0XC0000022

General System STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED Applies to: Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows 11

What it means

A related but technically distinct code from the more common 0x80070005 — this is the NTSTATUS-style access-denied error, most often seen when a program can't open a file, DLL, or registry key it needs at startup, or when Windows activation specifically fails because the Software Protection Service can't start.

Also seen as: 0xC0000022, c0000022, Access Denied {NTSTATUS}

Quick fix steps

If it appeared during Windows activation specifically, check the Software Protection service: press Windows+R, type services.msc, find "Software Protection," and try starting it — if it also shows "Access is denied," that confirms this as the specific cause.
Try running the affected app as administrator first — right-click its shortcut or icon and choose "Run as administrator."
Check whether antivirus software is blocking or sandboxing the app rather than a genuine permissions problem — temporarily disabling third-party antivirus as a diagnostic test is worth trying.
Run sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth from an admin Command Prompt — this can repair permissions on system files that a previous malware cleanup or an aggressive "permission repair" tool may have stripped, alongside fixing file corruption.
If this is tied to a specific non-critical background service (some users see it referencing something like "Cloud Files Diagnostic Event Listener," a OneDrive-related component) and everything else is working normally, it can often be safely ignored rather than actively chased down.
As a last resort for a persistently broken user profile, creating a new Windows user account and checking whether the same app works there helps confirm whether the issue is specific to your current profile's permissions.

For the full step-by-step walkthrough, see sfc /scannow Explained: What It Does and How to Read the Results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same as the more common 0x80070005 error?

They mean the same general thing (access denied due to permissions) but are technically different code formats used in different contexts — 0xC0000022 shows up more in activation, app-launch, and service-startup scenarios, while 0x80070005 is more common in installer and Windows Update contexts.

Does this mean malware damaged my Windows installation?

Not necessarily malware itself — it's more often an overly aggressive "PC cleaner" or permission-repair tool that stripped correct access rights from system files, or a genuine antivirus false positive, rather than an active infection.

Is it safe to run sfc and DISM even if I'm not sure this is the cause?

Yes — both are official Microsoft repair tools that only check and fix, they don't remove your files or programs, so running them as a diagnostic step carries no real risk.

Other error codes

0X80070005 — Access Denied

A permissions problem — the current user account doesn't have rights to the file, folder, or action being attempted.

0X8007000E — Not Enough Storage / Out of Memory

Despite the wording, this is usually about low disk space rather than RAM — an operation ran out of room to complete.

0XC0000005 — Access Violation (STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION)

A program tried to read or write memory it wasn't allowed to — usually an app bug, but can indicate corrupted files or faulty RAM if it happens across many different apps.

0XC000021A — STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED

A critical system process (like winlogon.exe or csrss.exe) crashed, usually kicking you to a blue or black screen with this message.