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KB5068861 – Install Errors & SMB Issues

November 2025’s **Windows 11 Security Update KB5068861 (26200.7171)** has been failing on some devices with errors such as 0x80070306, and has also triggered SMB / network-search quirks in some environments. This page summarises what’s known and collates practical workarounds.

Jump to Install Issues Jump to SMB / Search Issues

Quick Overview

According to community reports and third-party analyses, KB5068861:

  • Patches a large set of security issues for Windows 11 25H2/24H2.
  • Fails to install on some systems with 0x80070306, 0x800f081f, or 0x800f0983.
  • Can cause slow or broken search over SMB shares (File Explorer / Windows Search) in some networked environments.

This page is informational only – always validate against official Microsoft documentation, test in a lab where possible, and ensure you have recent backups or restore points before making changes.

1. Install errors – 0x80070306 and others

Symptoms

  • Windows Update repeatedly attempts to install 2025-11 Security Update (KB5068861) and fails.
  • Install error – 0x80070306 shown in Windows Update history or Event Viewer.
  • Some devices may see related codes such as 0x800f081f or 0x800f0983.
  • Standard quick fixes (reboot, retry, simple troubleshooters) do not permanently resolve the issue on affected machines.

Possible contributing factors

  • Component Store / servicing stack inconsistencies.
  • Residual issues from previous 2025 cumulative updates (e.g. 24H2/25H2 preview builds) on the same system.
  • Third-party security products interfering during the update process.
  • Occasional “bad” monthly build that Microsoft later revises or supersedes.

Recommended actions / workarounds

These are commonly suggested steps seen in the field. Use what fits your organisation’s risk profile and change-control process.

  1. Basic health checks
    Run from an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell: 
    sfc /scannow
                        DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
    Reboot and re-try Windows Update afterwards.
  2. Clear Windows Update cache
    Stop the Windows Update service, clear C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution, then start the service again (or use your existing “reset WU” script), and retry the update.
  3. Manual .msu install
    Download the KB5068861 package for the correct edition/build from the Microsoft Update Catalog and attempt a manual install. This sometimes succeeds where the standard WU pipeline fails.
  4. In-place repair via Media Creation Tool
    Where repeated failures persist, one of the more reliable options reported is an in-place upgrade using the **Media Creation Tool** to re-install the same build (26200.7171) while keeping apps and data.
    • Backup critical data first.
    • Download the latest Media Creation Tool from Microsoft.
    • Choose Upgrade this PC now and ensure “Keep personal files and apps” is selected.
    • Re-run Windows Update afterwards to confirm KB5068861 is now registered as installed.
  5. Monitor for a revised build
    If the update is not business-critical in your environment (e.g. test or pilot ring), you may choose to pause quality updates and wait for a revised monthly release or an out-of-band hotfix that addresses the install bug.

2. SMB & File Explorer search issues

Reported SMB / network symptoms

  • File Explorer search on mapped drives / UNC paths becomes extremely slow or returns incomplete results.
  • Server-side search index over SMB appears to be ignored – the client crawls everything itself instead.
  • Some admins report degraded throughput on certain NIC / driver combinations after installing KB5068861.
  • Issues mostly affect enterprise / business setups using file servers, NAS devices, or heavily indexed shares.

Mitigations to try

Microsoft have not yet documented a definitive fix at the time of writing, but the following steps have helped some environments:

  1. Reset search components
    Run in an elevated PowerShell window on an affected client: 
    Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience* | Reset-AppxPackage
                            Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS* | Reset-AppxPackage
                            Restart-Service WSearch
  2. Rebuild the search index
    On the client:
    • Open Control Panel > Indexing Options.
    • Click Advanced > Rebuild.
    • Allow time for the index to fully rebuild.
  3. Validate SMB configuration
    Confirm:
    • Servers and clients are using supported SMB versions (SMBv1 should be disabled wherever possible).
    • Anti-virus / EDR exclusions for file servers and high-churn shares are correctly configured.
    • NIC drivers and firmware are up to date.
  4. Temporary rollback (last resort)
    If KB5068861 is already installed and is clearly causing business-critical SMB/search issues, you may choose to temporarily:
    • Uninstall the update on affected machines.
    • Pause quality updates for that ring.
    • Track Microsoft’s known issues page for KB5068861 and re-deploy when a fixed build is available.
    This should only be done after a risk assessment, given the security fixes included in the update.

3. Operational notes for your environment

  • Ring-based deployment: keep KB5068861 in pilot / test rings before broad rollout, especially for file servers and SMB-heavy workloads.
  • Monitoring: watch for spikes in update failures, SMB latency, and search-related helpdesk tickets after Patch Tuesday.
  • Communication: brief support teams about known error codes (0x80070306, 0x800f081f, 0x800f0983) and the basic troubleshooting flow on this page.
  • Documentation: record any environment-specific fixes so they can be reused for future monthly cumulative updates.