Windows 11 update reportedly hit by mystery bug TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. Windows 11 update reportedly hit by mystery bug By Darren Allan published 16 August 2022 Latest cumulative update fails to install for some, with no clue as to why (Image credit: Shutterstock) Audio player loading… Windows 11's most recent cumulative update is reportedly failing to install for some users, with no explanation as to why. This problem with Microsoft's round of patching for August (KB5016629) which was deployed last week, is that with some installation attempts, it's screeching to a halt with one of the typically uninformative error messages we're unfortunately used to seeing (and sighing at, no doubt). As Windows Latest (opens in new tab) reports, the installation error cites a meaningless code '0x80073701', with multiple users complaining that the update won't fire up on Microsoft's Feedback Hub. One message reads: "It takes ages to download and then comes up with this error – no other information – someone at Microsoft must know what the error code means and how to correct it." This issue has also been raised over at Microsoft's official Answers.com (opens in new tab) help forum. Suggestions made here – take them with caution, as this isn't official advice as such – include uninstalling Malwarebytes (or at least switching off real-time protection temporarily), and also turning off .NET Framework 3.5.   Analysis Start menu bug makes this a thornier failure  Thus far Microsoft hasn't acknowledged this problem, so if the company is investigating, then it's doing so on the quiet. There are, however, a couple of known issues that the software giant has flagged with KB5016629, relating to the XPS Viewer, and the Edge browser (specifically with IE mode tabs in the latter case); so be aware of those, too. Another thing to note here is that as well as applying a bunch of security fixes, this patch solves a serious issue with the Start menu – namely that some users can't open it at all. So, if you've been affected by that glitch, as well as the above installation failure bug, that's going to be a frustrating combination of factors working against you. That said, this overlap is likely to be just a very small niche of particularly unlucky people, no doubt. Hopefully we'll hear something official from Microsoft on this bug soon enough, and maybe we will see a fix implemented at speed. Meantime, you could at least try temporarily turning off your antivirus as suggested above to see if that helps.Today's best Laptop deals (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$556.19 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$849.76 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)$1,099.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)Show More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Darren Allan Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013). See more Operating systems news TechRadar Newsletter Sign up to get breaking news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST POPULARMOST SHARED1PC gamers are shunning high-end GPUs – spelling trouble for the Nvidia RTX 40902It looks like Fallout's spiritual successor is getting a PS5 remaster3Samsung's smaller micro-LED 4K TV might finally be on the way to battle OLED4A whole new breed of SSDs is about to break through5Barely anyone is buying foldable smartphones yet1Con le RTX 4000 ho capito che Nvidia ha perso la testa2Canon's next mirrorless camera could be too cheap for its own good3PC gamers are shunning high-end GPUs – spelling trouble for the Nvidia RTX 40904IT pros suffer from serious misconceptions about Microsoft 365 security5A whole new breed of SSDs is about to break through Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)● (opens in new tab)The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviewsFrom$12.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab) Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions:NederlandBelgië (Nederlands)