Win Update KB5086672 Windows 11 Out-of-band Update build 26100.8117 (24H2) and 26200.8117 (25H2) - March 31

Nebulon Ranger · Apr 1, 2026

Tweakfiend said:
I ignored last weeks update in favour of waiting to see any revisions and then installed this .......................!

As attached , there is now an error in Armoury Crate which had Sonic Studio and Asus Antenna feature working ok for about 2 years until this update .

This error has been advised by AI as probably resulting from this 8117 update , and affecting 790 series boards ( how many who knows )

Realtek is working normally and no compensating direct download for Sonic from M /Store registers .

Reversing the update x 3 reboots is still causing a problem
There were no intervening A Crate updates during this particular Windows update time frame .

Armoury Crate is well-known to be crap and cause problems even if it's left alone, so I wouldn't entirely trust the LLM on this one.

Tweakfiend · Apr 1, 2026

Nebulon Ranger said:
Armoury Crate is well-known to be crap and cause problems even if it's left alone, so I wouldn't entirely trust the LLM on this one.

Yes it was sometime ago , but more reliable in the last 6-9 months . I've had extensive experience of it .

PerpetualCycle · Apr 1, 2026

Nebulon Ranger said:
Armoury Crate is well-known to be crap and cause problems even if it's left alone, so I wouldn't entirely trust the LLM on this one.

It is a lot better and more reliable than it used to be. I reluctantly use it now without any issues except it uses a lot of disk resources. I use it mainly for fan control profiles.

barreleye · Apr 1, 2026

This is a weird update. Since Microsoft became so fond of multiple reboots, I made a DOSKEY macro to suspend Bitlocker until I manually resume it. Previous updates have been good to go once they let me back into Windows, at which point, I would resume protection and be set for another month. (I have automatic updates turned off.) Well, this time around, I found my file server that I had updated and booted back into Windows inaccessible after a couple hours. Remote desktop wasn't working, so I walked over to it and turned its monitor on, and there it was, sitting at the Bitlocker prompt. This meant it either crashed or had been rebooted. Thankfully, it was the latter. I found an event from User32 in the System log, "The process C:\WINDOWS\uus\packages\preview\AMD64\MoUsoCoreWorker.exe (NAS) has initiated the restart of computer NAS on behalf of user NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM for the following reason: Operating System: Service pack (Planned)". Is everyone else seeing this? This has never happened before, and I've been using Windows since 1990.

jak22 · Apr 1, 2026

The unwanted device added a few updates ago to Settings->Devices (and the older Control Panel -> Devices and Printers) "Service Test Loopback A" seems to be removed

hsehestedt · Apr 1, 2026

I run BitLocker on every single machine that I own. I never suspend BitLocker for Windows updates and have never once been challenged for my key (at least not for updates). There are operations that I perform which would cause Windows to ask for the key and so I suspend protection in those cases, but never for updates.

barreleye · Apr 1, 2026

hsehestedt said:
I run BitLocker on every single machine that I own. I never suspend BitLocker for Windows updates and have never once been challenged for my key (at least not for updates). There are operations that I perform which would cause Windows to ask for the key and so I suspend protection in those cases, but never for updates.

I don't know how that's possible unless you don't use pre-boot authentication. I use a password on the machine I was talking about and TPM plus USB key on my main machine (USB key is an Aegis Secure Key FTR and FTW). I'm not talking about Bitlocker recovery, just normal pre-boot authentication.

Marcus Vinicus · Apr 1, 2026

Re Windows updates and why there are multiple reboots sometimes.

Windows 11 updates are installed in multiple phases, and some system files (especially core OS components and drivers) can’t be replaced while Windows is running. As a result, Windows uses one or more reboots to complete different stages of the update—such as staging, applying, and finalizing changes. The exact number of restarts varies depending on the update and the system’s configuration.
Sources: ChatGPT and Microsoft Learn

How Windows Update works

In this article, learn about the process Windows Update uses to download and install updates on Windows client devices.

learn.microsoft.com

FrancoDT · Apr 1, 2026

Marcus Vinicus said:
Re Windows updates and why there are multiple reboots sometimes.

