Windows 11’s August update fails to install on some PCs. Here’s what you can do

Earlier this week, Microsoft released the mandatory Windows 11 update KB5063878 for August, which included some improvements and new features like Quick Machine Recovery, which allows IT administrators to remotely troubleshoot and reboot faulty PCs.

However, it appears that some users are already having trouble with the patch—even getting it to install in the first place. Various forum threads and Reddit posts contain reports of failed installations, which often occur with error codes 0x80240069, 0x80240031, or 0x800f0922.

Microsoft is aware of the problem and has listed it as a known error in this support document, which states that users who get Windows updates via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) are particularly affected. WSUS is mainly used by companies, which is consistent with the reports from system admins who have commented on these difficulties.

It also seems to make no difference whether it’s a newly installed Windows system or one that has already received several updates. This makes the search for a solution a little more difficult.

What you can do if you’re affected

Microsoft currently offers affected users the following temporary solution: perform a “Known Issue Rollback,” which allows you to undo a Windows update that’s causing problems.

There’s also a temporary workaround for the problem that involves making changes to the Windows registry or running a PowerShell script, as detailed by Windows Latest.

Afterwards, if you don’t want to wait for Microsoft to fix the issue and want to reinstall ASAP, you can try downloading the patch via Microsoft’s Update Catalog and installing it manually.

Further reading: Microsoft says Windows 11 24H2 is the “most reliable” version of Windows ever