Windows Windows Needs an admin

0x80070005: access denied

Likely causes

• The command or installer wasn't run as administrator (UAC blocks it).
• File system or registry permissions were changed, so Windows Update's servicing stack can't reach what it needs.
• Security software blocking access to a file.

How to fix it

1. Run the tool again as administrator: right-click Command Prompt or the installer and choose Run as administrator. For activation, run slmgr.vbs from an elevated prompt.
2. For Windows Update, open the latest log in %windir%\Logs\CBS, search for the error near the failure time, and scroll up to see which file or registry key was denied.
3. Admins: restore the right permissions on that object. Change only what the log points to, not whole folders.
4. Run the update again.

Checked against: learn.microsoft.com, learn.microsoft.com