How to fix 0x80070425 error in Windows?

Error 0x80070425 means a Windows service is busy or stuck and cannot take a start or stop command right now. Most often it is the Credential Manager service, which breaks saved passwords, Sign-in options and email accounts. Start with a full restart of the PC, then check the Credential Manager service.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What error 0x80070425 means

The code has two parts. 0x8007 says it is a Windows system error wrapped for an app, and 0425 is the error number in hexadecimal. In decimal that number is 1061. Microsoft's list of system error codes gives 1061 the name ERROR_SERVICE_CANNOT_ACCEPT_CTRL and the text "The service cannot accept control messages at this time."

A control message is a command to a service: start, stop, pause or restart. In practice the service is busy. It is still starting, still stopping, or hung in one of those states, so Windows refuses a new command until it is done. That is why a restart of the whole PC fixes it so often: the stuck state does not survive it.

How the error looks in the Services window and in Command Prompt (the service name changes)

Windows could not stop the Credential Manager service on Local Computer.
Error 1061: The service cannot accept control messages at this time.

C:\> net stop VaultSvc
System error 1061 has occurred.
The service cannot accept control messages at this time.

Apps show the same error as the hex code. Credential Manager can show 0x80070425 with the same text, and the old Mail app showed "Something went wrong" with 0x80070425 in the details, as in the question at the top.

Why error 0x80070425 appears, most common cause first

Most often Credential Manager is stuck or stopped. Less often another service hangs while it stops, for example during a program's setup. Rarely the cause is damaged Windows files or wrong rights on your saved credentials.

How to fix error 0x80070425 in Windows

Fix 1 and Fix 2 solve the Credential Manager case, which is the one most readers have. Fix 3 is for any other service that is stuck. Use the table to start in the right place.

Fix 1. Restart the PC fully to clear the stuck service

5 minutesNo riskEveryone, before you change any setting.

Error 1061 means a service is caught between two states. A restart stops and starts every service again from scratch. Shut down is not the same: with Fast startup on, Windows saves part of its state and loads it back, so a hung service can come back with it.

1. Save your work and close your apps.
2. Select Start, then the Power button, then Restart.
3. Sign in and wait a minute for Windows to start its services.
4. Open Credential Manager again, or retry what showed the error.

Fix 2. Set the Credential Manager service (VaultSvc) to Manual and start it

5 minutesLow riskCredential Manager, Sign-in options or an email account shows 0x80070425, and Fix 1 did not help.

Credential Manager stores the passwords apps and Windows use to sign in. If its service is stopped or set to Disabled, everything that asks for a saved password fails, and Windows shows this error. Microsoft lists its default Startup type as Manual: Windows starts it when an app needs it.

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. Find Credential Manager and double-click it.
3. Check the General tab: Service name must be VaultSvc and Path to executable C:\Windows\system32\lsass.exe.
4. Set Startup type to Manual. If it stops again and again, Automatic is fine too.
5. Select Apply, then Start if Service status shows Stopped.
6. Select OK and open Credential Manager again.

If the service shows Running but the error stays, right-click Credential Manager and select Restart. If Restart is grey or answers error 1061 again, the service is stuck: restart the PC (Fix 1), because it lives inside lsass.exe and cannot be ended on its own.

The same from an administrator Command Prompt (keep the space after start=)

sc query VaultSvc
sc config VaultSvc start= demand
net start VaultSvc

Opening Services and starting a service step by step: Check and restart Windows services

Fix 3. Find the stuck service's process and end it

5 minutesRead the warningError 1061 comes from another service, for example when net stop or a program's setup cannot stop it, and you cannot restart the PC right now.

A service in STOP_PENDING never finishes on its own if its program hangs. Ending its process frees Windows to start it cleanly again, without a full restart.

1. In Services, open the stuck service's Properties and copy the Service name.
2. Type cmd in search, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
3. Run sc queryex with the service name. Note STATE and PID.
4. If STATE is STOP_PENDING or START_PENDING, run tasklist /svc /fi "PID eq <PID>" to see which program it is and which other services share it.
5. If it is the service's own program and no other service shares it, run taskkill /PID <PID> /F.
6. Start the service again with net start and the service name.

