails for any reason — the executable is missing, the service backing it is stopped, the account has no permission to start it — COM returns 0x80080005 to the caller.

The application then surfaces whatever message it chooses. Windows Update calls it an update failure. Windows Security says the app cannot open. A script says “Server execution failed”. All three are the same underlying event.

The practical implication: 0x80080005 almost never means the app you were using is broken. It means something that app depends on could not start. That is why the fixes below target services and registration rather than reinstalling the visible application.

Where you’ll see it

• Windows Update — failing to check for or install updates.
• Windows Security / Microsoft Defender — the app opens blank or refuses to open.
• Microsoft Store and Store apps — Photos, Calculator and Xbox app are the usual reports.
• Printing — the Print Spooler is a classic 0x80080005 source.
• PowerShell and scripts — anything calling New-Object -ComObject or WMI.
• Task Scheduler — a task fails with this as the last result.
• Backup and imaging software — third-party tools calling the Volume Shadow Copy service.

If yours is specifically a Windows Update failure, check whether the update also reports a servicing code such as 0x80073712 — that indicates a component store problem instead, and the fixes are different.

Root causes, diagnosed

1. The owning service is stopped or crashing

The COM server is backed by a Windows service that is not running, is set to Disabled, or starts and immediately exits.

Confirm it: open Event Viewer, go to Windows Logs → System, and look for Service Control Manager errors at the moment of failure. They name the service.

Get-Service wuauserv,bits,WinDefend,Spooler | Format-Table Name,Status,StartType

2. Missing or unregistered COM components

A DLL the component depends on was removed, replaced by a bad installer, or its registration was lost.

Confirm it: Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Application, filter for source DistributedCOM. The entries carry the CLSID and APPID that failed.

3. DCOM launch permissions

The account has no Local Launch or Local Activation right on that component. Common after Microsoft’s DCOM hardening changes, and on machines managed by group policy.

Confirm it: Event Viewer → System, filter for Event ID 10016. That event is the definitive signature of a DCOM permission failure and names the exact CLSID.

4. System file or profile corruption

Several unrelated components fail at once, or the error follows one Windows account and not others.

Confirm it: log in as a different Windows user and reproduce. If the error disappears, the profile is the problem, not the system.

Quick fixes for 0x80080005

Easy — no risk, under ten minutes.

Fix 1 — Start the service behind the failure (Easy · 5 min)

Use this when: you know which feature failed — cause 1.

1. Open Services. Press Windows+R, type services.msc, press Enter.
2. Find the service for the failing feature — Windows Update, Print Spooler, Background Intelligent Transfer Service, or Microsoft Defender Antivirus Service.
3. Set Startup type to Automatic and click Start.

Or from an administrator prompt:

sc config wuauserv start= auto
net start wuauserv
sc config Spooler start= auto
net start Spooler

Success looks like: the service shows Running, and the failing action now completes.

This clears a large share of 0x80080005 reports on its own, because a stopped service is the single most common cause and costs nothing to rule out.

Fix 2 — Restart the full Windows Update service set (Easy · 8 min)

Use this when: the failure is during Windows Update — cause 1.

net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

Success looks like: all four report started, and the update check runs.

Update depends on all four. Restarting only wuauserv leaves the others in whatever broken state they were in, which is why partial restarts often appear to do nothing.

Fix 3 — Re-enable Microsoft Defender (Easy · 10 min)

Use this when: Windows Security will not open — cause 1.

Third-party antivirus and some “debloat” scripts disable Defender through policy, and the app then fails with 0x80080005 rather than saying so.

1. Check for a policy block. Press Windows+R, run regedit, and look at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender. A DisableAntiSpyware value set to 1 is the block.
2. Remove it — delete the value, or set it to 0 — then reboot.
3. Uninstall any leftover third-party antivirus using its vendor removal tool, not just Add/Remove Programs.

Success looks like: Windows Security opens and shows protection status.

Intermediate fixes for 0x80080005

Medium — these repair registration and permissions.

Fix 4 — Re-register the failing app or component (Medium · 15 min)

Use this when: a Store app throws it — cause 2.

Reset the single app first, from Settings → Apps → Installed apps → the app → Advanced options → Repair, then Reset.

If that fails, re-register all built-in packages from an administrator PowerShell:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

Success looks like: the command completes — some red errors for already-installed packages are normal — and the app opens.

Repair before Reset: Repair keeps the app’s data, Reset discards it. Trying Repair first costs a minute and often works.

Fix 5 — Fix DCOM launch permissions (Medium · 15 min)

Use this when: Event Viewer shows Event ID 10016 — cause 3.

