For the second time I have had a Windows Update that failed?

MikeHawthorne

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I got another notice of a new update and told it to go ahead, but after going through the process, it said something didn't go right. Don't worry, we are undoing the update.

Then it went through the installation process, gave me the same message, and finally loaded Windows.
I don't recall whether the previous one was ever installed.

I got a large update recently that went through.

Any ideas about what's going on?

Nothing that I found shows any error messages except the update!
 
Mike, that “Something didn’t go right… we’re undoing the update” message usually means Windows installed the update, failed during the reboot/configure phase, and rolled back. The key now is to identify which update (KB number) and whether there’s an error code recorded (Windows often hides it unless you look in Update History / logs).
Also: I don’t see any attachments on this post (no screenshots/logs came through). If you meant to attach something, please try uploading again.

1) First: get the exact KB + error code (most important)​

  1. Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update
  2. Click View update history
  3. Look for the Failed entry and note:
    • The KB number (example: KB50xxxxxx)
    • Any 0x… error code shown
If you post the KB + error code, we can usually pinpoint the cause quickly.

Also grab your exact Windows version​

  • Press Win + R → type winver → tell me the Version and OS Build.

2) Important context (since it’s Feb 10, 2026)​

Your profile says Windows 10 Pro. Windows 10 standard support ended October 14, 2025.
Microsoft offers a consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) option that can keep Windows 10 getting security updates through October 13, 2026 (but not feature upgrades).
So one key question:
  • Are you enrolled in Windows 10 ESU, or did you recently see any prompt/wizard about “Extended Security Updates”?
(If what failed is related to ESU enrollment, that can present as vague “something went wrong” style failures.)

3) Quick “safe” fixes that resolve a lot of failed updates​

A) Run DISM + SFC (repairs the component store / system files)​

Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:
Code: 
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow
Reboot when finished, then try Check for updates again.

B) Make sure you have space + no pending reboot​

  • Ensure at least 20–30 GB free on C: (updates can fail mid-way without enough working space).
  • Reboot once normally, then try updates again.

4) Reset Windows Update components (most common “rollback” fix)​

If DISM/SFC doesn’t do it, reset the update cache:
1) Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:
Code: 
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop cryptsvc
net stop msiserver

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

net start msiserver
net start cryptsvc
net start bits
net start wuauserv
2) Reboot, then try Windows Update again.
This fixes a lot of cases where the download is corrupted or the database gets stuck.

5) If it still fails: install that KB manually​

Once you tell me the KB number, you can usually install it directly from the Microsoft Update Catalog (bypasses some Windows Update issues). I’ll point you to the exact package for your system after you post the KB.

6) What I need from you to narrow it down​

Reply with:
1) The Failed update KB number + error code from Update History
2) Your winver Version + OS Build
3) Confirm whether you’re on Windows 10 ESU (or saw any ESU enrollment prompts)
With those three items, I can give you a targeted fix (and tell you whether this is a normal servicing corruption issue, an ESU-related issue, or something driver/firmware-related).
 
2026-02 Security Update (KB5077181) (26200.7840)

This was the update that failed?
 
2026-02 Security Update (KB5077181) (26200.7840)

This was the update that failed
 
Yes — KB5077181 is the update entry you’re looking at, and if it shows “Failed to install” in Update History, then that’s the update that rolled back (the “something didn’t go right… undoing changes” message).

Confirm whether it actually installed (or rolled back)​

Because Windows can try it more than once, the quickest way to confirm the final result is:
1) Press Win + R → type winver
  • If it says OS Build 26200.7840, then it did install.
  • If it shows an older 26200.x build, then it failed and reverted.
2) Or in an elevated Command Prompt:
dism /online /get-packages | findstr 5077181
If it’s installed, you’ll usually see it listed.

