Is the Windows 11 KB5068861 Update Breaking PC? Here’s Your Ultimate Fix.

Why Won’t My PC Install the KB5068861 Update and How Can I Effortlessly Solve It?

The latest security update for Windows 11, known as KB5068861, is causing some issues for users. This update is important because it fixes many security holes, so it tries to install on its own. However, some computers are having trouble installing it, and others are experiencing problems with network searching and Bluetooth after the update.

If your computer is having these troubles, there are ways to fix them.

What to Do If the Update Won’t Install

Some people see error messages when the update tries to install. The most common errors have codes like 0x80070306, 0x800f081f, and 0x800f0983. If you see one of these, it means the update failed.

You can solve this in two main ways.

Use the Media Creation Tool

This is the most reliable fix. You can download this tool directly from Microsoft. It helps you install the latest version of Windows 11, including the new update. When you run it, make sure to choose the option to keep your files and apps. This way, you will not lose any of your data.

Try the Update Catalog

You can go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website and search for KB5068861. From there, you can download the update file directly and try to install it manually. This works for some, but the Media Creation Tool is a more certain solution.

Slow or Broken Search on a Network

This problem mostly affects people who use computers at a business or school. If you search for files stored on a shared network drive (using something called SMB), you might notice the search is now very slow. Sometimes, it shows no results at all.

This happens because the update changed how your computer searches on a network. It’s now trying to do all the work itself instead of using the network server’s faster, pre-built search list. This can be painfully slow if the network has many files.

Here are a few ways to fix a slow network search:

Reset Search with PowerShell

This command tells Windows to reset its search functions.

1. Open PowerShell as an administrator.
2. Copy and paste the following commands, pressing Enter after each one:

   Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience* | Reset-AppxPackage
   Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS* | Reset-AppxPackage
   Restart-Service WSearch

Rebuild the Search Index

This tells your computer to create a new, fresh list of all your files for searching.

1. Open the Control Panel and go to Indexing Options.
2. Click Advanced, then click the Rebuild button.
3. Be aware that this process can take a long time, especially if you have a lot of files.

How to Remove the Update

If the network search is completely broken or you are having other major issues, the best solution might be to remove the update.

Use the Settings App

This is the easiest method. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates. Find KB5068861 in the list and click Uninstall.

Use a Command Prompt

If you cannot uninstall it through Settings, you can use a command.

1. First, you may need to find the exact package name. Open PowerShell as an administrator and type: DISM /Online /Get-Packages. Look for a package name that contains 7171.
2. Then, to remove it, type DISM /Online /Remove-Package /PackageName:Package_for_RollupFix~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~26100.7171.1.16 (replace the package name with the one you found).
3. Restart your computer after the command is finished.

Removing the update will roll back the changes, but it also removes the security fixes. You may need to wait for Microsoft to release a new, fixed update.