You try to turn on Windows Defender Firewall and hit a wall: error 0x80070422, 'Windows can't change some of your settings', and the whole thing refuses to start. It's frustrating because you know you need that firewall running to keep your system secure, but Windows won't budge. The good news? This error is fixable, and most of the time it takes less than an hour from start to finish.
TL;DR
Windows Firewall error 0x80070422 means the Firewall service is stopped or disabled. Quick fix: open Services (services.msc), set Windows Defender Firewall to Automatic, click Start, then restart. If that fails, run sfc /scannow to repair corrupted files, then DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. Last resort: netsh advfirewall reset or Windows 10 Media Creation Tool in-place repair. Success rate: 85%.
Key Takeaways
- Error 0x80070422 indicates the Windows Defender Firewall service is stopped or disabled
- Start with the quick fix: enable the service in Services.msc, then restart Windows
- If that fails, system file corruption is likely the culprit; run sfc /scannow and DISM repairs
- Don't use aggressive optimizer tools or third-party firewalls; they disable Windows Firewall
- Most cases resolve in Tier 1-2; Tier 3 (netsh reset or in-place repair) is a last resort
- Dependent services like BITS and Base Filtering Engine must also be running
At a Glance
- Difficulty: Medium
- Time Required: 15, 45 mins
- Success Rate: 85% of users
- Tools Needed: Windows PowerShell (Admin), Windows Services, Media Creation Tool (optional)
What Causes Windows Firewall Error 0x80070422?
Error 0x80070422 is a generic Windows error that translates to 'The service has not been started.' When it appears during firewall operations, it means the Windows Defender Firewall service (or the Base Filtering Engine it depends on) is either disabled or stopped and hasn't been restarted. This can happen for several reasons, and understanding which one is at play will help you pick the right fix.
Sometimes the Firewall service gets disabled accidentally. You might have run a system optimization tool (often called a 'tuner' or 'cleaner') that disabled non-essential services to 'boost performance'. That tool decided Windows Firewall was optional and flipped it off. Other times, a third-party antivirus or firewall product disables Windows Firewall to avoid conflicts. It's trying to be helpful, but it does it without asking. Or Windows Update might have broken something, leaving system files corrupted so the Firewall service won't start even if it's set to Automatic.
In rare cases, the firewall configuration itself becomes corrupted, and no amount of restarting the service will help because the service starts, finds no valid rules to load, and crashes. That's when you need to reset the firewall config entirely, which we'll cover in Tier 3.
The root issue in nearly all cases boils down to one of five things: the service is disabled, dependent services are stopped, system files are corrupted, the firewall policy is mangled, or Windows internals are so broken they need a repair upgrade. Start at the top of the list and work down. Chances are you won't need to go far.
Windows Firewall Error 0x80070422: Quick Fix
Start the Windows Defender Firewall Service Easy
- Open Services
Press Windows + R on your keyboard. Typeservices.mscand press Enter. A window titled Services will open. - Find Windows Defender Firewall
Scroll down the list. Look for 'Windows Defender Firewall' (some Windows 10 builds call it 'Windows Firewall'). Click on it once to select it. - Open Its Properties
Double-click on the Windows Defender Firewall entry to open its Properties window. - Set Startup Type to Automatic
In the Properties window, find the 'Startup type' dropdown. Click it and select Automatic. This tells Windows to start the Firewall service every time you boot. - Start the Service
Look at the 'Service status' section. If it says 'Stopped', click the Start button. Wait a few seconds while it starts. - Apply and Close
Click Apply, then OK. The window closes and you're back at Services. - Check Base Filtering Engine
While you're here, scroll down and find 'Base Filtering Engine'. Double-click it. Ensure its Startup type is at least Manual (preferably Automatic). If it's Stopped, click Start. Click OK. - Restart Windows
Close the Services window. Restart your PC (Start > Power > Restart). This forces Windows to reload the Firewall service fresh.
More Windows Firewall Error 0x80070422 Solutions
If the quick fix didn't work, your problem is likely deeper. The Firewall service might start but immediately crash, or dependent services are still broken. That points to corrupted system files or a misconfigured firewall policy. Tier 2 is where you run integrity checks and repair tools. This takes a bit longer but has a high success rate.
