I found a possible fix for Windows 11 KB5132061 installation errors

Windows 11 KB5132061 is failing to install on some PCs with errors such as 0x800f0993, 0x800f0989, and 0x800f0915.
Temporarily disabling Windows Sandbox allowed one affected user to install the update successfully.
Other workarounds include repairing Windows system files with DISM and SFC and clearing the Windows Update download cache.
You can also install KB5132061 manually through the Microsoft Update Catalog, following Microsoft’s checkpoint update instructions.

The November 2026 Security update (KB5132061) for Windows 11 is failing to install on some computers, showing errors such as 0x800f0993, 0x800f0989, 0x800f0915, and 0x80070306.

If you’re experiencing this problem, one workaround is to temporarily disable Windows Sandbox. A user found that this optional feature interfered with the update installation, and turning it off let the installation complete.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Windows Sandbox has been associated with Windows 11 servicing problems. I previously covered a similar situation involving error 0x80073712 when installing Windows Insider preview builds. In that case, disabling Windows Sandbox also resolved the installation problem.

Other users have reported success after repairing the Windows 11 system files with DISM and SFC, clearing the Windows Update cache, or simply retrying the installation.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through several workarounds to install KB5132061, starting with the Windows Sandbox fix.

1. Disable Windows Sandbox

If Windows Sandbox is enabled on your computer, temporarily disabling it may allow KB5132061 to install successfully.

A user reported that the update repeatedly failed on a computer with Windows Sandbox enabled. The CBS log showed a missing Professional.xml file in the WinSxS folder, followed by an error stating that Windows couldn’t recreate the container base images because it couldn’t find the expected path.

After disabling Windows Sandbox and restarting the computer, the user could install the update.

To disable Windows Sandbox to fix KB5132061 install errors, follow these steps:

Open Settings on Windows 11.
Click on System.
Click the Advanced page.
Click the Virtual Workspaces settings under the “Virtual Workspaces” section.
Turn off the Windows Sandbox toggle switch.
Click the Restart now button.

After you complete the steps, you should be able to install the security update on Windows 11 without errors. If the update KB5132061 installs normally, you can re-enable the feature by turning on Windows Sandbox from the “Virtual Workspaces” settings

PowerShell alternative method

Alternatively, you can also disable Windows Sandbox using PowerShell with the following steps:

Open Start.
Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to disable the virtualization feature and press Enter:

Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Containers-DisposableClientVM

Restart your computer when prompted.
Try installing KB5132061 again from Windows Update.

If the update installs successfully, you can re-enable Windows Sandbox using this command in an elevated PowerShell session.

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -FeatureName Containers-DisposableClientVM -All -Online

This is a user-reported workaround, not a confirmed fix for every KB5132061 installation failure. If Windows Sandbox isn’t enabled on your computer, move to the next method.

2. Repair Windows system files

Damaged or missing system files can interfere with the Windows Update servicing process. Running the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool and System File Checker (SFC) can help repair the Windows image and replace corrupted system files.

To run these tools to repair the Windows 11 installation, follow these steps:

Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to repair the Windows image (this process may take several minutes) and press Enter:
```
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
```
Type the following command to check and repair system files, and press Enter:
```
sfc /scannow
```
Restart your computer.
Try installing KB5132061 again from Windows Update.

If DISM or SFC finds and repairs corrupted files, retrying the update after restarting may resolve the installation problem.

3. Clear the Windows Update download cache

Windows Update stores downloaded installation files in the SoftwareDistribution folder. If some of those files are corrupted or incomplete, clearing the download cache can force Windows Update to download a fresh copy of the update.

To clear the Windows Update download cache, follow these steps:

Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to stop the Windows Update service and press Enter:
```
net stop wuauserv
```
Type the following command to stop the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and press Enter:
```
net stop bits
```
Open File Explorer.

Navigate to the following path:

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download

Select all the files and folders inside the “Download” folder and delete them. Do not delete the Download folder itself.
Open Command Prompt and type the following command to restart the Windows Update service, and press Enter:
```
net start wuauserv
```
Type the following command to restart the Background Intelligent Transfer Service, and press Enter:
```
net start bits
```
Restart your computer.
Try installing KB5132061 again from Windows Update.

Once you complete the steps, Windows Update should download the installation files again.

4. Install KB5132061 manually

If Windows Update keeps failing, you can download the standalone update package from the Microsoft Update Catalog and install it manually.

To download and install KB5132061 on Windows 11, follow these steps:

Open the Microsoft Update Catalog website.
Search for KB5132061.
Find the package that matches your Windows 11 version and system architecture.
Click the Download button for the appropriate package.
Click the download link in the window that appears to save the update package.
Open the downloaded file and follow the instructions to complete the installation.
Restart your computer if prompted.

When using this method, make sure you download the package that matches your Windows 11 version. The November update has different builds for versions 26H2, 25H2, and 24H2.

5. Check whether KB5132061 installed successfully

After trying one of these workarounds, you can verify whether the update installed successfully by checking your Windows version and build number.

To check the installed build, follow these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on System.
Click the About page.
Check the OS build number under the “Windows specifications” section.

The November 10, 2026, update installs the following builds.

Windows 11 26H2 – Build 26300.9974
Windows 11 25H2 – Build 26200.9974
Windows 11 24H2 – Build 26100.9974

If your computer reports the matching build number, the update KB5132061 is already installed on your computer.

Wrapping things up

The KB5132061 installation failures appear to affect some Windows 11 computers, but the reports don’t point to one specific cause. If Windows Sandbox is enabled, I recommend trying that workaround first, especially if the update fails repeatedly.

Have you experienced installation problems with Windows 11 KB5132061?

Yes, the update fails to install.

Yes, but it installed after several attempts.

No, the update installed successfully.

I haven't installed the update yet.

Voting closes: November 18, 2026 1:00 pm

If disabling Sandbox doesn’t help, repair the Windows 11 image, clear the Windows Update download cache, or install the package manually. You can also share the error code and the troubleshooting steps you’ve tried in the comments.

Thank you for your feedback!

Tell me why, so I can fix it