Windows 11 updates are installed in multiple phases, and some system files (especially core OS components and drivers) can’t be replaced while Windows is running. As a result, Windows uses one or more reboots to complete different stages of the update—such as staging, applying, and finalizing changes. The exact number of restarts varies depending on the update and the system’s configuration.

How Windows Update works

In this article, learn about the process Windows Update uses to download and install updates on Windows client devices.

learn.microsoft.com

I never had three till just recently.

Marcus Vinicus · Apr 1, 2026

FrancoDT said:
I never had three till just recently.

I've had it a few times lately on both my PC's. Can be a sign there are some under the hood changes In Windows to the kernel and core services.

PerpetualCycle · Apr 2, 2026

FrancoDT said:
I never had three till just recently.

Did you manually update the Secure Boot CA completely? If not I think the reboots are from Windows taking care of that. I had no multiple reboots on this or the previous updates.

Even if you are not using Secure Boot, Microsoft has to anticipate you might in the future.

hader · Apr 2, 2026

PerpetualCycle said:
It is a lot better and more reliable than it used to be. I reluctantly use it now without any issues except it uses a lot of disk resources. I use it mainly for fan control profiles.

That maybe the case. But it is still bloatware. It is installing stuff, drivers and services for stuff that I don't even have or use. I doesn't give the user any option to select what to install and what not. Things like Armoury Crate Service / Armoury Crate Lite Service v6.4.7.0, Aura Service (Lighting Service) v3.10.04, ROG Live Service v3.4.11.0, ASUS Framework Service v4.2.4.8, ASUS Core SDK v2.01.52. Some driver for WD Black and some RAM from (I think) Kingston. I don't make use of the AURA RGB, Don't have a WD Black and other installed stuff, It always signs into ASUS with SSO (Behaving like they are MS also) to see if there are updates. The only thing that I used to install was the ASUS AI Suite 3.

But the development has stopped. It doesn't show up any more in order to give way for the Armoury Crate. Last version is still v3.03.43 from 09-2025. You can still find it but only if you expand everything on the Driver and Tool page. It can't be installed anymore (CreateProces error) Can't handle with the current Windows 11 installation anymore. Also If you get it installed The coreisolation of Windows 11 section falls each time over that ATKEX proces. Many errors was seen in the eventviewer. ASUS don't want to update their (in their eyes) a dead product. As well as ATKEX.dll and ASIO.dll are signed with an expired ASUS certificate. (Expired in Nov 2024) No wonder Windows 11 doesn't like the product.

I don't need it to control my fans. I use the already onboard PWM capability. When thing are getting hot the fan speed increases. And if you want to adjust it's curvature that you can adapt it inside your BIOS. (With a PRIME motherboard you can) so no external software is needed to control your fans.

pietcorus2 · Apr 2, 2026

hader said:
That maybe the case. But it is still bloatware. It is installing stuff, drivers and services for stuff that I don't even have or use. I doesn't give the user any option to select what to install and what not. Things like Armoury Crate Service / Armoury Crate Lite Service v6.4.7.0, Aura Service (Lighting Service) v3.10.04, ROG Live Service v3.4.11.0, ASUS Framework Service v4.2.4.8, ASUS Core SDK v2.01.52. Some driver for WD Black and some RAM from (I think) Kingston. I don't make use of the AURA RGB, Don't have a WD Black and other installed stuff, It always signs into ASUS with SSO (Behaving like they are MS also) to see if there are updates. The only thing that I used to install was the ASUS AI Suite 3.

But the development has stopped. It doesn't show up any more in order to give way for the Armoury Crate. Last version is still v3.03.43 from 09-2025. You can still find it but only if you expand everything on the Driver and Tool page. It can't be installed anymore (CreateProces error) Can't handle with the current Windows 11 installation anymore. Also If you get it installed The coreisolation of Windows 11 section falls each time over that ATKEX proces. Many errors was seen in the eventviewer. ASUS don't want to update their (in their eyes) a dead product. As well as ATKEX.dll and ASIO.dll are signed with an expired ASUS certificate. (Expired in Nov 2024) No wonder Windows 11 doesn't like the product.