If it keeps failing again​

A common reason is the update is a “checkpoint / prerequisite” style install. If you ever try the manual MSU install route, KB5077181 may require installing a prerequisite update first (often shown in the Catalog as a second MSU). One documented order for this update line is KB5043080 first, then KB5077181. d from you
In Settings → Windows Update → View update history, click the failed entry and tell me the error code (usually starts with 0x800f… or similar). That code determines whether we should do a DISM/SFC repair, reset the update components, or address a specific servicing issue.
 
KB5077181 is the February 10, 2026 cumulative update for Windows 11 24H2/25H2, and Microsoft lists it as taking systems to OS Build 26200.7840 (25H2) or 26100.7840 (24H2). (support.microsoft.com)

0) First, confirm whether it actually installed anyway​

Even if you saw the rollback message, sometimes Windows ends up completing it on a later boot.
  • Press Win + R → winver
    • If it already shows 26200.7840, you’re done (the “failed” entry is basically stale history).
    • If you’re still on something like 26200.7705 / 26200.762x / etc., then it truly rolled back.

Why this update commonly fails when done “manually” / out of order​

Microsoft notes that KB5077181’s standalone packages can require installing MSU files in a specific order, and explicitly lists installing KB5043080 first, then KB5077181. (support.microsoft.com)
Even though Windows Update should handle prerequisites automatically, when the update cache/component store is a little out of sync, you can get exactly what you saw: “Something didn’t go as planned… undoing changes.”

Recommended fix path (in order)​

1) Repair Windows component store + system files​

Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:
Code: 
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow
Reboot once when finished.

2) Reset Windows Update cache (clears corrupted download/metadata)​

In Command Prompt (Admin):
Code: 
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop cryptsvc
net stop msiserver

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

net start msiserver
net start cryptsvc
net start bits
net start wuauserv
Reboot, then try Windows Update again.

3) If it still fails: install it the way Microsoft documents (with the prerequisite)​

Microsoft’s KB page states two supported approaches, including:

Option A (often easiest): put the MSUs in one folder and use DISM​

Microsoft documents installing via DISM with the KB5077181 MSU, and DISM can pick up prerequisite MSUs in the same folder. (support.microsoft.com)

Option B (explicit order): install KB5043080 first, then KB5077181​

Microsoft explicitly lists this order: KB5043080 MSU → KB5077181 MSU. (support.microsoft.com)
(You can grab them from the Microsoft Update Catalog via the link on the KB page.)

If it fails again, I’ll need one extra detail​

Please reply with the error code from:
Settings → Windows Update → Update history → Failed (it’s usually something like 0x800f081f, 0x80070005, etc.).
Also, Microsoft currently says they’re not aware of known issues with KB5077181, so the error code will matter a lot for narrowing this down. (support.microsoft.com)
 
Got it — and that’s the best place for it.
For anyone landing here (below the guide), the fix is the one you documented: in‑place repair upgrade (repair‑install) using same-branch, same-edition media that’s the same or newer build. In your case, the ISO was Windows 11 Home x64, Version 10.0.26200, ServicePack Build 7840, which is newer than 26200.7623, and that’s what allowed “Keep personal files and apps” while rebuilding the servicing baseline. it even easier for people to find:
  • Add a one-line link to the guide (or quote it) in this post, and
  • Make sure the thread is marked Solved / your guide post is set as the Solution (if the thread has that option).
If anyone replies saying they have the same error (0x800f0983 / PSFX_E_MATCHING_COMPONENT_DIRECTORY_MISSING) but can’t keep apps/files, the first thing to check is whether their ISO/build is older than their installed build (your guide’s ISO sanity check step is the key discriminator).
 

Windows 11 Thread '[SOLVED] 2026-02 Security Update (KB5077181) (26200.7840) Failing'

[SOLVED] KB5077181 Failing at 78–79% — Full Start‑to‑Finish Fix Guide (With ISO Checks + BitLocker Notes)

Posting this to help anyone dealing with the same issue I spent days fighting. My system refused to install KB5077181 (26200.7840) and always failed in the exact same way. Here is everything I did from start to finish, including the final fix and the verification steps recommended by others in this thread.

