SOLVED: How to Fix Error 0x80004005

Error 0x80004005 is translated as an unspecified error and is usually seen when the user cannot access Shared Folders, Drives, Virtual Machines, Microsoft Account changes, and also when the Windows Updates fail to install. Troubleshooting this issue depends on where and how the error message is being originated from, and since the error does not specifically tell you what the actual problem is, even in the Microsoft Books it is defined as “Unspecified Error.”

Error 0x80004005: Causes and Solutions

1. Error 0x80004005 on a VirtualBox

It usually is the registry key that causes issues.

Hold the Windows Key and Press R. Type regedit and Click OK.

Go to the following registry path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers

"C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VirtualBox.exe"="DISABLEUSERCALLBACKEXCEPTION"

If this key exists, delete it and try again. If deleting the key does not help, try disabling your antivirus.

If it still doesn’t work, then:

– Uninstall your antivirus, test it, and then reinstall it.
– Replace your antivirus with another such as AVG or Security Essentials.

2. Error 0x80004005 when accessing a Shared Drive/Folder

We will use regedit to create a LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy Value.

Hold the Windows Key and Press R.

Type regedit and click OK.

Navigate to the following path in regedit:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

For a 32-bit system, create a new DWORD value called LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy.

For a 64-bit system, make a QWORD (64-bit) called LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy.

In either case, set the value to numeric 1 (meaning on), and remember to click OK.

Usually, the LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy value gets created before you have a chance to set the data value; no problem, just double-click and modify the data from 0 to 1.

Once this is done, restart your computer and see if you can now access the shared drives or folders.

If the problem persists after following all of the steps above, then:

– Hold the Windows key and Press R, and type hdwwiz.cpl to open Device Manager.
– Select Network Adapters, and then click View from the menu and choose View Hidden Devices.
– Expand Network Adapters, and if you see Microsoft 6to4 Adapters, then delete them all by right-clicking and selecting Remove Device.

Once done, reboot your PC and then test.

3. Error 0x80004005 when Installing Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

Download and Run CheckSUR from here. After the System Update Readiness Tool has finished checking the components on the system, run an SFC Scan.

4. E_FAIL (0x80004005) When Setting Up VirtualBox on Ubuntu

If you are trying to allocate more than 3GB of RAM to the VM, then make sure that the host is a 64-bit system, and true hardware pass-through is allowed (VT-x).

4.1 Failed to open a session for the virtual machine

On certain sessions on a VM (VirtualBox), you may see the following error.

To fix the issue, Open Network Center and choose Change adapter settings. Right-click your VirtualBox host-only adapter and select Properties. Enable “VirtualBox NDIS6 Bridget Networking Driver” if it’s disabled, and test again. VirtualBox should start fine now. If not, Enable VirtualBox NDIS6 Bridget Networking Driver for every network adapter you have (Ethernet, WiFi…) and always uncheck the NDIS6 and test.

4.2 Uninstall Microsoft 6to4

To solve this issue, you should uninstall the Microsoft 6to4 devices from your task manager. Keep in mind that you might not see these devices because they are hidden by default. So, you will only see these once you turn on the Show hidden devices option.

Here are the steps for deleting these devices:

1. Hold the Windows key and press R
2. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter

3. Click View and select Show hidden devices

4. Double-click Network Adapters
5. Right-click the Microsoft 6to4 device and select Uninstall. Repeat this step for all the Microsoft 6to4 devices you see in the list.

Once you are done, restart your computer. Your issue should be solved once you log in to your Windows again.

5. Error 0x80004005 When Extracting Files

If you’re getting this error while trying to extract or open .zip or .rar files, you have a few potential fixes at your disposal.

5.1 Try a different extracting utility

First, make sure the file is not password protected and your extractor utility is not equipped to handle password-protected files. You can do this by downloading another utility like 7Zip and see if you are asked to provide a password when trying to open or extract the same .zip or .rar archive.

5.2 Method 2: Disable the real-time protection of your AV

Another possible cause is an overprotective third-party security suite. Under certain conditions, several third-party antivirus suites will block the extraction of zipped files. If you’re using an external third-party antivirus instead of the default security suite (Windows Defender), you can try temporarily disabling the real-time protection or shielding of your third-party AV and see if the issue is resolved.

In the event that you no longer encounter the 0x80004005 error, consider uninstalling your current third-party suite and opting for a different security suite. If you want to avoid other conflicts like this one, consider using the built-in security solution.

5.3 Re-registering jscript.dll and vbscript.dll

If the first two possible solutions have failed, let’s try a different approach. Some users have managed to get it fixed by re-registering a couple of DLL (dynamic link libraries) files in an elevated Command Prompt. To be more precise, this method will attempt to fix the issue by re-registering jscript.dll (a library used when running JScript) and vbscript.dll (a module containing API functions for VBScript). Here’s a quick guide on how to do this:

1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run box. Then, type “cmd“, press Ctrl + Shift + Enter, and click Yes at the UAC (User Account Control) prompt to open an elevated Command Prompt.
   
2. In the elevated Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter:

   regsvr32 jscript.dll

3. In the same elevated Command Prompt, type the following command and hit Enter:

   regsvr32 vbscript.dll

4. Restart your computer and see if you’re able to open or extract .zip or .rar files without receiving the 0x80004005 error.