Microsoft has pushed out a new out-of-band update for Windows 11 that should be welcome news for anyone who ran into a frustrating roadblock while updating. The release, called KB5086672, is designed for Windows 11 version 24H2 and 25H2 and is dated March 31. After installing it, affected PCs move to OS Build 26100.8117 (24H2) or 26200.8117 (25H2).
The big reason KB5086672 matters is simple: it fixes an installation failure tied to the earlier optional preview update KB5079391. After that March 26 preview went live, Microsoft discovered that some systems couldn’t install it and would instead fail with error code 0x80073712, often alongside a message suggesting update files were missing or problematic. As a result, KB5079391 stopped being offered to new devices. Microsoft now says that the underlying problem has been addressed with KB5086672.
This isn’t just a minor cleanup release, either. KB5079391 included several notable Windows 11 improvements, and Microsoft has effectively folded those changes into KB5086672 so users can still get the same non-security enhancements without the install failure. Among the changes carried over are a broader rollout of the ability to turn Smart App Control on or off without needing a clean install, a fix that removes an extra error message that could appear when running sfc /scannow, and reliability improvements for Windows Hello fingerprint sign-in on certain devices.
Because KB5086672 is a cumulative update, it also bundles earlier fixes into a single package, including changes from March updates such as KB5079473 and KB5085516. In practical terms, this makes KB5086672 a cleaner replacement: it restores the paused preview’s features and fixes while also eliminating the setup issue that prevented some PCs from installing the earlier release.
As for how you’ll get it, Microsoft says KB5086672 is available through Windows Update for devices already running KB5079473 or later. It’s also offered through the Microsoft Update Catalog. If you have the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” option enabled, the update may show up automatically once it’s ready for your device. Otherwise, you can check for updates manually in Windows Update and install it when it appears.
For now, Microsoft reports no known issues with KB5086672. If you’re on Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2 and you either missed KB5079391 due to the rollout pause or were hit by the 0x80073712 installation error, this out-of-band cumulative update is the one to watch for.