---------------------------------------
1. Symptoms of the Problem
---------------------------------------
• Update would reach 78%
• Instantly jump to 79%
• Windows Error Reporting...
  • 10thdimension
  • 26200.7840 component store kb5077181 lcu failure servicing stack update error update failure updatestuck windows 11 windows update
  • Replies: 7
  • Forum: Windows Help and Support
 
Great — that embed points to your solved write-up thread #401132.
If you want it to be maximally discoverable from this thread as well, I’d do two quick things:
1) Add a plain link line (in addition to the embed)
Some readers (and some forum themes) don’t expand embeds reliably. Add a simple line like:
  • Guide / fix steps: [Windows 11 - [SOLVED] 2026-02 Security Update (KB5077181) (26200.7840) Failing](https://windowsforum.com/threads/401132)
2) Mark the correct post as the Solution (in whichever thread has the “Solved” state)
If WindowsForum lets you choose a specific “Solution” post, pick the post that contains the full checklist + ISO sanity check + BitLocker notes.
That way, anyone who lands here from search can click straight through to your fix without scrolling.
 
I think it may have gotten fixed.
I tried to Run ...

"DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth<br>sfc /scannow"

But it wouldn't complete. It stalled at 63.3 % every time.

Now my capital R issue is back again.

But I went ahead and typed the code.

net stop wuauserv<br>net stop bits<br>net stop cryptsvc<br>net stop msiserver<br><br>ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old<br>ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old<br><br>net start msiserver<br>net start cryptsvc<br>net start bits<br>net start wuauserv

It completed and the notice vanished.

So at least now I'm not being bugged to up date.
 
Mike — good sign. Resetting SoftwareDistribution + catroot2 often clears a stuck/failed cumulative update cycle, and it matches what you saw (the update notice disappearing) for KB5077181 / build 26200.x. e two separate things here:
1) Did KB5077181 actually install, or did Windows just stop nagging for now?
2) Why is DISM hanging at 63.3%? (that can indicate component store corruption or it may simply be taking a long time)
3) Your “capital R issue” (sounds like a keyboard/input problem) is back — likely unrelated to Windows Update, but let’s pin it down.

1) Confirm whether KB5077181 is installed​

Please do one of these:

Option A (easy)​

  • Win + R → winver
    Post back the Version and OS Build.

Option B (definitive)​

Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:
dism /online /get-packages | findstr 5077181
If it shows a package with 5077181 and State: Installed, you’re good.
Why this matters: Sometimes the “notice” disappears because the update is temporarily deferred, the cache got reset, or it’s waiting on prerequisites—so we should verify the actual build/package state.

2) DISM stuck at 63.3%: what to do next​

A couple notes:
  • DISM can “look frozen” for a long time at certain percentages. If it sat at 63.3% for only, say, 10–30 minutes, that can be normal.
  • If it sits at 63.3% for 2+ hours repeatedly, then treat it as genuinely stuck.

Try this first (simple)​

  1. Reboot.
  2. Run DISM by itself (don’t combine commands on one line):
    DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  3. After DISM completes, run:
    sfc /scannow

If it still hangs at 63.3% repeatedly​

Tell me:
  • How long you left it running (minutes/hours)?
  • Are you on Windows 10 or Windows 11? (Your update/build number suggests Windows 11 26200.x, but your profile says Windows 10 Pro.)
If it’s truly stuck, the usual next step is doing DISM with a known-good source (mounted ISO) using /Source + /LimitAccess. I can give you exact commands once I know your exact Windows version/build.

3) The “capital R issue” — quick triage questions + fixes​

When you say it’s “back”, do you mean:
  • Pressing r types R (uppercase) even when Caps Lock is off?
  • Or is it only in a specific app (Word/Photoshop/browser)?
  • Does it happen immediately after boot, or only sometimes?

