Latest Windows 11 update is broken, refuses to install — Microsoft pulls latest update over missing files error

Microsoft
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft's tenacity in imposing AI across its product stack has cornered Windows into a tough spot. Mac and Linux are catching up in terms of software compatibility, and Windows' longstanding flaws have begun to outweigh its universality. Even though the company has promised to fix the OS and has initiated a course correction, the mistakes just keep slipping through the cracks. The latest in the line of discrepancies is a new Windows update that, funnily enough, won't install for a lot of users.

Microsoft pushed the KB5079391 non-security update on March 26, 2026, featuring "production-quality" improvements, which means it's part of the efforts to make the OS more stable/reliable. It's ironic then that the update refuses to install, throwing up the 0x80073712 error code in a loop. This code means something is broken or missing in the update files, which is preventing Windows from piecing together the update.

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Hassam Nasir
Contributing Writer

Hassam Nasir is a die-hard hardware enthusiast with years of experience as a tech editor and writer, focusing on detailed CPU comparisons and general hardware news. When he’s not working, you’ll find him bending tubes for his ever-evolving custom water-loop gaming rig or benchmarking the latest CPUs and GPUs just for fun.

  • S58_is_the_goat
    Stop using ai coding Nutella https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/29/satya-nadella-says-as-much-as-30percent-of-microsoft-code-is-written-by-ai.htmlSomeone fire this dunce, every month there's some windows update issue nowadays.
    Reply
  • coolitic
    They have made their reputation as being functionally-incapable of "production-quality".
    Reply
  • Shiznizzle
    What must Bill Gates be thinking?

    I handed over the reins of what i built to these clowns?

    Microsoft lost me for good. I am done with them. On GNU/Linux and still playing ALL MY STEAM GAMES, in big fat capital letters. Photoshop now also works in Linux. Many windows apps have alternatives that work almost as, if not equal to their windows counterparts.

    When up to %30 of your code is made up in ethereal then you are bound to have issues. I did not leave due to this issue though. For me they stepped way over the line with what they were already doing when they decided to treat me like i am some asset of theirs.
    Reply
  • hotaru251
    imagine having the near monopoly at one point and dropping ball for literally decade+ and becoming a joke while openly stating 1/3rd of your code is made by ai...

    Devs need to just focus on mac & linux as windows is doomed because too many greedy idiots make poor choices.
    Reply
  • usertests
    I upgraded a system from Windows 11 to Windows 10 yesterday. There was an audio issue caused by out-of-control driver latency.
    Reply
  • TechieTwo
    What would anyone expect from an industry monopolist that is accountable to no one? Virtually every Microsoft OS from Windows 1.0 has had major security and operational defects - most of which Microsoft/Gates was fully aware of and never corrected. The only reason Windows ever gained market traction was thru coersion of PC makers. Why would you expect that mentality to ever change?
    Reply
  • SomeoneElse23
    My W10 + 0patch continues to work perfectly.

    Very glad I never downgraded to W11.
    Reply
  • blitzkrieg316
    coolitic said:
    They have made their reputation as being functionally-incapable of "production-quality".
    It's all indian coding from probably 1000's of individual "contributors"
    Reply
  • ThatMouse
    This is a Preview. Turn off "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" if you don't want this <Mod Edit>.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    Much ado about nothing...

    "If someone got the update installed anyway, no reports have shown it actually breaking anything — it's just the installation process itself that's broken."
    (emphasis mine)
    Reply