Win Update KB5121003 Windows 11 Cumulative Update build 26100.9168 (24H2) and 26200.9168 (25H2) - Aug. 11

Zardoc · Monday at 10:10 PM

Like I said before and @Ghot mentioned, Restore health is broken. I had 600 broken files at least 15 different versions from 24H2. If you run Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup and then SFC /scannow and it shows all good, have a beer, or a coffee or a Kombucha.

KevTech · Monday at 11:07 PM

Zardoc said:
Like I said before and @Ghot mentioned, Restore health is broken.

And like I said before not broken for everyone.

TraderGary · Monday at 11:44 PM

KevTech said:
And like I said before not broken for everyone.

View attachment 180026

yup, not broken for me either. In fact Dism /online /cleanup-image /RestoreHealth and sfc /scannow, in almost 5 years of using W11, have never failed. I've also never had a Windows Update failure. That's on both computers and I've had several different systems over that time.

I should add that I've never used a computer that wasn't fully compliant and I've never felt the need to hack, de-bloat, or run any apps that modify Windows. Who knows, maybe I've made my own luck.

hader · Tuesday at 5:22 AM

gunrunnerjohn said:
Been there, done that, three times! Once with the on-line source, once with a UUP ISO, and once with the same version MCT ISO. In all cases the repair completed without error and "apparently" worked fine. However, when I check the system with DISM RestoreHealth run, I get the same error about can't find the files anywhere. Been down all those rabbit holes...

SFC /SCANNOW runs without error on the system, which leads me to believe this is not a problem with the component store but rather with the registry. The component store is completely replaced when you do a repair install, so it's unlikely it's really corrupt. The fact that SFC finds no problems also suggests that the component store is intact.

3 Times? Never have seen that before. If an In-Place-Installment did not solve the issue then a fresh Install is in order.

About In-Place-Installment; Parts of the registry is left alone otherwise it doesn't remember all your personal data. I suspect that only some parts are refreshed in the registry that has something to do with Windows. Otherwise you are left with a new registry and all your personal data information is gone.

I suspect something inside your registry is corrupt outside the range of those replaced windows part. It can't be left along during a In-Place-Installment. Although it might if you are using an MCT ISO of 26200.8168. Your current system is also 26200.8168. So it might leave it alone I am not sure....

There might be 2 steps that you might try first;
1- Use a registry cleaner like Window Manager for Windows 11 or Revo Registry Cleaner Pro. The first one searching for wrong things inside the registry; is advise is always save to delete keys. Revo does the same but in advanced mode it looks a bit deeper to the wrong things. Between the two Revo is finding more things that's needed to be cleaned up than the first one. See if this helps....

2- Download the complete Windows 11 ISO; That is currently still Win11_25H2_<Language>_x64_v2.iso with 26200.8037. I just downloaded this one now to see if MS updated this ISO also. No. It is still revision v2. Mount it and run setup.exe. It is now forced to correct the registry because it is of a different build. Different Component Store also. After that delete the Windows.old dir with cleanmgr.exe. Run SFC and DISM /RestoreHealth to check your system. 8037 does not contain that CBS-Engine Bug that was introduced with 8655. Behaviour should be normal as expected. Then update your system. You can't get passed 8655. (Because of that major change to the CBS engine... Including that bug....) That has to be done first. Then rerun update again to end up with 9168.

If these 2 step did not fix the issue that you only option is to install Windows fresh discarding all your data on the drive.
Let me know if steps 1 and or 2 fixed your issue. Otherwise there is something real corrupt in your registry. I encounterd this issue some 2 times. Could not fix the issue also. A fresh install did. Saved as much of my personal data to a different disk and made a full-backup with Hasleo Backup Suite Free (now currently v5.9.2.1 advise to download this one because an older version did have a CA2023 issue.) With the backup you can restore individual files if you forgot to save some personal files.
Hope you can resolve your issue....

Sorry for the mix-up last time. I saw your reply after I posted my reply.

hader · Tuesday at 5:50 AM

garlin said:

Confirmed as broken.

Code:

Drive D: "ESD-USB"
    Boot File [Production PCA 2011] is BANNED.
        D:\EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi
        File Version: 28000.352, SVN 9.0

    boot.wim:2 (WinPE 26100.9168)
        Boot Manager [Windows UEFI CA 2023] is ALLOWED.
            \Windows\Boot\EFI_EX\bootmgfw_EX.efi
            File Version: 28000.352, SVN 9.0

        \Windows\System32\winload.efi is ALLOWED.
            File Version: 26100.9168

        'Repair My PC' is broken in WinPE.

