Microsoft pledged to simplify Windows 11 updates – it just paused a preview over installation errors

A preview of a major Windows 11 update has been paused by Microsoft after users reported installation errors.

The update, KB5079391, is a preview of non-security features for Windows 11, so it won't have gone out to all users. The preview was first released last week, and paused a day later.

While spotting a flaw in an update is rather the point of previews – it's better than the update going out to a wider user base – the error comes hot on the heels of a pledge to improve Windows, in particular updates.

"Across the operating system, we will focus on improving the baseline reliability of areas such as the Windows Insider Program, drivers and apps, updates and Windows Hello," the company said in a March blog post.

That promise followed a series of security patches and other updates featuring bugs that caused chaos for users by starting reboot loops, breaking reset and recovery loops, and even possibly bricking some SSDs.

Why did Microsoft pause the Windows update preview?

In this instance, the update is a non-security feature preview, so isn't a requirement to roll out quickly. The flaw appears to block users from installing the preview at all.

Reports from Tom's Hardware suggested an error message shown to users said that update files were missing or had flaws, with the system promising to download the update again later.

On Microsoft's support site, the company said: "Rollout of this update is temporarily paused due to installation error."

"To prevent additional impact while the issue is investigated, Microsoft has temporarily limited the availability of this update," the company reportedly added. "As a result, the update temporarily might not be offered through Windows Update."

Microsoft is yet to reply to ITPro's request for further comment. The update was initially released on 26 March, and was paused the following evening; as yet, Microsoft has not reissued the update.

What was in the Windows update?

The update for Windows 11 applied to versions 25H2 and 24H2 and was labelled as KB5079391. Microsoft noted the update primarily targets "production-quality improvements" for the operating system.

When the preview is fixed, the update will include new features for Windows 11 – with the company specifically highlighting new "AI powered capabilities".

That includes a tool called Narrator, which uses Copilot to describe images. This is being expanded from Copilot-only devices to all running Windows 11. Another feature is the ability to enable or disable Smart App Control without a clean install.

Alongside those, Microsoft is rolling out updates to Display reliability and a few usability tweaks to Account Settings and File Explorer.

"You can more reliably unblock files downloaded from the internet in order to preview them in File Explorer," the company noted, adding files can be renamed using Voice Typing.

"You can now sort the permissions entries in the Advanced Security Settings window for a folder in File Explorer by Principal."

Other improvements are coming to Windows Hello fingerprint reliability, Voice access tools, and loading taskbar components in safe mode, according to the support document.

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