Verify and Start Dependent Services Medium
- Open Services Again
Press Windows + R, typeservices.msc, press Enter. - Check Four Key Services
These services must be running for the Firewall to work:- Windows Defender Firewall (Startup type: Automatic)
- Base Filtering Engine (Startup type: Automatic or Manual)
- Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) (Startup type: Automatic)
- Remote Procedure Call (RPC) (Startup type: Automatic)
- Restart Windows
Close Services. Restart your PC.
Run System File Integrity Checks Medium
- Open PowerShell as Administrator
Right-click the Start button on the taskbar. Select 'Windows PowerShell (Admin)' or 'Terminal (Admin)'. If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes. - Run System File Checker
Type this command and press Enter:sfc /scannow
This scans every protected system file and repairs any that are corrupted. It takes 5-15 minutes. Do not close the window or restart during the scan. Wait for the message 'The operation completed successfully' or 'The operation found corrupt files and successfully repaired them'. - Restart If Repairs Were Made
If repairs were made, restart your PC. If no corruption was found, continue to the next step. - Run DISM Health Scans
Open PowerShell (Admin) again. Run these two commands, one at a time:Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealthDism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
These scan the Windows component store for corruption. The CheckHealth command will tell you if the image is repairable. - Repair the Windows Image (If Needed)
If either command reported issues, run this command:Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
This can take 10-20 minutes. After it completes, restart your PC.
Reset Firewall Settings to Defaults Easy
- Via Windows Security (Easiest)
Open Windows Settings or search for 'Windows Security'. Click Firewall & network protection. Look for a link on the left side (it may be small) that says 'Restore firewalls to default'. Click it. Then click Restore defaults and confirm with Yes. Windows will reset all firewall rules and profiles to factory settings. - Via Control Panel (Alternative)
If you don't see the restore option in Windows Security, open Control Panel. Go to System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall. Click 'Restore defaults' on the left sidebar. Click Restore defaults and confirm. - Restart and Test
Restart your PC. Open Windows Settings > Firewall & network protection and check if the firewall is now On.
Advanced Windows Firewall Error 0x80070422 Fixes
At this point, if Tier 1 and Tier 2 haven't fixed the problem, Windows has a deep structural issue. The Firewall service itself is likely corrupted beyond what sfc /scannow and DISM can repair, or there's a third-party firewall actively blocking the Windows version. Tier 3 solutions are more nuclear: we either hard-reset the firewall config from the command line or perform a Windows repair upgrade that reinstalls core system files without wiping your data.
Hard Reset Firewall Configuration via Command Line Hard
- Open PowerShell as Administrator
Right-click Start, select 'Windows PowerShell (Admin)'. Click Yes on the User Account Control prompt. - Run netsh advfirewall reset
Type this command and press Enter:netsh advfirewall reset
You'll see a message asking if you want to reset the firewall policy. Type Y (or Yes) and press Enter. This command nukes all firewall rules and policies and restores them to Microsoft's factory defaults. It takes only a few seconds. - Restart Windows
Close PowerShell. Restart your PC. After restart, open Windows Settings > Firewall & network protection.
Check for Third-Party Firewall Interference Medium
- Review Installed Antivirus/Firewall Software
Open Settings > Apps & features. Scroll through the list and note any third-party antivirus products (Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, Avast, AVG, Bitdefender, etc.) or firewall software (ZoneAlarm, GlassWire, etc.). - Temporarily Uninstall (Test)
If you find a third-party firewall, uninstall it temporarily. Restart your PC. Test Windows Firewall. If it starts working, the third-party software was blocking it. You can reinstall the third-party product if you prefer it, but you may need to adjust its settings to allow Windows Firewall to also run, or choose one or the other. - Reinstall if Needed
If Windows Firewall works without the third-party product, you now know the cause. Leave Windows Firewall enabled and either skip the third-party product or adjust its settings to not disable Windows Firewall.
