Windows 11: Update preview distribution stopped

Microsoft released the Windows update previews for the non-security relevant part of the April Patchday updates for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2 on Friday night, apparently also for Windows 11 26H1. Now Microsoft has pulled the emergency brake and stopped the distribution of the update preview due to errors that occurred.

In the Message Center of the Windows Release Health Notes, Microsoft announced the availability of the patch previews. The developers highlight improvements such as support for screens with more than 1000 Hertz refresh rate, improved automatic image rotation and HDR reliability, as well as improved efficiency in power consumption of monitors connected via USB4 in sleep mode. The file explorer reliably releases downloaded files and supports voice input when renaming files.

In addition, the dialog boxes in the settings under "Accounts" – "Other users" have been adapted to the modern Windows look and now support dark mode. Whether these dialog boxes are available depends on whether the device is in a domain or a school account is used on it. The voice output now provides richer image descriptions on Copilot+ PCs and works on all Windows 11 devices, allowing users to receive immediate descriptions on the device or ask Copilot for more details.

Windows Update Preview with Showstopper

In the support article describing the content of the update preview with the KB number KB5079391 and naming the Windows build numbers after installation as 26200.8116 (25H2) and 26100.8116 (24H2) respectively, Microsoft recently explained that the company has temporarily stopped distribution.

"Some devices may encounter the following error when installing this update:
‘Some update files are missing or have problems. We will try to download the update again later. Error code: (0x80073712)’" Microsoft wrote there with the date March 27, 2026. To investigate the incident, the company has "temporarily limited the availability of this update." Windows Update is therefore currently not offering the update on most computers.

Brave users can still find the preview in the Windows Update Catalog. Depending on the processor architecture and Windows build (25H2, 24H2), the update file size is between around 4.5 and 4.8 GByte.

(dmk)