Hi Garlin.
I am curious. Which script did you used to get this?
I ran "Check-BootMedia.bat" from your v2026.08.11 toolkit and I got not such a conclusion. I mounted a MCT ISO build 26200.9168 on N.

Code:

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Secure Boot: ON
Virtualization Based Security: ON

UEFI KEK Certs
--------------
    Microsoft Corporation KEK CA 2011
    Microsoft Corporation KEK 2K CA 2023

UEFI DB Certs
-------------
    Microsoft Corporation UEFI CA 2011
    Microsoft Windows Production PCA 2011
    Microsoft Option ROM UEFI CA 2023
    Microsoft UEFI CA 2023
    Windows UEFI CA 2023

UEFI DBX Certs
--------------
    Microsoft Windows Production PCA 2011
    Windows BootMgr SVN 9.0

EFI Files
---------
    [OPTIONAL] SkuSiPolicy.p7b (for VBS) is MISSING.

Bootable Media
--------------

DVD Drive M: "WD Unlocker"

DVD Drive N: "ESD-ISO"
    Boot File [Production PCA 2011] is BANNED.

    boot.wim:2 (WinPE 26100.9168)
        Boot Manager [Windows UEFI CA 2023] is ALLOWED.
        winload.efi is ALLOWED

    install.esd:1 (W11 25H2 26200.9168)
        Boot Manager [Windows UEFI CA 2023] is ALLOWED.
        winload.efi is ALLOWED

        Skipping over the next 5 images.


DVD Drive O: "WD Win11 500GB"

PS C:\Windows\System32>

Where did you get that ESD-USB from? The ESD-ISO from MCT seems to be in order. The whole report mentioned nowhere "broken".....

TraderGary · Tuesday at 7:10 AM

TraderGary said:
yup, not broken for me either. In fact Dism /online /cleanup-image /RestoreHealth and sfc /scannow, in almost 5 years of using W11, have never failed. I've also never had a Windows Update failure. That's on both computers and I've had several different systems over that time.

I should add that I've never used a computer that wasn't fully compliant and I've never felt the need to hack, de-bloat, or run any apps that modify Windows. Who knows, maybe I've made my own luck.

hader · Tuesday at 8:26 AM

TraderGary said:
View attachment 180088

Yes I know. /RestoreHealth is not broken. But how long did it take? On my system this command went from 4 minutes to 14 minutes because of that CBS-engine bug introduced with 8655.

TraderGary · Tuesday at 8:35 AM

hader said:
Yes I know. /RestoreHealth is not broken. But how long did it take? On my system this command went from 4 minutes to 14 minutes because of that CBS-engine bug introduced with 8655.

I asked Copilot why Dism /online /cleanup-image /RestoreHealth is taking so much longer now and received this reply:

It’s taking much longer now because Windows 11’s component store has become significantly more complex, recent updates introduced packages that take far longer to validate and repair, and DISM no longer shows smooth progress, especially around 62.3%, even though it is still working. This slowdown is widely reported across 2026 systems and is considered normal behavior.

Josey Wales · Tuesday at 8:53 AM

TraderGary said:
I asked Copilot why Dism /online /cleanup-image /RestoreHealth is taking so much longer now and received this reply:

It’s taking much longer now because Windows 11’s component store has become significantly more complex, recent updates introduced packages that take far longer to validate and repair, and DISM no longer shows smooth progress, especially around 62.3%, even though it is still working. This slowdown is widely reported across 2026 systems and is considered normal behavior.

Normal per MS.

TraderGary · Tuesday at 9:00 AM

Josey Wales said:
Normal per MS.

Hey, I'm only the messenger. :wink:

I'm having no problems with my systems.

Zardoc · Tuesday at 9:23 AM

TraderGary said:
I should add that I've never used a computer that wasn't fully compliant and I've never felt the need to hack, de-bloat, or run any apps that modify Windows. Who knows, maybe I've made my own luck.

Thanks trader Gary, You've hit the nail. I was a 7 year MVP and I have always played around with Window settings, never having issues with DISM (when most of us started using it). Now, if those who keep their Windows squeaky clean and have DISM issues, well that's really not normal. But if SFC reports no errors and DISM does (this is what I was talking about), that's not normal and shows a broken command.