I don't need it to control my fans. I use the already onboard PWM capability. When thing are getting hot the fan speed increases. And if you want to adjust it's curvature that you can adapt it inside your BIOS. (With a PRIME motherboard you can) so no external software is needed to control your fans.

So , we dont need the " ASUS Com Service " anymore ??
Its set on automatic start , each reboot ...............safe to switch it off ??

hsehestedt · Apr 2, 2026

barreleye said:
I don't know how that's possible unless you don't use pre-boot authentication.

Correct, I do not use PBA.

EDIT: Now I understand: Are you saying that you got a PBA screen? I may have misunderstood thinking that you were saying that BitLocker was asking for the recovery key. I had not considered PBA because I never use it, so it simply didn't cross my mind.

hader · Apr 2, 2026

pietcorus2 said:
So , we dont need the " ASUS Com Service " anymore ??
Its set on automatic start , each reboot ...............safe to switch it off ??

I can say no, but it depends if you need it. If you don't use Armoury Crate or GPU Tweak anymore you can delete it. It's a leftover that many people complain about. AC and GPU Tweak like to install things but after they have been removed this will stay behind. I even installed AC and after de-installment I saw many ASUS stuff lying arround that has no real use. (Like a WD Black, AURA Light, Kingston RAM which I don't even have; I have Corsair etc. Ripped out everything from my system.)

A few weeks back I saw still an ASUS Update service which was not started by a startup apps but by the task scheduler. Ripped that whole ASUS tree from the task scheduler, and deleted the service and the software on disk. (All ASUS dir inside Program Files X) So there is a chance that if you disable this startup item that it keeps coming back because there is also a task inside the task scheduler. I also recommend to use a registry cleaner to get rid of all these leftovers inside the registry. This is reoccurring annoyance. You install a product. But when you uninstall it it doesn't remove everything that is installed. One of the worst company's on the planet is Adobe. Their leftovers inside the registry can be up to some useless 200 references. Windows at startup goes through your whole registry to find out what settings it must use, drivers must load etc. Going through the whole registry takes time. The more useless leftovers there are, the slower will start Windows.

pietcorus2 · Apr 2, 2026

Thanks !

Will stop loading it , dont have the crapp it needs also........... :wink:

Also possible to totally remove these ASUS-Com-Service , already switched off..............??

dbartenstein · Apr 2, 2026

Tweakfiend · Apr 2, 2026

hader said:
That maybe the case. But it is still bloatware. It is installing stuff, drivers and services for stuff that I don't even have or use. I doesn't give the user any option to select what to install and what not. Things like Armoury Crate Service / Armoury Crate Lite Service v6.4.7.0, Aura Service (Lighting Service) v3.10.04, ROG Live Service v3.4.11.0, ASUS Framework Service v4.2.4.8, ASUS Core SDK v2.01.52. Some driver for WD Black and some RAM from (I think) Kingston. I don't make use of the AURA RGB, Don't have a WD Black and other installed stuff, It always signs into ASUS with SSO (Behaving like they are MS also) to see if there are updates. The only thing that I used to install was the ASUS AI Suite 3.

But the development has stopped. It doesn't show up any more in order to give way for the Armoury Crate. Last version is still v3.03.43 from 09-2025. You can still find it but only if you expand everything on the Driver and Tool page. It can't be installed anymore (CreateProces error) Can't handle with the current Windows 11 installation anymore. Also If you get it installed The coreisolation of Windows 11 section falls each time over that ATKEX proces. Many errors was seen in the eventviewer. ASUS don't want to update their (in their eyes) a dead product. As well as ATKEX.dll and ASIO.dll are signed with an expired ASUS certificate. (Expired in Nov 2024) No wonder Windows 11 doesn't like the product.

I don't need it to control my fans. I use the already onboard PWM capability. When thing are getting hot the fan speed increases. And if you want to adjust it's curvature that you can adapt it inside your BIOS. (With a PRIME motherboard you can) so no external software is needed to control your fans.

