Windows 11’s January 2024 update (KB5034123), the year’s first update, won’t install for some people, and nobody knows why. Microsoft’s official documentation suggests the company isn’t aware of the installation issues, which have been widely reported across its forum.
As first spotted by Windows Latest, this month’s big security KB5034123 for Windows 11 is unable to install due to vague error messages, with 0x800f081f being highlighted by more users. In Feedback Hub, users also flagged other installation errors like 0x80188309.
One user explained that they tried running Troubleshooter, but it didn’t work, and the update still wouldn’t get installed. It’s unclear what’s preventing the installation, but we’ve received reports from many users claiming that it’s nearly impossible to install Windows 11’s January 2024 update.
One Reddit user wrote: “The newest update that I’m aware of (KB5034123) refuses to install no matter what steps of troubleshooting are followed. Looking in my update history, this update has been trying to install since it was released and failing for no discernible reason”.
In some cases, the update reaches around 25%, and installation fails with the following error message:
“2024-01 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5034123) – Download error – 0x80248014”.
In our tests, the update installs without issues, but it seems to cause audio stuttering when playing games or streaming Netflix.
One user on Feedback Hub also reported experiencing similar issues, and an automated response in the app says the company has received the feedback. Another user on Feedback Hub pointed out potential audio problems after installing the Windows 11’s security update.
How to fix Windows 11 KB5034123 installation issues
If you’re having problems installing the Windows 11 KB5034123 security update, you may need to perform an in-place upgrade.
In most cases, installing the update using Microsoft Update Catalog doesn’t work, so performing an in-place upgrade using Windows 11 ISO or Media Creation Tool is a better idea.
To fix issues with KB5034123, try the following steps:
- Install the Media Creation Tool from the Microsoft website.
- You can now run the Media Creation Tool, choose “Create installation media for another PC”, and click Next. You can create an ISO file and allow the app to download the required files.
- Once done, run the setup.exe and select “Upgrade this PC now”. Ensure “Keep personal files and apps” is also specified, ensuring nothing happens to your files or apps.
If you followed the process correctly, your WIndows installation will be refreshed, and the computer will restart several times.
Finally, you can head to Settings again and try installing the updates. This time, you can install the January 2024 update smoothly.
As with all Windows update issues, not every user is experiencing them.
Microsoft is likely aware of the reports, as the company has already acknowledged issues with Windows 10 and Windows Server 2022 updates.
