2025-12 Security Update (KB5072033) (26200.7462) will not install. Any suggestions?

Figured I would throw my 2 cents in here while we still have pennies. I have a brand new laptop myself and am experiencing this issue. The new machine thing here seems to be a theme. My coworker checked his update history and his installed properly today, 12/10/25. His machine is not new. I also ran the DISM, which would not finish until I ran it with the Win 11 ISO mounted and had it look at the ISO instead of what I presume is the web. I also ran SFC. I also tried the update at least 6 times. It downloads everything and installs up to 100% and then fails. I am also still unable to install the update at this very moment. Alienware 16 Area 51 Install error - 0x800f0991

I have similar problem. First time it failed to install. Re-tried and it appeared to successfully install but now it keeps trying to install it again and fails with Install error - 0x800f0982 message. The update history says it has been successfully installed but it won't stop trying to install again.

Same issue with my brand new laptop Surface 7 (Intel). Support suggests to 'reset'. Has anyone tried resetting and has it indeed solve the problem?

I have the same problem with a brand-new computer running windows 11 pro. This is so disappointing. I've tried all the typical things to do and nothing worked.

an email just received from MS: I'll wait for the 'permanent' solution....

Thank you for contacting us regarding the installation issue with the December 2025 Security Update (KB5072033, Build 26200.7462). We want to acknowledge that this is a known problem affecting many Windows 11 users now. Even after performing a device reset, the update often fails to install, loops repeatedly, or displays error code 0x800F0991.

We understand how frustrating this can be and appreciate your patience. While resetting the device has not resolved the issue for most users, Microsoft has provided a workaround that may help:

• Manual Installation: Download the offline installer (.MSU package) for KB5072033 directly from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Running the installer manually bypasses the Windows Update process and has been successful for many customers.
• Future Fix: Microsoft is expected to release a servicing stack update to address this installation problem more permanently. We will share updates as soon as they are available.

I'm having this issue as well on a brand-new computer. This is an issue with the update. Per usual, we'll have to wait for Microsoft to acknowledge this is not an issue with us or any of our computers, but is instead an issue with their update. Give them some time, they will figure it out.

MS in an email reply to me: Good day! Thank you for contacting us regarding the installation issue with the December 2025 Security Update (KB5072033, Build 26200.7462). We want to acknowledge that this is a known problem affecting many Windows 11 users now. Even after performing a device reset, the update often fails to install, loops repeatedly, or displays error code 0x800F0991.

I’m having the same problem. I bought a new computer on Black Friday and the update won’t install on it, but it works perfectly fine on my older mini PC. This is really frustrating!

In my attempts to install this update

, but as you can see, I am getting a slightly different error code 0x800f0922.

No other updates are able to get installed.

I am concerned that this is going to leave my computer vulnerable.

Please direct how to get this resolved.

When this update installs, it gets to 100%, but then responds with the error while in the reboot of "Something did not go as planned. No need to worry -undoing changes. Please keep your computer on."

I've also had the same problem. However, if I look at Update History, I can see that this update is logged as having been installed successfully earlier the same day.

Windows Update > Update history

Feature Updates (1)

<

Windows 11, version 25H2

Successfully installed on 05/12/2025

See what's new

Quality Updates (6)

<

.NET Framework Preview Update (KB5067931)

Successfully installed on 11/12/2025

2025-12 Security Update (KB5072033) (26200.7462) (8)

Failed to install on 11/12/2025 - 0x800f0991

2025-12 Security Update (KB5072033) (26200.7462)

Successfully installed on 11/12/2025

2025-11 Preview Update (KB5070311) (26200.7309)

Successfully installed on 05/12/2025

2025-11 Update for Windows 11 Version 24H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5071430)

Successfully installed on 05/12/2025

2025-01 Update for Windows 11 Version 24H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5050575)

Successfully installed on 05/12/2025

My PC is also very new. on 2 occasions I've had MS agents take remote control of my PC and attempt to reinstall Windows 11 in a bid to repair corrupt files but each time the install has failed and the system has reverted to the checkpoint created before the reinstall.

I have been experiencing a similar issue while attempting to install the 2025-12 Security Update (KB5072033) (26200.7462) on the refurbished Inspiron 16 5640 laptop I just received from Dell as a system replacement. The Security Update files download successfully. After the installation reaches the 100% mark, the installation fails and I receive Install error - 0x800f0983. Similar to others, I've run DISM /ONLINE /CLEANUP-IMAGE /RESTOREHEALTH and SFC /SCANNOW with no issues identified. I've also deleted all files in the Windows/Software Distribution/Download directory, so new versions of the Security Update files could be downloaded & installed. I also turned off my anti-virus software and attempted to install this Security Update but experienced the exact same failure results. I'm not experiencing any issues with downloading & installing the Security Intelligence Updates for Microsoft Defender Antivirus or any other updates.