Like it or loathe it , in my case it controls Sonic Studio ( as this is no longer a "stand alone " app) which is quite essential for Realtek internal sound and other features are quite good also ,. I have had long email communications with Asus customer services inc H/O , when Armoury Crate needs revisions or improvements.

barreleye · Apr 2, 2026

hsehestedt said:
barreleye said:
I don't know how that's possible unless you don't use pre-boot authentication.

Correct, I do not use PBA.

EDIT: Now I understand: Are you saying that you got a PBA screen? I may have misunderstood thinking that you were saying that BitLocker was asking for the recovery key. I had not considered PBA because I never use it, so it simply didn't cross my mind.

The answer was in the part of my message you clipped. lol

"I don't know how that's possible unless you don't use pre-boot authentication. I use a password on the machine I was talking about and TPM plus USB key on my main machine (USB key is an Aegis Secure Key FTR and FTW). I'm not talking about Bitlocker recovery, just normal pre-boot authentication."

I've never used Bitlocker without pre-boot authentication, and it has to be suspended for reboots if you want to avoid having to provide it. The multiple-reboot WU has become the norm over the last few years, hence the Bitlocker counter-measures I described, but this update was a first. Like I said, it rebooted AFTER allowing me back into Windows, AFTER I resumed Bitlocker that I had suspended indefinitely with manage-bde to account for the likely multiple reboots, on a system that has automatic updates turned off and never reboots out of the blue for updates. This was INCREDIBLY surprising and annoying. All the explanation I've found so far was that event log entry I copied to my OP, but it's really just evidence of what happened. Is this something that's going to happen going forward and become the new norm, like the "normal" multiple updates before it? Here's my OP again so no one has to go looking for it:

This is a weird update. Since Microsoft became so fond of multiple reboots, I made a DOSKEY macro to suspend Bitlocker until I manually resume it. Previous updates have been good to go once they let me back into Windows, at which point, I would resume protection and be set for another month. (I have automatic updates turned off.) Well, this time around, I found my file server that I had updated and booted back into Windows inaccessible after a couple hours. Remote desktop wasn't working, so I walked over to it and turned its monitor on, and there it was, sitting at the Bitlocker prompt. This meant it either crashed or had been rebooted. Thankfully, it was the latter. I found an event from User32 in the System log, "The process C:\WINDOWS\uus\packages\preview\AMD64\MoUsoCoreWorker.exe (NAS) has initiated the restart of computer NAS on behalf of user NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM for the following reason: Operating System: Service pack (Planned)". Is everyone else seeing this? This has never happened before, and I've been using Windows since 1990.

hsehestedt · Apr 2, 2026

barreleye said:
I've never used Bitlocker without pre-boot authentication

You've clearly pointed out an area that I am lacking knowledge in. I think I'll setup a test system with PBA and purposely start with a slightly older build so that I can update it and see what happens.

BTW, I got the fact that you had it in your original post. I clipped just a fragment so that you could immediately see that it was you that I was responding to. I missed that detail on my first response but caught it after a re-reading of you post.

AI Component	Version
Image Search	1.2603.377.0
Content Extraction	1.2603.377.0
Semantic Analysis	1.2603.377.0
Settings Model	1.2603.377.0

Available	Next Step
	Open Start > Settings > Windows Update. > Advanced options > Optional updates. In the Optional updates available area, you will find the link to download and install available updates. Check for optional updates
	To install this release from the Microsoft Update Catalog, select the option that matches your device architecture (arm64 or x64), and then follow the instructions.

Win Update KB5086672 Windows 11 Out-of-band Update build 26100.8117 (24H2) and 26200.8117 (25H2) - March 31

March 31, 2026 - KB5086672 (OS Builds 26200.8117 and 26100.8117) Out-of-band​

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Windows 11 servicing stack update (KB5079387)- 26100.8112​

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March 31, 2026 - KB5086672 (OS Builds 26200.8117 and 26100.8117) Out-of-band

Improvements

AI Components

Windows 11 servicing stack update (KB5079387)- 26100.8112

Known issues in this update

How to get this update