> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://blog.harshkohli.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # KB5132061 Won't Install? Fix 0x800f0993 and 0x800f0989 - URL: https://blog.harshkohli.com/kb5132061-install-error-0x800f0993-fix/ - Published: 2026-11-11T09:36:59.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-11T12:47:57.000Z - Description: Windows 11 KB5132061 failing with 0x800f0993 or 0x800f0989? Turn off Windows Sandbox, repair with DISM, or install the November update by hand. - Author: Harsh Kohli - Tags: Fixes, How-To, Software, Windows *Updated: 11 November 2026\. Checked against Microsoft's* [*KB5132061 release notes*](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/servicing/os/windows-11/2026/11/kb5132061-windows-11-24h2-25h2-26h2-security-update?ref=blog.harshkohli.com) *and the* [*Windows 11 24H2 release health page*](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-health/status-windows-11-24h2?ref=blog.harshkohli.com)*, plus user reports collected by* [*Neowin*](https://www.neowin.net/news/user-finds-fix-for-windows-11-kb5132061-install-fail-a-microsoft-feature-may-be-culprit/?ref=blog.harshkohli.com) *and* [*Windows Report*](https://windowsreport.com/windows-11-kb5132061-not-downloading-and-installing-with-0x80070306-0x800f0993-and-0x800f0989-errors-temporary-fix-available/?ref=blog.harshkohli.com)*, and a* [*Microsoft Q&A thread*](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/6067328/2026-11-security-update-kb5132061-26300-9974-insta?ref=blog.harshkohli.com)*.* Short answer: if KB5132061 keeps failing with 0x800f0993 or 0x800f0989, first check whether Windows Sandbox is turned on. The most convincing fix so far came from a user who traced the failure in the CBS log to Sandbox, switched it off, restarted, and the update installed. If Sandbox isn't on, run DISM and SFC, clear the update cache, and if it still won't go, install the two .msu files from the Microsoft Update Catalog by hand. And if you're on Windows 11 24H2 Home or Pro, you won't see KB5132061 at all, because that version stopped getting updates in October. Microsoft hasn't acknowledged any of this yet. As of today, the KB page still says "Microsoft is not currently aware of any issues with this update." So everything below is a workaround, not an official fix, and I'll point out which steps are Microsoft's own advice and which came from users. I haven't hit the error on my own PC, so I'm not going to pretend I tested each one. **Jump to:** - [What KB5132061 is and who's hitting the error](#what-kb5132061-is-and-whos-hitting-the-error) - [Step 1: Check your Windows version and edition](#step-1-check-your-windows-version-and-edition) - [Step 2: Restart and try once more](#step-2-restart-and-try-once-more) - [Step 3: Turn off Windows Sandbox](#step-3-turn-off-windows-sandbox) - [Step 4: Run DISM and SFC](#step-4-run-dism-and-sfc) - [Step 5: Clear the Windows Update cache](#step-5-clear-the-windows-update-cache) - [Step 6: Check the servicing stack version](#step-6-check-the-servicing-stack-version) - [Step 7: Install KB5132061 manually](#step-7-install-kb5132061-manually) - [Step 8: Repair Windows without losing files](#step-8-repair-windows-without-losing-files) - [Should you just wait?](#should-you-just-wait) - [FAQ](#faq) ## What KB5132061 is and who's hitting the error KB5132061 is the November 2026 Patch Tuesday update for Windows 11, released on 10 November. It's a security update, so it isn't one you want to skip for long. Here's what it applies to: | Windows 11 version | November update | Build after install | | ----------------------------- | --------------- | ---------------------------------- | | 26H2 (all editions) | KB5132061 | 26300.9974 | | 25H2 (all editions) | KB5132061 | 26200.9974 | | 24H2 Enterprise and Education | KB5132061 | 26100.9974 | | 24H2 Home and Pro | Not offered | End of updates was 13 October 2026 | | 23H2 | KB5131087 | 22631.7711 | Within hours of release, people started reporting that it wouldn't download or install. The two codes that come up most are **0x800f0993** and **0x800f0989**. Neowin's report also lists 0x800f0915, and Windows Report mentions 0x80070306\. In the Microsoft Q&A thread, the person who started it had restarted several times "with no joy", and a second user added his own screenshots of the same failure about eight hours later. It isn't hitting everyone. The user who found the Sandbox fix said his other Windows 11 desktop and laptop installed the update fine. Only the PC with Sandbox enabled failed. That's a big clue, and it's why Step 3 is where I'd spend most of my attention. ![Flowchart for fixing KB5132061 install errors 0x800f0993 and 0x800f0989: check version, turn off Windows Sandbox, run DISM and SFC, clear the update cache, install the msu files manually, then repair Windows](https://blog.harshkohli.com/content/images/2026/11/kb5132061-fix-order.webp) The order I'd try things in. Chart: Harsh Kohli's blog, based on Microsoft's KB5132061 notes and user reports. ## Step 1: Check your Windows version and edition Before you fight with an error, make sure the update is actually meant for your PC. Press **Windows + R**, type `winver` and press Enter. The box shows your version (26H2, 25H2 and so on) and the build number. If you're on 24H2 Home or Pro, KB5132061 isn't for you. Microsoft's release health page says those editions "reached end of updates" on 13 October 2026, and it recommends moving to 25H2 or 26H2\. The 26H2 rollout has reached full