I even had instances where SFC would show errors but I knew it was me I had changed files with changed dll signatures in certain files like the Full modified XP theme era.

Let's not get into a pi(ss)ing match.

FrancoDT · Tuesday at 9:40 AM

TraderGary said:
I asked Copilot why Dism /online /cleanup-image /RestoreHealth is taking so much longer now and received this reply:

It’s taking much longer now because Windows 11’s component store has become significantly more complex, recent updates introduced packages that take far longer to validate and repair, and DISM no longer shows smooth progress, especially around 62.3%, even though it is still working. This slowdown is widely reported across 2026 systems and is considered normal behavior.

Here is what Co-Pilot told me about the DISM issues so many are having:

Short answer: Recent Windows 11 25H2 builds (26200‑series and 26100‑series servicing stacks) are seeing widespread DISM /RestoreHealth failures because Microsoft’s component store servicing pipeline is currently fragmented across multiple build trains, causing version mismatches, missing repair payloads, and SSU/CU desynchronization. This is happening at scale, across OEM devices, Insider rings, and even clean installs — which is why it has become a hot topic.

The core reason:

Across many reports, the DISM logs show:

DISM tool version: 10.0.26100.x
Image version: 10.0.26200.x
Servicing Stack version: often stuck on an older 26100.x SSU

When the SSU (Servicing Stack Update) is older than the OS build, DISM cannot interpret the component store metadata of the newer build. This produces:

0x800f0915 – “repair content could not be found anywhere”
0x800f081f – source files not found

This mismatch is now extremely common because Microsoft is pushing rapid cumulative updates to 25H2 while the SSU pipeline lags behind.

Why it’s suddenly widespread (the “hot topic” part)

1.

Windows 11 25H2 is being serviced by:

26100‑series SSUs
26200‑series CUs
Feature Experience Packs with their own versioning

This creates a scenario where:

The OS updates faster than the servicing stack.

DISM depends on the SSU. When the SSU is behind, DISM breaks.

2.

Multiple reports show DISM failing even with a stable internet connection because:

Windows Update does not have the exact component versions for newer 26200 builds.

This forces users to rely on ISO repair sources — but Microsoft has not yet published matching ISOs for every 26200.x cumulative update.

3.

Users report:

DISM jumps from 64% → 100% → error
SFC reports no integrity violations
Windows Update fails with 0x80073712

This indicates metadata corruption, not file corruption — exactly the type of issue DISM cannot fix without a matching SSU.

4.

Microsoft acknowledged a RestoreHealth regression in mid‑2026 and patched it in build 26200.8655, but newer builds (e.g., 26200.8894) still show the same symptoms.

This means:

The fix did not fully resolve the underlying servicing-stack mismatch.

5.

Many affected systems are:

HP Pavilion Aero
Dell Inspiron / XPS
Lenovo IdeaPad

These OEM images often have:

Outdated SSUs
Custom servicing policies
Preloaded optional features that break component store consistency

This amplifies the issue across millions of devices.

Brink · Tuesday at 9:47 AM

Change log

Change date	Change description
August 17, 2026	Update added, "[Sharing] This update removes the Drop Tray experience (previously named Drag Tray) for devices where it was available. It also removes the associated setting under Settings > System > Multitasking. We are continuing to evaluate the experience and explore future enhancements."

[Sharing] This update removes the Drop Tray experience (previously named Drag Tray) for devices where it was available. It also removes the associated setting under Settings > System > Multitasking. We are continuing to evaluate the experience and explore future enhancements.

Enable or Disable Drop Tray in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the Drag/Drop Tray feature for your account in Windows 11. Starting with Windows 11 build 26100.4202 (24H2) and build 22631.5413 (23H2), sharing files in Windows is getting a lot easier and quicker with the Drag Tray feature. When you start...

www.elevenforum.com

garlin · Tuesday at 10:10 AM

FrancoDT said:
Here is what Co-Pilot told me about the DISM issues so many are having:

Don't ask an AI.

FrancoDT said:
This mismatch is now extremely common because Microsoft is pushing rapid cumulative updates to 25H2 while the SSU pipeline lags behind.

Servicing stack updates

Starting in February 2021, the cumulative update includes the latest servicing stack updates, providing a single combined cumulative update payload for Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), and the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Changes in the servicing stack are developed and released as part of the monthly cumulative update depending on new issues or vulnerabilities. In rare occasions, a prerequisite servicing stack update might need to be released out of band to address an issue impacting systems installing the monthly cumulative update. Out of band servicing stack updates are classified as Security with a severity rating of Critical.