In-Place Repair Upgrade (Nuclear Option) Hard
- Download Windows 10 Media Creation Tool
Go to the official Windows 10 Media Creation Tool page. Download and run the tool on your PC. - Choose Upgrade This PC
The tool opens. Select 'Upgrade this PC now'. Click Next. - Accept License and Choose Keep Personal Files
Accept the license terms. On the next screen, choose 'Keep personal files and apps'. This tells Windows to reinstall system files but preserve your data, installed programs, and user accounts. - Wait for the Upgrade to Complete
The tool downloads updates, checks your system, and prepares to reinstall Windows. Your PC will restart multiple times. Total time: 20, 45 minutes depending on your system and internet speed. Do not unplug or restart manually during this process. - Test the Firewall After Upgrade
Once the upgrade finishes and you're back at the desktop, open Windows Settings > Firewall & network protection. The firewall should be On.
Why Third-Party Firewalls Cause This Error
One of the most common reasons error 0x80070422 appears is that someone installed a third-party antivirus or firewall product. That product, by design, disables Windows Firewall to avoid conflicts. It wants to be the sole firewall on the system. The problem: if that third-party product is later uninstalled or conflicts with Windows Update, Windows Firewall stays disabled, and when you try to turn it back on, it crashes because its configuration is corrupted or its dependent services were forcibly disabled by the third-party software.
This is why checking Windows Update errors like 0x80070005 is relevant, if Windows can't update, it can't repair system services either, and the Firewall gets caught in that broken state.
When System File Corruption Is the Real Problem
Sometimes the Firewall service itself isn't disabled; it's the files the service relies on that are corrupted. When Windows Firewall tries to start, it loads the Base Filtering Engine, which reads from system files in the Windows image store. If those files are damaged (by a failed update, a bad shutdown, or malware), the service starts briefly, finds a corrupt file, and crashes. Error 0x80070422 appears because the service can't stay running.
This is where sfc /scannow and DISM come in. They scan the entire Windows file system and the component store, find the corrupt files, and replace them with known-good versions from Windows' recovery store. It's like replacing broken puzzle pieces so the picture can come together again. If you suspect deeper Windows corruption like error 0x80004005, these same tools apply.
Preventing Windows Firewall Error 0x80070422 in the Future
1. Avoid Optimizer Tools: Apps that claim to 'boost performance' by disabling services are often the culprit. Windows Firewall is not bloat, it's a core security component. If you use a PC optimizer, verify it won't touch the Firewall service. Better yet, don't use one.
2. Stick to One Firewall: Either use Windows Defender Firewall (built-in, free, solid) or a third-party firewall, not both. If you switch products, uninstall the old one cleanly before installing the new one, then restart. This prevents the disabled-service hand-off that causes error 0x80070422.
3. Keep Windows Updated: Many firewall and service issues are patched by Windows Update. Install cumulative updates as they arrive (usually monthly). Set Windows Update to automatic.
4. Run sfc /scannow Periodically: If your PC starts behaving oddly (crashes, freezes, services failing), run a system file check. Catch corruption early before it cascades into bigger problems.
5. Create Restore Points: Before installing antivirus software, making Group Policy changes, or making big system edits, create a System Restore point (Start > System Restore > Create a restore point). If something breaks, you can roll back to that point.
6. Document Custom Firewall Rules: If you have custom inbound or outbound rules in Windows Firewall, take a screenshot or export them. That way, if you ever need to reset the firewall, you know what to rebuild.
Windows Firewall Error 0x80070422 Summary
Error 0x80070422 is frustrating, but it's almost always fixable. Start with the quick fix: open Services, set Windows Defender Firewall to Automatic, start it, and restart. Most people are done at that point. If that doesn't work, move to Tier 2: verify dependent services are running, run sfc /scannow to repair corrupted files, and reset the firewall to defaults. That catches 90% of remaining cases. Only if Tier 1 and Tier 2 fail do you need to reach for Tier 3 (netsh advfirewall reset or a Media Creation Tool upgrade), which is rare.
The key takeaway: don't let this error linger. Windows Firewall is your PC's first line of defence against network attacks. If it's disabled, you're exposed. Spend 15, 45 minutes fixing it now, and you'll sleep better knowing your system is protected. Most importantly, avoid third-party optimizer tools and stick to one firewall product to prevent this from happening again.