It didn’t take long for some IT leaders who last month started paying to get Windows 10 security updates to face their first support problem.
Microsoft said the update issued last week on November Patch Tuesday — KB5068781 for Windows 10 22H2 builds 19044.6575 and 19045.6575 — might fail to install on some commercial Windows 10 devices enrolled to receive Extended Security Updates (ESU).
When attempts are made to install this patch, screens may show “error 0x800f0922 (CBS_E_INSTALLERS_FAILED).
“This issue is isolated to devices activated via Windows subscription activation through the Microsoft 365 admin center,” Microsoft said in a status statement on its support site.
The patch is in part a cumulative update, and includes security fixes and improvements from the October Patch Tuesday releases.
However, on Monday (Nov. 17) Microsoft said the issue has been fixed by the update KB5072653: Extended Security Updates (ESU) Licensing Preparation Package for Windows 10. “Once you install the preparation package (KB5072653), you will be able to deploy this November 11, 2025 security update (KB5068781),” the company said .
Jack Bicer, director of vulnerability research at patch automation provider Action1, said IT leaders who encountered this error before Microsoft issued the November 17 fix should check that they have the latest servicing stack update (SSU) installed. If not, install that and try to install the patch again. Running Windows Update Troubleshooter may also help detect and reset components if needed.
To repair system files, he said, admins should:
- Temporarily disable non-Microsoft services/startup apps (Clean Boot) to eliminate third-party interference.
- If the update still fails, download the .msu package for KB5068781 from the Microsoft Update Catalog and install manually (run wusa.exe <filename>.msu /quiet /norestart). Ensure you match architecture and version.
- If you installed the update but still face issues: verify the build number via winver to ensure it reached 19045.6575 (22H2) or 19044.6575 (21H2).