DISM expects to see a SSU update inside every month's MSU, unpacks it and checks the version. But the SSU doesn't always change every month, and is sometimes untouched. DISM installs the new SSU before installing the CU.

From the August 2026 LCU notes:

Includes KB5123304 (Build 26100.9156), which improves the reliability of the Windows update installation process. To learn more about SSUs, see Simplifying on-premises deployment of servicing stack updates.

SSU is the servicing platform, or how update packages (WinSxS components) are installed, replaced or removed. While there are bugs in the servicing role (updates don't get correctly installed), this is a separate problem from having the Windows team push bad update packages. Update packages have metadata that inform DISM what it's supposed to do.

An analogy is you're writing a program using a compiler, and it doesn't work. Is the fault caused by the compiler, or the program you're writing? In this case, Windows team is providing the update components. If the previously installed components are incorrectly tagged, then SSU is sometimes asked to workaround that problem. But you can't say (or a real human instead an AI) it's "lagging".

FrancoDT · Tuesday at 10:25 AM

garlin said:
Don't ask an AI.

Just pointing out how slightly rephrasing a question can give you a totally different answer about a problem or issue.

gunrunnerjohn · Tuesday at 10:27 AM

FrancoDT said:
Here is what Co-Pilot told me about the DISM issues so many are having:

Short answer: Recent Windows 11 25H2 builds (26200‑series and 26100‑series servicing stacks) are seeing widespread DISM /RestoreHealth failures because Microsoft’s component store servicing pipeline is currently fragmented across multiple build trains, causing version mismatches, missing repair payloads, and SSU/CU desynchronization. This is happening at scale, across OEM devices, Insider rings, and even clean installs — which is why it has become a hot topic.

...

I'd like Co-Pilot to tell us when Microsoft is going to fix it!

dbartenstein · Tuesday at 10:28 AM

gunrunnerjohn said:
I'd like Co-Pilot to tell us when Microsoft is going to fix it!

Try asking?

FrancoDT · Tuesday at 10:29 AM

gunrunnerjohn said:
I'd like Co-Pilot to tell us when Microsoft is going to fix it!

That applies to a lot of MS bugs

gunrunnerjohn · Tuesday at 11:07 AM

dbartenstein said:
Try asking?

You must have a lot of time on your hands.

garlin · Tuesday at 11:40 AM

hader said:
I am curious. Which script did you used to get this?
I ran "Check-BootMedia.bat" from your v2026.08.11 toolkit and I got not such a conclusion. I mounted a MCT ISO build 26200.9168 on N.

New feature added in v2026.08.18 (just posted).
https://github.com/garlin-cant-code...18/SecureBoot-CA-2023-Updates.v2026.08.18.zip

The logic for checking boot.wim is very simple:

1. You must run Check-BootMedia.bat or Check_BootMedia.ps1 using the -Verbose option. It's not reported in normal mode, because most users don't use the Repair My PC feature that often.

2. Confirm this boot.wim was created after May 6, 2026. That's when the problem was first reported.

3. Since the problem impacts all current release channels, we don't care what build version of boot.wim you have.

4. Check if wlanapi.dll or mobilenetworking.dll are missing. winre.wim have those files, so it's not affected.

Available	Next Step
	This update downloads and installs automatically from Windows Update and Microsoft Update.
	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 KB5121003 Windows 11 Cumulative Update build 26100.9168 (24H2) and 26200.9168 (25H2) - Aug. 11

Announcements and messages​

Improvements​

Components updates​

Known issues in this update​

How to get this update​

Deployment​

Install this update​

File information​

Dazed & Confused

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Stock Market Wizard

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

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Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

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Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

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Stock Market Wizard

My Computers My Computers

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Stock Market Wizard

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Endeavor to Persevere

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Stock Market Wizard

My Computers My Computers

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Dazed & Confused

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

The core reason:​

Why it’s suddenly widespread (the “hot topic” part)​

1.​

2.​

3.​

4.​

5.​

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Administrator

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Announcements and messages

Improvements

Components updates

Known issues in this update

How to get this update

Deployment

Install this update

File information

My Computer

My Computer

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computer

The core reason:

Why it’s suddenly widespread (the “hot topic” part)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

My Computers

My Computers

My Computer

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computer