If your network services are disabled in the background, you will be getting this error on your system. It’s obvious that if these services are turned off, the computer won’t connect to the internet, and hence the network error would show up. So, in order to start the network services again, you can either use the Task Manager or the Command Prompt. We’ll explain all of the solutions for the Windows 0x800704b3 error below, and you can go through each one of them to try them out.
1. Run Windows Network Adapter Troubleshooter
This is the most basic way to counter a network issue. Since the error we are facing here has to do with the network, running the built-in Network Adapter troubleshooter can help fix it. Follow the steps below to run the troubleshooter.
2. Run SFC and DISM Scans
The SFC and DISM scans will help in identifying and removing corrupt system files from your computer. Besides, it will also look for integrity violations and try to repair them as well. On top of that, if the problem is with your Windows image, these commands will fix it too. This process needs to be executed in Safe Mode. You can follow our guide about booting into safe mode for both Windows 10 and Windows 11 before performing the steps below. Once done, then here’s how to run the SFC and DISM scans.
After the process is done, restart your PC to boot into normal mode and see if the error is gone or not.
3. Change the Status of Network Services to Running
It’s pretty clear that you won’t be able to connect to the internet if some of your network services are stopped in the background. As a result, Windows will display the 0x800704b3 error. Therefore, running the network dependencies in the background through the Task Manager is recommended. Here’s how to do it:
4. Start the TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
This service allows users to print, share files, and log on to their network. In the event that this service is not running or the value data is wrongly entered, the NetBIOS Helper won’t run, and the user won’t be able to connect to the network. First, try to start the TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper service. If that shows an error, then move on to change its value data to 2. Here’s how to carry out the whole process.
5. Disable SMB 1.0 Protocol
SMB is a network file-sharing protocol whose main purpose is to share access to different resources (files, printers, communication) over a network. There are three versions (SMB 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0) of the Server Message Block at the moment. Version 1.0 is disabled by default. Therefore, if you have enabled it by mistake, your system will fail to connect to the network, and hence the 0x800704b3 error will show up in Windows. But no worries, just follow the steps below and disable SMB Version 1.
6. Create a New User Account
Sometimes the problem can be with the account you are using. It could be due to corrupted system files, viruses, or malware. You can create a new admin user account and see if the issue gets fixed or not. If the error is gone, follow our guide to transferring all your data to the new account.
7. Perform an In-Place Windows Repair
This method will reinstall Windows without disturbing any files or applications on your computer. Moreover, if there are any corrupt or damaged system files, they will be repaired. Make sure you use an admin account for the repair and only keep the mouse, keyboard, and LAN cable plugged in. Unplug the rest of the peripherals. Additionally, uninstall any third-party anti-virus software. Now here’s how to carry out the process.
8. Custom Install Windows
If none of the processes above work, try to reinstall Windows via an ISO file to get rid of the 0x800704b3 error. Don’t worry, you won’t lose any of your data. After Windows gets installed, you can recover the files from the Windows.old folder. Here’s how to custom-install the latest version of Windows.