availability, so go to **Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates** and the version update should be waiting. Once you're on 26H2, the November security fixes come with the next cumulative update. I wrote up [whether 26H2 is worth installing](https://blog.harshkohli.com/windows-11-26h2-should-you-update/) if you've been putting it off. If winver already shows build 26300.9974 or 26200.9974, the update is installed and whatever error you saw was from an earlier attempt. You can stop here. ## Step 2: Restart and try once more I know, you've probably done this. But do it properly once: restart (not shut down, since Fast Startup can keep things in memory), wait a couple of minutes after you sign in, then go to **Settings > Windows Update** and select **Retry** or **Check for updates**. The reason it's worth one more go is that a user in Windows Report's coverage suspected Microsoft fixed something on its servers while he was trying fixes. That's a guess, not something Microsoft confirmed. Still, a retry costs you five minutes. Restarting five times in a row won't help, though, so if it fails again, move on. ## Step 3: Turn off Windows Sandbox This is the fix with the best evidence behind it. A Neowin reader dug into the CBS log, the file Windows writes while it installs updates, at `C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log`. He found a `STATUS_OBJECT_PATH_NOT_FOUND` error pointing at a missing **Professional.xml** file inside the WinSxS folder, plus this line: `Failed to recreate container base images: HRESULT_FROM_WIN32(ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND)` Windows Sandbox uses that file to rebuild the base image of its little virtual machine. The update was looking for an older copy that wasn't there, so the whole install rolled back. He turned Sandbox off, restarted, installed KB5132061, and it went through. DISM and SFC came back clean afterwards, so his system files weren't damaged. First, check whether you even have Sandbox on. Open Start, search for **Turn Windows features on or off** and look for **Windows Sandbox** in the list. If the box is empty, Sandbox isn't your problem and you can skip to Step 4. If it's ticked, here's how to switch it off: 1. In the same Windows Features window, untick **Windows Sandbox** and select **OK**. 2. Restart when Windows asks you to. 3. Go back to **Settings > Windows Update** and install KB5132061 again. Prefer the command line? Open PowerShell as administrator and run: `Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Containers-DisposableClientVM` Then restart and retry the update. If you want to confirm Sandbox is really the cause before changing anything, you can search the CBS log. In an admin Command Prompt, this finds the line from the report: `findstr /i /c:"container base images" C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log` No result doesn't prove much, since the log rolls over and gets archived into the CbsPersist files. A hit, though, is a pretty clear sign you're in the same boat. Once the update is in, you can turn Sandbox back on the same way if you use it. I haven't seen any reports yet of what happens on the next update after you re-enable it, so if you only opened Sandbox once two years ago to test something, I'd honestly just leave it off. ## Step 4: Run DISM and SFC This is the standard advice, and Neowin's first report and Microsoft's Q&A answer both lead with it. A Reddit user quoted by Windows Report said it worked for 0x800f0993 on his PC. Open Start, type **Command Prompt**, right-click it and choose **Run as administrator**. Then run these one at a time: `DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth` `sfc /scannow` DISM can sit at 20% or 62.3% for a while and look frozen. It usually isn't. Let it finish, then let SFC reach 100%. Restart and try Windows Update again. ## Step 5: Clear the Windows Update cache The same Reddit user also deleted the SoftwareDistribution folder before his retry worked, so it's hard to say which step did the job. Either way, a corrupted download in the cache is a common reason an update fails at the same point every time. In an admin Command Prompt: `net stop wuauserv net stop bits net stop cryptsvc ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old net start cryptsvc net start bits net start wuauserv` I rename the folders instead of deleting them, so there's a way back if something goes wrong. Your update history list will look empty afterwards. That's cosmetic. Restart, then check for updates. Windows will download KB5132061 fresh. If renaming fails because a folder is in use, I go through that and the troubleshooter in more detail in [my guide to Windows Update stuck at 0% or 100%](https://blog.harshkohli.com/windows-update-stuck-fix/). ## Step 6: Check the servicing stack version KB5132061 has prerequisites, and they're easy to miss on a PC that skipped a few months. From Microsoft's notes: - **26H2:** you need an update from 22 September 2026 or later (such as KB5124010) and servicing stack 26100.9539 or later. - **24H2 and 25H2:** you need an update from 10 June 2025 or later (such as KB5060842) and servicing stack 26100.4193 or later. To check the servicing stack, run this in an admin Command Prompt: `DISM /Online /Get-Packages | findstr /i "ServicingStack"` Look at the version in the Package Identity line. If it's older than what's listed above, go to Windows Update and install every older update it offers first, then try KB5132061 again. You can also