Windows Update hangs or fails when trying to install KB5074109 (Windows 11 24H2/25H2) or KB5073455 (Windows 11 23H2) from January 2026 Patch Tuesday. The update downloads, attempts to install, then rolls back on reboot.

Common error codes:

0x800f0922 - CBS servicing error
0x80070306 - Package installation failure
"Updates failed. Undoing changes."

The Fix

Run DISM and SFC to repair the component store, then retry the update.

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow
Restart-Computer

After reboot, check for updates again. The install should succeed.

If That Doesn't Work: Reset Windows Update Components

Stop the update services, rename the cache folders, and restart:

net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

Reboot and retry Windows Update.

If That Doesn't Work: Install Manually via DISM

Download the update from the Microsoft Update Catalog and install directly:

DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\Downloads\Windows11.0-KB5074109-x64.msu

Or via PowerShell:

Add-WindowsPackage -Online -PackagePath "C:\Downloads\Windows11.0-KB5074109-x64.msu"

If That Doesn't Work: Check Disk Space and Driver Conflicts

Updates require at least 20GB free on C:. Also check for NVIDIA or storage driver conflicts causing rollback:

# Check free space
Get-PSDrive C | Select-Object Used,Free

# Check recent driver installs
Get-WmiObject Win32_PnPSignedDriver |
    Where-Object {$_.DriverDate -gt (Get-Date).AddDays(-30)} |
    Select-Object DeviceName, DriverVersion, DriverDate

If you have an NVIDIA GPU and experience black screens after update, roll back the GPU driver or update to the latest version before retrying.

Verify

After successful installation, confirm the build number:

winver

Windows 11 24H2 should show build 26100.7623. Windows 11 25H2 should show 26200.7623. Windows 11 23H2 should show 22631.6491.

Having update issues across your fleet? Contact us for managed patch deployment.