Same as the rest of you. It seems like all comments are from users with brand new machines. Mine is only a few days old. IT set it up last week and I received it on Monday.

My computer is also Alienware.
I'm not surprised that MS customer service is advising users to reinstall windows. But that clearly won't help.
I'd be less angry about this if MS hadn't stopped supporting Windows 10, which is forcing a few hundred million users to replace perfectly good computers. The amount of E-waste resulting from that is insane. They've gotten a lot of hate over that but is it affecting their bottom line?

For me, it was a big problem when I got my laptop. A week old as well, updated my setup immediately. But it wouldn't download, so I tried resetting it. And now it's at 98%, better than it was stuck at 4%. I'll update once this finishes.

My Surface Pro 9 hasn't finished updating after 3 days. Why? Please help me.

I deleted the downloaded file and tried updating manually, but it's still the same.

same here! this annoying several Gigabytes update always fails! I tried In-place-Update with support but it failed as well. they remotely tried everything and restarted the windows updater but nothing helped and they said I should reset the laptop (less than week old with amd ryzen ai 7 350 processor)

Same problem. Its very annoying. and I had the same problem with a different security update last month too.

UPDATE ON MY PROBLEM WITH THIS SYSTEM: I was able to update it in the end, one thing I did was do a reset on my laptop. Choose keep all files then cloud save. After a horrible hour of waiting. It eventually passed and everything was up to date. You just need to be very patient (took about 5-6 hours if I say so)

Per MS - doing a reset is a hit or miss; for some it will work, for others it will not. They advised to wait for an official fix. seems like this is affecting new laptop devices, my 2 veteran home PC's installed the update just fine

I'm having the same problem with my Asus ROG Strix G18 as I write this. I feel stupid for even trying to download and install it because I didn't read the update number first. This is the same update that put me in a bitlocker loop 3 hours after unboxing my last computer. Asus help desk just told me to return the computer back to the store because they couldn't fix it. That's how I ended up with this one. Here's hoping I don't get another bricked laptop. 🤞

Same problem. Just purchased a Dell desktop with Windows 11. 2025-12 Security update does not install after many attempts. Can anyone help? Thanks

It took an entire day for my computer (3 year old dell inspiron) to recover from this. It seems to be working, but my one drive was not updating so I restarted and now comp takes like 10 min to restart, used to be under a minute. Something is very wrong with this update.

From yesterday to today, I've been updating Windows 11 KB5072033 (Operating System Components 26200.7462 and 26100.7462) security updates, but the update keeps failing.

Yesterday, I tried updating again. First, I restarted, and the update inexplicably started, saying "Please keep your computer on." It ran for 20 minutes. Then I restarted again, and shortly after, the update inexplicably started again, saying "Please keep your computer on." It ran for 3 minutes and then booted up. However, update 20251211-1212 failed to install successfully (KB5072033) (26200.7462).

As a result, this update was removed from the quality update list.

Hi! I was having the same issue! What has always fixed this issue for me is looking in the search bar and looking up "recovery options", once you select that find "Fix problems using Windows Update" and click "Reinstall now". This will reinstall ur current version of windows. You will not lose any files or apps. I had to do this twice already because of windows.

Tristan T Restart this PC in 15 minutes.

I just solved this issue so if the error is 0x80070306 or something similar you got a messed up files that you can check from your dism.log only fix that worked is using a windows iso file and reinstalling windows (while keeping all files apps and settings) but choose to not update drivers (not right now) while you're not connected to the internet When you disconnect the internet and choose “Not right now”:

Setup is forced onto the offline servicing path

No Windows Update queries occur

No FOD reconciliation is attempted

• Setup rebuilds CBS only from the ISO’s known-good baseline When you disconnect the internet and choose “Not right now”:

Setup is forced onto the offline servicing path

No Windows Update queries occur

No FOD reconciliation is attempted

• Setup rebuilds CBS only from the ISO’s known-good baseline In other words: Setup replaces the servicing database instead of trying to fix it. The way you can confirm if this issue will be solved if you did this fix is by going to C:\Windows\Logs\DISM and opening the dism.log file after you did the update if you see "Time_InternalToPublic failed - Time_InternalToPublic" Then this fix will work on you issue additionally if you see another error not related to this you can go off from there on how to fix this ongoing issue