# Microsoft Warns of Windows Update Failures Affecting Recent 24H2 and 25H2 Upgrades
Microsoft has disclosed a known issue preventing a small but significant population of Windows users from installing the latest monthly security and stability updates, following a critical wave of update installation problems that has plagued the company's patch cycle over the past several months. The failure stems from a corrupted component store on devices that were upgraded from older Windows versions to the latest 24H2 or 25H2 releases.
Affected users encountering the issue will see specific error codes—0x80073712 (ERROR_SXS_COMPONENT_STORE_CORRUPT) or 0x800f0993 (PSFX_E_REBASE_HYDRATION_CANDIDATES_MISSING)—when attempting to install June 2026's cumulative updates through Windows Update. Once the error appears, the affected system becomes unable to install subsequent monthly updates until the issue is resolved.
## The Issue
Microsoft's service alert, initially reported by Microsoft MVP Susan Bradley, indicates that a "small percentage of devices" are experiencing update installation failures following upgrades to Windows 11 versions 24H2 or 25H2. The company specified that the affected population includes devices originally running:
These devices, after being upgraded to Windows 11 version 24H2 or 25H2, encounter failures when attempting to install the latest cumulative updates. The issue prevents users from advancing their security patching schedule, creating a potential security maintenance gap until remediation is applied.
When users check Settings > Windows Update > Update history on affected systems, they will see the failed update attempts logged. Examining the Windows Update log files provides additional technical details about the underlying component corruption.
## Technical Details
The root cause involves the Windows component store—a critical system repository that manages the installation and integrity of Windows components. Two distinct error codes point to related but slightly different manifestations of the same underlying problem:
Error 0x800f0993 (PSFX_E_REBASE_HYDRATION_CANDIDATES_MISSING): This error indicates that the system cannot locate required component store hydration candidates, suggesting that essential package data needed for the update process is missing or inaccessible after the upgrade process.
Error 0x80073712 (ERROR_SXS_COMPONENT_STORE_CORRUPT): This error explicitly indicates corruption within the Side-by-Side (SxS) component store itself, meaning the component repository has become corrupted during or after the upgrade from an earlier Windows version.
The issue appears to be triggered during the upgrade process itself, as the component store becomes corrupted when transitioning devices from Windows 10 or older Windows 11 versions to the latest major releases. This corruption then prevents the standard update mechanism from functioning properly on subsequent patch Tuesday releases.
## Affected Devices and Timeline
According to Microsoft, the issue only affects devices that have already been upgraded to Windows 11 versions 24H2 or 25H2. Importantly, the company noted that no new devices in these categories should be affected starting May 19, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. PT, suggesting that the underlying upgrade process has been corrected to prevent the component store corruption going forward.
| Windows Version | Originating KB | Resolved KB |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10, version 21H2 | KB5082200 | KB5094127 |
| Windows 10, version 22H2 | KB5082200 | KB5094127 |
| Windows 11, version 23H2 | KB5082052 | KB5093998 |
| Windows 11, version 24H2 | KB5079391 | KB5094126 |
| Windows 11, version 25H2 | KB5079391 | KB5094126 |
## Available Mitigation Options
Microsoft has provided multiple remediation pathways depending on the device's current state:
### For Unmanaged Devices
Personal computers running Windows 11 Home edition and unmanaged enterprise devices will receive an automatic fix following a system restart. Microsoft recommends restarting devices as soon as possible to allow the resolution to apply. No additional user action is required beyond the restart.
### For Devices Already Upgraded
For devices that have already been upgraded to Windows 11 versions 24H2 or 25H2 and are experiencing the update failure, Microsoft provides a command-line workaround. Users with administrative privileges should open an elevated Command Prompt and execute:
dism /online /remove-package /packagename:Package_for_RollupFix~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~26100.1742.1.10This command removes the affected package that is blocking update installation. Removing this specific package should unblock the Windows Update process and allow monthly updates to proceed normally.
### If Command-Line Fix Fails
Should the package removal command fail to resolve the issue, Microsoft advises users to perform a Windows 11 in-place upgrade. An in-place upgrade reinstalls Windows while preserving user data, applications, and settings, effectively rebuilding the component store and resolving the corruption.
## Background and Context: A Pattern of Update Problems
This issue is not an isolated incident. Microsoft has experienced a troubling pattern of Windows update installation failures over recent months:
The recurring nature of these failures—often involving similar error codes and similar triggers (major version upgrades, preview updates, or cumulative patches)—suggests systemic issues within Microsoft's update testing and validation pipeline. Each incident requires specific workarounds or out-of-band fixes, indicating that the standard quality assurance process is not catching these issues before release.
## Implications for Organizations and Users
The failure to install monthly security updates represents a significant operational and security risk. Monthly Windows updates contain critical security patches addressing newly discovered vulnerabilities. Devices unable to receive these updates remain vulnerable to known exploits until the component store corruption is remediated.
For IT departments managing large device fleets, this issue complicates update deployment timelines and requires troubleshooting on affected systems. The availability of command-line workarounds and in-place upgrade procedures means that affected users are not entirely blocked, but remediation requires technical knowledge or IT support intervention.
The repeated pattern of update issues also raises questions about the adequacy of Microsoft's pre-release testing, particularly for major version upgrades and the complex component store interactions they trigger.
## Recommendations
For Individual Users:
For IT Administrators:
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## HackWire Analysis
This recurring cycle of Windows update failures reflects a troubling gap in Microsoft's quality assurance processes. Over the past six months, nearly every major patch cycle has introduced or exposed installation failures—sometimes requiring emergency out-of-band fixes. This pattern suggests that testing may be insufficient for the complex interactions between major version upgrades, component store management, and incremental patching.
What's particularly concerning is that this specific issue stems from the upgrade process itself. The component store corruption occurs when devices transition from Windows 10 or earlier Windows 11 versions to 24H2 or 25H2. This means the testing pipeline failed to catch a critical flaw in one of Windows' most fundamental upgrade pathways. For organizations managing large fleets of devices, this translates to unpredictable update timelines and the need to maintain technical staff capable of hand-remediation using command-line tools or in-place upgrades.
The "small percentage" characterization also deserves scrutiny. Even a single-digit percentage of a billion-device install base represents millions of affected machines. Users on these systems face a security patchability problem until they apply manual workarounds—and not all users have the technical capability or access to administrative command prompts to do so.
The positive note is that Microsoft has now published clear remediation steps and indicated the issue is fixed in new upgrades going forward (as of May 19). However, the backlog of already-corrupted systems requires active user intervention. Organizations should prioritize identifying affected devices and applying the DISM package removal command or in-place upgrades to restore normal update functionality.
This also highlights why security teams should not assume automatic patching guarantees timely security updates. Monitoring actual update success—not just deployment attempts—remains a critical part of vulnerability management.
— HackWire Editorial
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