1. Get the CLSID. Open the 10016 event and copy the CLSID and APPID it names.
2. Open Component Services. Press Windows+R, run dcomcnfg, then expand Component Services → Computers → My Computer → DCOM Config.
3. Find the matching entry — sort by name or match the CLSID in its properties.
4. Open Properties → Security → Launch and Activation Permissions → Edit and grant Local Launch and Local Activation to the account named in the event.
5. Reboot.

Success looks like: no new 10016 events after the reboot, and the failing action completes.

One caution worth stating: many 10016 events are harmless and Microsoft documents them as safe to ignore. Only change permissions for the CLSID that appears at the exact moment your 0x80080005 occurs — changing others weakens security for no benefit.

Fix 6 — Run System File Checker (Medium · 15 min)

Use this when: several unrelated components fail — cause 4.

sfc /scannow

Success looks like: “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.” Reboot afterwards.

If SFC reports it could not repair everything, the component store it repairs from is itself damaged — run Fix 7, then come back and run SFC again.

Fix 7 — Repair the component store with DISM (Medium · 20–40 min)

Use this when: SFC could not complete its repairs — cause 4.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

Success looks like: “The restore operation completed successfully.”

RestoreHealth may pause at 20% or 62% for several minutes. That is normal — do not interrupt it. If DISM itself fails, the store damage is deeper: the 0x80073712 guide covers that case in detail.

Advanced fixes for 0x80080005

Fix 8 — Create a new Windows user profile (Advanced · 20 min)

Use this when: the error follows one account and other accounts are fine — cause 4.

1. Create a new local administrator account in Settings → Accounts → Other users.
2. Sign in to it and reproduce the failure.
3. If it works, move your files across from C:\Users\<old>\ — documents and data only, not AppData, which is where the corruption usually lives.

Success looks like: the failing action works normally in the new profile.

Copying AppData across is the mistake that makes this fix appear not to work — it carries the broken registration with it.

When to stop and escalate

If 0x80080005 persists in a brand-new profile, after SFC and DISM both report clean, and Event Viewer shows no 10016 events, the machine has a deeper servicing problem — an in-place repair upgrade is the next step rather than more COM troubleshooting.

Before asking for help, collect: the exact Event Viewer entries from System and Application at the failure time, the CLSID from any 10016 event, the output of sfc /scannow and DISM /ScanHealth, and your winver build number.

Preventing 0x80080005

• Remove old antivirus properly. Use the vendor’s removal tool. Leftover filter drivers are a leading cause of Defender failing with this code.
• Be careful with “debloat” scripts. Many disable services that COM components depend on, and the failure surfaces weeks later as an unrelated error.
• Do not set services to Disabled to save resources. Manual is safe; Disabled is what produces this error.
• Leave DCOM permissions alone unless an event names them. Blanket permission changes create security holes without fixing anything.

Related error codes

A full index of the codes covered on this site is at Windows error codes. For manually installing an update that Windows Update cannot deliver, see the Microsoft Update Catalog guide.

Frequently asked questions

What does error 0x80080005 mean?

It is CO_E_SERVER_EXEC_FAILURE, HRESULT −2146959355, meaning “Server execution failed”. Windows asked COM to launch a background component and the launch did not succeed — usually because the service behind it is stopped or lacks permission.

Does 0x80080005 mean I have a virus?

Not usually. The common causes are a stopped service, a leftover third-party antivirus, or a DCOM permission problem. It is worth a scan, but the error itself is not evidence of infection.

Why does Windows Security fail with 0x80080005?

Almost always because the Microsoft Defender Antivirus Service is stopped or disabled by policy — commonly left behind by a removed third-party antivirus or a debloat script. See Fix 3.

What is Event ID 10016 and do I need to fix it?

It is the DCOM permission-failure event. Most 10016 entries are harmless and Microsoft documents them as safe to ignore. Only act on one whose timestamp matches your 0x80080005 failure.

Will restarting my PC fix 0x80080005?

Sometimes — a reboot restarts services set to Automatic. If the service is set to Disabled or is crashing on start, a reboot changes nothing and you need Fix 1.

Can 0x80080005 stop Windows Update completely?

Yes. If the Windows Update or BITS service cannot start, no updates install at all, and the machine falls behind on security patches until it is fixed.

Is it safe to change DCOM permissions?

Only for the specific CLSID named in an event that matches your failure. Granting broad Local Launch rights weakens security and rarely fixes anything the targeted change would not.

Do I need to reinstall Windows to fix 0x80080005?

Very rarely. Work through the services, registration and permission fixes first. A repair install is only warranted when the error persists in a new user profile with SFC and DISM both reporting clean.