Quick checks (2 minutes)​

  1. Tap Caps Lock a couple times and see if the on-screen indicator changes.
  2. Go to Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard and make sure these are OFF:
    • Sticky Keys
    • Filter Keys
    • Toggle Keys
  3. Run On-Screen Keyboard (osk) and click r there:
    • If OSK types lowercase normally but your physical keyboard types uppercase, it points to a hardware / driver / stuck-shift type issue.
If you answer the 3 questions above (what exactly happens, in which apps, and whether OSK behaves), I’ll narrow it down fast.

What I need from you in your next reply​

1) winver output (Version + OS Build)
2) How long DISM sat at 63.3% before you stopped it
3) Clarify the “capital R issue”: does r always become R, and does it happen everywhere or only in one program?
 
This update failed.

2026-02 Security Update (KB5077181) (26200.7840)

But at least it's not attempting to make me install it now.
It did install the update that came in since that one.

It's tough to type without using the aRRR!

This is only in the 4um. same as it did last time.

PS.
If I type it elsewhere and paste it in, does it work fine?
 
On the Windows update part: if a newer cumulative update installed successfully after KB5077181 failed, you’re probably functionally patched now. Cumulative updates are superseding (the newer one contains the older fixes), so Windows may stop offering KB5077181 once you’re on a later LCU—even though Update History still shows that older one as “Failed.” you to do (just to be 100% sure you’re actually up to date):

1) Confirm your current build​

  • Win + R → winver
  • Post the OS Build (it will be 26200.xxxxx if you’re on that branch)
If the build number is higher than 26200.7840, then the later update superseded it and you can ignore the KB5077181 failure entry.

2) Optional: verify whether KB5077181 is installed (not strictly necessary if build is newer)​

Admin Command Prompt:
dism /online /get-packages | findstr 5077181

Now the bigger annoyance: the “capital R” problem (only on the forum)​

Since you’re saying this happens only in the 4um editor (same as last time), that strongly suggests it’s not Windows / keyboard hardware, but something specific to:
  • the browser (Chrome/Edge/Firefox),
  • a browser extension (Grammarly, language tools, key remappers, etc.), or
  • a site-specific editor setting / autocorrect feature.

Quick isolation tests (fast, no risk)​

1) Try a different browser just for one reply on the forum
  • If you normally use Chrome/Edge, try Firefox (or vice versa).
  • If the problem disappears, it’s almost certainly an extension or browser setting.
2) Try Incognito / InPrivate mode
  • This usually disables most extensions by default.
  • If “R becomes capital” stops in Incognito, it’s an extension.
3) Disable extensions for windowsforum.com
  • Temporarily disable anything that touches text boxes:
    • Grammarly
    • Microsoft Editor
    • LanguageTool
    • “AutoCorrect” style extensions
    • Any “keyboard macro” / “key remap” extensions

One very telling question​

When you type in the forum, is it:
  • every r becomes R? (ex: “for” → “foR”)
    or
  • only some rs / only after spaces / only at the start of words?
If you answer that, I can tell you whether this is likely an autocorrect rule vs a stuck modifier key behavior inside the editor.

If you want, I can help pinpoint it in 2 replies​

Tell me:
1) Which browser you’re using (Chrome/Edge/Firefox)
2) Does it happen in Incognito/InPrivate? (yes/no)
3) Exactly how it changes your text (example: type for and it becomes foR?)
And if you can, paste a short list of extensions you have enabled (or just the ones related to writing/spellcheck).
 
25H2 (OS Build 26200.7628)

ChRome

Doesn't do the R thing in Incognito mode!

Any R appeas only when typed as a Capital. It appeas as a nothing no space if it's typed as a lowecase.
And my spell checke won't fix it.
 
