Microsoft Fixes Windows 11 Preview Update Installation Issues

Microsoft has released an out-of-band update to resolve installation problems that led to the withdrawal of a recent Windows 11 preview package. The fix, known as KB5086672, became available on March 31, 2026, for Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, addressing errors that affected users attempting to install the earlier KB5079391 update.

The original KB5079391, an optional nonsecurity preview update, rolled out on March 26, 2026, bringing 29 enhancements to the operating system. These included the ability to toggle Smart App Control without restarting the PC, support for displays with refresh rates up to 1,000 Hz, improvements to File Explorer for better handling of unsafe download files, and enhancements to Windows Hello reliability. Other changes focused on display quality and various quality-of-life adjustments across the platform. However, shortly after deployment, users reported widespread failures during installation, particularly those with the "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" setting enabled in Windows Update.

The error, code 0x80073712, displayed a message stating, "Some update files are missing or have problems. We'll try to download the update...