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I've been running Windows 11 since Nov 2021. This is the first update failure I've encountered. I was trying to install KB5014668. It stopped at 25% install and showed error 0x80000ffff. I ran troubleshooter (multiple times) to no avail. Upon a restart, it showed installing an update, in the middle it rebooted and then on the subsequent restart it showed install to 48% then said something went wrong, not to worry as it was restoring. It rebooted again, showing the same message, on the next restart it booted into windows. I've run sfc /scannow and dism restorehealth. Neither showed an error or helped. I use Macrium and also tried mounting an image taken before I tried the update and copied the Software Distribution folder and pasted it over the current folder. No help there either. I am able to download Windows Defender definition updates okay at this point.
I could just restore the whole drive to a point before I tried the install but would like to use that as a last resort. Right now I can perform multiple restarts with it booting straight into Windows. So I'm not sure if I should just wait until the July cumulative is available to see what happens or is there something I can or should try at this point, like try to download and install it straight from the update catalog?
Thanks for any help with this.
Update... I did try to use the Windows Catalog to do a manual install. It seemed to download ok but when I hit install it failed immediately with an error code of 0x80070002 (I got this from the reliability monitor)
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
Like you, I was totally uncomfortable with the ISO reinstall procedure, since I didn't want to put any of my settings or applications at risk. But, as a last resort to install the KB5014668 update after nothing else worked, I relented and reinstalled Windows. The procedure takes awhile to complete (plan on something like 2 hours), but it does work effectively.
I agree completely with your assessment of the problem here; it's a MSFT update problem, not some idiosyncratic issue with my PC. I tried everything suggested in this thread to correct the problem, and nothing did the job until I reinsalled Win 11 using the ISO file (which I really tried to avoid due to the time and trouble associated with a Win reinstall). Like you, I kept working at the problem thinking that if this update fails, all subsequent Win 11 updates from MSFT are likely to fail, too. Fortunately, the Win 11 image reinstall solves the problem. It sure looks to me like this was a poorly designed, or poorly tested, Windows update.
I'm with you on that point, that's why I didn't want to install again WS11 with the ISO file. OS is in same status and patches issues got solved but I has to reboot several times and it took at least 2 hours. I ran several scans and checked logs, renamed the catroot folders for WS Updates and nothing happened.
I work as a sysadmin on windows servers environment and usually when a patch fails the other subsequent fail too (at least on WS servers). Since this was the first time that I have this issue on my PC (and also it only has 5 months of use - it's totally new) I strongly believe that the issue is with the patches. On my work we are experiencing critical issues since April patching (most servers in hung status or completely unusable for restore) for June patch, management decided to NOT patch any server until Microsoft gives us a proper update on this. So basically the problem is from MS side, it seems they re not testing very well their patches!
I also am waiting for patch day July 12 but everyone should give feedback to Microsoft this way they see something is wrong with that update.
I went through all this, downloaded this installer and this update does now install but its behaviour is different, it takes ages to initiate the download then ages to get past the 25% installed.
Defo something wrong with the installer but at least its installed now.
I still have this problem with the broken with KB5014668 update and I am not comfortable installing the full W11 ISO, even with keep personal files and settings. It should not be necessary to do this after un simple KB update, we have the year 2022. How many times in the future will Microsoft require me to perform a full operating system update just because they are lacking in quality control?
I am using PC's even before Windows, my first windows were 2.0 - 2.1 - 2.11 - 3.0 - 3.1 - Win 95, 98 etc... until today I never every had to reinstall Windows because of a messed-up update. By know everyone can read and see that Microsoft messed up badly this time, at least for quite a few their customers.
Since Microsoft is not answering here, I have to wait to Patch day on 7/12 and see what happens.