Command Prompt as administrator (replace the name and the PID)

sc queryex <service name>
tasklist /svc /fi "PID eq <PID>"
taskkill /PID <PID> /F
net start <service name>

In PowerShell or Terminal type sc.exe, not sc, because there sc is a short name for another command.

Fix 4. Move an email account from the retired Mail app to Outlook

10 minutesLow riskThe error came when you added or synced an account in the Windows Mail app, as in the question at the top.

Microsoft ended support for Windows Mail, Calendar and People on 31 December 2024. Microsoft says you can no longer send and receive email with Windows Mail and Calendar, so fixing the error in Mail no longer gives you working mail.

1. Make sure Credential Manager runs (Fix 2), because Outlook also stores sign-ins in Windows.
2. Open Outlook from the Start menu. On Windows 11 the new Outlook for Windows is built in; on Windows 10 install it from the Microsoft Store.
3. Select Settings > Accounts > Email accounts > Add account.
4. Type your email address and follow the sign-in steps of your provider.
5. For Gmail or Yahoo, allow access on the provider's page when it asks.

Fix 5. Check that your account owns the Credentials folder

10 minutesRead the warningCredential Manager runs, but it cannot save or read passwords, or the error came after you copied a profile or changed accounts.

Saved credentials sit in a folder in your profile. If its owner is another account, for example after a profile copy, Windows cannot read or write them for you. Normally the owner is your own account, with SYSTEM and Administrators also allowed.

1. In File Explorer, select View > Show > Hidden items (Windows 10: View > Hidden items).
2. Paste %AppData%\Microsoft into the address bar and press Enter.
3. Right-click Credentials, select Properties, then Security and Advanced.
4. If Owner is not your account, select Change, type your user name, select Check Names and OK.
5. Check Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object, then Apply and OK.
6. Repeat for %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Credentials if it exists, then restart the PC.

Fix 6. Repair Windows system files with DISM and SFC

15 to 30 minutesNo riskThe error comes back after every restart, or several Windows services fail.

When a service's own files are damaged, it can hang every time it starts or stops. DISM repairs the store of Windows components, and SFC then puts damaged system files back from it.

1. Open an elevated command window. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), or type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
2. Run DISM first. Type the command below and press Enter. DISM downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so it can take several minutes. Wait until it says The operation completed successfully.

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

3. Run System File Checker. In the same window, type the command below and press Enter. Do not close the window until the verification reaches 100%.

   sfc /scannow

4. Read the result and restart. Compare the last message with the table below this guide, then restart the PC so that repaired files are loaded.

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

Fix 7. Go back to a restore point or reinstall Windows over itself

30 to 90 minutesRead the warningNothing above worked, or the error began right after an update, a driver or a tweak tool.

System Restore puts back the service settings and drivers of an earlier day in one step. A repair install replaces every Windows file and resets the services while it keeps your files and apps.

1. Press Win + R, type rstrui and press Enter.
2. Choose a restore point from before the error started and select Scan for affected programs.
3. Select Next and Finish, and let the PC restart.
4. With no usable restore point, reinstall Windows while you keep your files and apps.

System Restore step by step: Undo recent changes with System Restore Repair install: Reinstall Windows without losing files

If error 0x80070425 is still there: what to read and what to collect

Error 1061 tells you that a service is stuck, not why. The why is usually in the System log, written when the service hung.

• The service state. Run sc queryex <service name> and note STATE and PID.
• The System log. Press Win + X, select Event Viewer, open Windows Logs > System and filter by the source Service Control Manager. Look for entries such as "The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion" (error 1053) or "terminated unexpectedly" for the same service.
• What changed. Run perfmon /rel to open Reliability Monitor, which lists installs, updates and crashes by day.
• Your Windows version and build. Press Win + R, type winver and note both.

Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025. A Windows 10 PC whose services keep hanging gets no more security fixes, so a repair install is a good moment to plan the move to Windows 11.

How to avoid error 0x80070425 in the future

Frequently asked questions

What is error code 0x80070425?

It is Windows error 1061 shown in the hex form apps use. Microsoft's list of system error codes names it ERROR_SERVICE_CANNOT_ACCEPT_CTRL. Its text is "The service cannot accept control messages at this time". It means a Windows service is busy starting or stopping, or is hung, so it refuses a new start or stop command. On home PCs it is most often the Credential Manager service. A full restart of the PC clears it in most cases.

How do I fix Credential Manager error 0x80070425?

Restart the PC with Restart, not Shut down. If the error stays, open services.msc, double-click Credential Manager, set Startup type to Manual and select Start. Its service name is VaultSvc. If it is running but stuck, a restart is the only clean way, because the service runs inside lsass.exe, which you must not end. If passwords still are not saved, check that your account owns the Credentials folder in your profile, as Fix 5 shows.

Why does the Mail app show 0x80070425 when I add an account?

The Mail app needs Credential Manager to store your sign-in. When that service is stuck or stopped, adding the account fails with "Something went wrong" and 0x80070425. Fix the service with Fix 1 and Fix 2. Then move the account to Outlook: Microsoft ended support for Windows Mail and Calendar on 31 December 2024, and says you can no longer send and receive email with it.

What does "The service cannot accept control messages at this time" mean?

It means Windows sent a command to a service, such as stop or restart, and the service could not take it. Usually the service is still starting or still stopping. sc query shows this as START_PENDING or STOP_PENDING. Wait a minute and try again. If it stays that way, end the service's process as Fix 3 shows, or restart the PC. If it happens after every restart, the service's program or Windows files are damaged.

What is System error 1061 in net stop or net start?

It is the same error as 0x80070425, shown by the net command instead of an app. The next line reads "The service cannot accept control messages at this time." Run sc queryex with the service name to see its state and process ID. If it is stuck in STOP_PENDING and its process serves only that service, end it with taskkill and start the service again. If the process is lsass.exe or shared by many services, restart the PC instead.

Is 0x80070425 different on Windows 11 and Windows 10?

No. The code, the text and the fixes are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10, and on Windows Server. Only a few menu paths differ, and this guide gives both. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025, so a Windows 10 PC no longer gets fixes for the services involved. On both versions, Credential Manager's default Startup type is Manual, which is the right setting to go back to.

Can a program's setup or IIS cause error 1061?

Yes. A setup program that stops a service before it replaces files gets error 1061 when that service hangs while stopping. Web servers and database services show it the same way. Close the program that uses the service, wait a minute and try again. If it stays, find the process with sc queryex and end it, as Fix 3 shows, then run the setup again. A restart of the PC before the setup is the simplest way.

Should I set Credential Manager to Automatic?

It is not needed. Microsoft lists Credential Manager's default Startup type as Manual, which means Windows starts it as soon as an app or Windows needs it. Automatic does no harm and some readers keep it if the service stopped often, but Disabled always breaks saved passwords. If the setting keeps going back to Disabled by itself, a tweak tool or malware changes it, so scan the PC.

Qual é esse erro 0x80070425?

This page is in English. 0x80070425 is Windows error 1061: "The service cannot accept control messages at this time", in Portuguese "O serviço não pode aceitar mensagens de controle neste momento". A Windows service, most often Credential Manager (Gerenciador de Credenciais), is stuck. Restart the PC, then open services.msc and start Credential Manager with Startup type Manual. The fixes above work the same on Windows in any language.

Is there a fix for 0x80070425 in other languages of Windows?

Yes, the fixes are the same in every language of Windows; only the names on the screen are translated. The service name VaultSvc and the commands sc query, net start and taskkill are the same everywhere, so you can type them as this page shows. Readers who searched in Thai for a fix (แก้ไข) can follow Fix 1 and Fix 2 with these commands.