check **Settings > Windows Update > Update history** for a quality update dated 22 September 2026 or later if you're on 26H2. ## Step 7: Install KB5132061 manually If Windows Update keeps failing, skip it and install the package yourself. Microsoft lists two files for each architecture on the Microsoft Update Catalog: a checkpoint update and the actual November update. Check whether you need x64 or Arm64 in **Settings > System > About > System type**. For a normal x64 PC, Microsoft lists these, in this order: 1. `windows11.0-kb5043080-x64_…msu` (the required checkpoint update) 2. `windows11.0-kb5132061-x64_…msu` (the November update) Search for **KB5132061** on the [Microsoft Update Catalog](https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/?ref=blog.harshkohli.com), download both files for your architecture and put them alone in one folder, say `C:\Packages`. Double-click the KB5043080 file first and let it finish. If it says it's already installed, that's fine. Then run the KB5132061 file and restart. There's a second method in Microsoft's notes. DISM will pick up the checkpoint file automatically if both are in the same folder: `DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\Packages\windows11.0-KB5132061-x64_aedc878e9e078df2ec7e2cfb98dd5b21831cdbcc.msu` Check the file name against what you actually downloaded before you run it. A typo here just gives you another error, which is the last thing you need right now. One warning: a manual install still runs through the same servicing engine. If Sandbox is the cause, the .msu will fail in the same way, so do Step 3 first. ## Step 8: Repair Windows without losing files If nothing above works, Windows 11 has a built-in repair that reinstalls your current version while keeping your apps, files and settings. Go to **Settings > System > Recovery** and, under **Fix problems using Windows Update**, select **Reinstall now**. Keep the PC plugged in and online, and expect it to take a while. Back up anything important first anyway. It's designed to keep your files, but "designed to" and "definitely will" aren't the same thing when the PC is already misbehaving. The person in the Microsoft Q&A thread started this repair partway through troubleshooting and then wanted to cancel it, which you can't easily do. So treat it as the last step, not the first. If you'd rather start clean, [Windows 11's Cloud rebuild](https://blog.harshkohli.com/windows-11-cloud-rebuild-no-usb/) reinstalls without a USB stick, but that's a much bigger hammer than this problem usually needs. One more reason to get KB5132061 installed: it also fixes the USB audio bug that has caused Code 10 errors and silent headsets since September. Here's [what the November update fixes for USB audio](https://blog.harshkohli.com/windows-usb-audio-code-10-fixed-november-update/). ## Should you just wait? It's a fair option, and Neowin floated it too. Microsoft often adds a known issue a few days after Patch Tuesday once enough reports come in, and sometimes fixes the problem on its side without you doing anything. But this is a security update fixing a lot of vulnerabilities, and you can't pause forever. My take: try Steps 1 to 4 now, since they're quick and safe. If those don't work, give Microsoft a few days and check the KB page for a known issue entry before you get into manual installs and repairs. The November update also brought the new File Explorer context menu settings, so if you were waiting on it for that, here's [how to customize the Windows 11 right-click menu](https://blog.harshkohli.com/customize-windows-11-right-click-menu/) once you're through. For other Windows headaches, my [100% disk usage fix guide](https://blog.harshkohli.com/windows-11-100-disk-usage-fix/) is the hub for the rest of my Windows fixes, and last month's [KB5127648 boot loop](https://blog.harshkohli.com/kb5127648-boot-loop-fix/) write-up covers what to do if an update gets in but breaks startup. ## FAQ ### What does error 0x800f0993 mean on KB5132061? It's a generic install failure, and Microsoft hasn't explained it for this update. One user traced it to Windows Sandbox: the update couldn't find a file Sandbox needs to rebuild its base image, so the install rolled back. Turning Sandbox off fixed it for him. ### Is it safe to turn off Windows Sandbox? Yes. It's an optional feature for running untrusted apps in a throwaway virtual desktop. Turning it off doesn't affect your files or other apps, and you can turn it back on later from Turn Windows features on or off. ### Why don't I see KB5132061 on my PC? Most likely you're on Windows 11 24H2 Home or Pro, which stopped getting updates on 13 October 2026\. Install 25H2 or 26H2 from Windows Update to keep getting security fixes. On 23H2, the November update is KB5131087 instead. ### Has Microsoft confirmed the KB5132061 install problem? Not as of 11 November 2026\. The KB page still lists no known issues. Check it again over the next few days, since Microsoft usually adds a note once it has confirmed a problem. ### Can I skip KB5132061? You can pause updates for a short time in Settings, but I wouldn't skip it. It's the monthly security update, and every later cumulative update will include the same fixes, so the problem doesn't go away by ignoring it. Did turning off Sandbox fix it for you, or did you get a different error code? Leave the code, your Windows version and what finally worked in the comments. A few reports like that will help the next person far more than another round of restarts.