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March 10, 2026 update KB5079473 issues

Jen Crawford 40 Reputation points
2026-03-18T21:18:49.72+00:00

I started this conversation on another thread and am moving it to a new one using the update of KB5079473 in the title. My hope is that it gets more attention from Microsoft who, after a week, believes this isn’t an issue on their side.

The March 10, 2026 update KB5079473 seems to be triggering all the issues on my Surface Laptop 7 Snapdragon. Though I haven’t had the BitLocker screen show up, I have been in a diagnosis-repair loop whenever I try the update, which has been several times. Thankfully, I’ve been able to save everything and get Windows to boot up. All my programs seem fine, so far.

I tried so many other workarounds, thanks to a thriving Windows community trying to figure this out for themselves. AI has tried to help but to no avail. MS tech support tried too and nothing worked.

Today, I tried to remove all contents in the Windows\Software Distribution folder. I was able to delete the files using the command prompt but Windows still thinks there’s a pending update. Note: I was able to refresh this folder.

What I’m afraid to do is resume the updates and trigger the same problem, or worse, a BitLocker screen.

What’s frustrating is that Microsoft doesn’t believe there is a problem with this update KB5079473 when clearly so many of us are experiencing issues. Talking with MS tech support wasn’t helpful and all they want me to do is send them my laptop, and $600, so they can look at it and maybe or maybe not fix it…something that would take about 3-4 weeks, all in, with shipping. I might get another refurbished laptop which might end up with the same issue.

Any ideas?

Surface | Surface Laptop | Install and update
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  1. S.Sengupta 30,176 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-03-19T02:19:26.8966667+00:00

    Open Command Prompt as Admin and run:

    dism /online /cleanup-image /revertpendingactions

    Reboot.

    After reboot, run:

    dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

    Then:

    sfc /scannow

    Settings → Windows Update → Pause for 2–3 weeks

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  1. David Brammer 0 Reputation points
    2026-04-08T17:41:36.3433333+00:00

    I had the same problem and it’s defo the update you mention - I still have a copy of wushowhide - a small Microsoft ‘fixit’ tool that Microsoft are making efforts to remove as this app is helpfull - I ran this and it had the update in the list to block so selecting this and the problem went away and other updates are installing fine - I suspect MS will silently fix this update in a rollup

    another thing while it’s working I would disable bitlocker - if security is a concern then disable and re enable making a note of the new key that will be generated and shown

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  2. Q&A Assist
    2026-03-18T21:19:10.5866667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    KB5079473 is known to fail to install for some devices and, in some cases, can corrupt components so that normal repair tools (SFC/DISM) and standard troubleshooting do not resolve the problem.

    From similar reported cases in the context provided, the only reliably successful remediation paths so far have been:

    1. In‑place reinstall/repair of Windows using ISO or “reinstall current version”
      • One user with KB5079473 repeatedly failing with error 0x800f0991 reported that an ISO in‑place reinstall was required to get the system back to normal; the update had corrupted Outlook and other components.
      • Another user with KB5079473 failing with 0x80073712 (even though SFC and DISM were clean) resolved the issue by using the official “reinstall the current version of Windows” process documented by Microsoft.
      • This process keeps files and apps while replacing system components, and has been effective where the update itself and normal repairs fail.
    2. Reinstall Windows via the official “fix issues by reinstalling the current version of Windows” flow
      • For persistent update failures where even an in‑place upgrade attempt fails, the recommended path is to follow Microsoft’s documented procedure to reinstall the current Windows version.
      • This is specifically cited as the fix for KB5079473 failures when CBS logs show component/metadata issues but scans look normal.
    3. Be prepared for possible app corruption
      • In at least one case, KB5079473 attempts led to corruption of Outlook and “a few other things,” which were only fixed after the in‑place reinstall.
      • Given the diagnosis/repair loop already seen, further attempts to force the same update without first repairing the OS may increase the risk of additional corruption.
    4. On the fear of BitLocker recovery screens
      • The context shows that other Windows cumulative updates (for example, KB5040456 and KB5040485) have had known issues where devices repeatedly show a BitLocker recovery screen at startup, later fixed by follow‑up updates.
      • While KB5079473 is not explicitly documented in the provided context as causing BitLocker prompts, the pattern with other updates suggests that if a BitLocker recovery screen appears, the correct action is to use the BitLocker recovery key and then apply any follow‑up fix Microsoft releases for that specific update.

    Given the above, the most practical next step, before attempting KB5079473 again, is:

    • Perform an in‑place repair/reinstall of the current Windows version using Microsoft’s documented method (or ISO in‑place upgrade) that keeps files and apps.
    • After the repair completes and the system is stable, try Windows Update again. If KB5079473 is still offered and still fails, avoid repeated attempts and monitor for an updated package or guidance from Microsoft.

    This approach has resolved KB5079473 issues for others without requiring shipment of the device or a full wipe, and is consistent with Microsoft’s own guidance for stubborn update failures.

    References:

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