Last edited:
That winver result is the smoking gun:
  • You’re on Windows 11 25H2, OS Build 26200.7628
  • The update you mentioned (KB5077181) would have moved you to 26200.7840
  • So KB5077181 is not installed (you’re still below .7840)
Resetting SoftwareDistribution/catroot2 can absolutely make the “install now” nag disappear temporarily, but it doesn’t mean you’re patched—Windows may simply re-offer the update later after a new scan.

What I’d do next (quick + targeted)​

1) Make sure updates aren’t paused​

Go to Settings → Windows Update and confirm:
  • Pause updates is Off
  • No “resume updates” button
Then click Check for updates.

2) Get the error code for the KB5077181 failure​

Go to Settings → Windows Update → Update history → Failed and click the KB5077181 entry (or the related “Cumulative Update” entry).
Post the error code (example 0x800f0983, 0x800f081f, etc.). That code determines the correct fix.

3) If it keeps failing: the “real” fix is usually a repair install (in-place upgrade)​

On this forum, 10thdimension posted a solved guide for this exact KB failing scenario (it’s linked earlier in your thread). The short version is:
  • Download an ISO that matches your edition and is the same branch/build or newer
  • Mount ISO → run setup.exe → Keep personal files and apps
This rebuilds the servicing/component baseline, which is often what’s broken when cumulative updates keep rolling back.

One more important question​

Are you on the Windows Insider builds (Dev/Beta/Canary)?
Build 26200.x strongly suggests you are, and that affects which “latest” update you should be getting (and which ISO is considered “same branch”).
If you reply with:
1) the KB5077181 failure error code, and
2) whether you’re on Insider (and which channel),
…I’ll tell you the most efficient next step (manual install vs repair install vs DISM-with-source).
 
When I logged in a few minutes ago it tried without asking, and failed again.
It went though the whole thing again and then Reset it again without completing it.
 
If it’s still rolling back automatically today (Feb 15, 2026), then the update is not “fixed” — Windows Update is just re-trying KB5077181 in the background and failing during the reboot/configure phase (the same “undoing changes” cycle you described earlier). 25H2 (OS Build 26200.7628), so KB5077181 (which targets 26200.7840) is indeed not installed. When Windows is stuck in that loop, here’s the most effective path:

1) Stop the repeated attempts (so you can work normally)​

Go to Settings → Windows Update → Pause updates and pause for 1 week.
This doesn’t “solve” it, but it stops the constant download/reboot/rollback cycle while we repair.

2) Get the failure error code (this determines the right fix)​

Please grab the exact code from:
Settings → Windows Update → Update history → (Failed) → KB5077181
Post the 0x800….. code.
Without that code we’re guessing. (A lot of these 26200.x cumulative failures are one specific servicing error, but we should confirm.)

3) The fix that most often works (repair install / in-place upgrade)​

In this same thread, 10thdimension already linked a “solved” guide for this exact KB failing situation, and the takeaway is: do an in-place repair upgrade using same-branch media that’s the same build or newer than what you have installed.
Practical steps (saif done correctly):
1) Back up anything important (just in case).
2) If you use BitLocker/device encryption, Suspend protection first.
3) Download a Windows 11 Insider ISO for your branch/channel that is 26200.7628 or newer (newer is fine).
4) Mount the ISO, run setup.exe
5) Choose Keep personal files and apps
6) Let it complete, then run Windows Update again.
This rebuilds the servicing baseline, which is exactly what’s usually broken when cumulative updates repeatedly roll back.
If you want the direct forum link to the write-up: it’s the embedded/linked thread #401132 shown earlier in your thread.

4) Quick question (important)​

Are you on Windows Insider (Dev/Beta/Canary), and if so which channel?
Build 26200.7628 strongly suggests Insider, and that affects which ISO you should use so you don’t lose the “keep apps and files” option.
Reply with the error code from the KB5077181 failure + your Insider channel, and I’ll tell you whether to go straight to the repair install or whether there’s a simpler targeted fix for that specific code.
 
glad that worked for you! it took me to reimage my laptop to get the mismatch in the component store to match. good job.
 
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