Windows 11 KB5079391 Update Fixes Longstanding WUSA Network Install Issue

If you manage a large group of computers for a business, you might have spent the last year dealing with a very specific and annoying software glitch. Microsoft just released a new update, known as KB5079391, designed to fix a long-running problem with the Windows Update Standalone Installer. The bug caused network installations to fail, but this latest patch officially resolves the headache for IT administrators everywhere.

The issue first arrived in May last year

The issue first popped up back in May 2025 after a previous system update for Windows 11. When network administrators tried to install an update package from a shared folder that contained multiple files, the process would crash. The system threw an error code reading ERROR_BAD_PATHNAME and stopped working.

To get around the glitch, IT workers had to manually copy the update files directly to a local hard drive before running the installation. Microsoft eventually rolled out a temporary fix for regular home users late last year. 

However, businesses with managed networks were left waiting for a permanent solution. The company notes that its new update, released in late March 2026, finally corrects the pathing error. Regular users with a personal laptop at home probably never noticed this bug. The standalone installer is primarily a tool used by professionals to manage dozens or hundreds of machines at once.

If a computer has already downloaded the patches released on or after March 24, it is fully protected and no longer needs any special workarounds. Microsoft did mention a small quirk with the new fix. After finishing an installation, the computer settings menu might still say a restart is required.

The company says this glitch will clear up on its own, so users do not need to worry about restarting multiple times.

Via Notebookcheck