Microsoft released its November 2025 cumulative update for Windows 11 on November 11, shipping new OS builds for both the 24H2 and 25H2 feature releases. KB5068861 pushes affected PCs to builds 26100.7171 (24H2) and 26200.7171 (25H2), and it packs more than the usual security hardening—a redesigned Start menu, colorful battery icons with a percentage readout, and a handful of reliability fixes are all part of the payload.

What’s Actually New in This Update

KB5068861 is a quality and security rollup that also carries forward features first tested in October’s preview builds. The most visible changes are:

  • Start menu overhaul: The update enables a new Start surface with category, grid, and list layout options, plus a promoted apps section. These tweaks were seeded in earlier previews and are now being enabled progressively via server-side gating, so not every PC will see them immediately after installing the patch.
  • Taskbar battery improvements: Laptop users get a colorful battery icon that can optionally display the exact charge percentage at a glance—a small but genuinely useful quality-of- life upgrade.
  • Reliability fixes: A Task Manager bug that left background processes running after closing the window has been squashed. Taskbar responsiveness gets a polish, and there are repairs for certain Storage Spaces scenarios.
  • Servicing stack update: The update includes an SSU (referenced as KB5067035 for the 26100 branch) that makes future updates more reliable. This is bundled directly into the catalog .msu files for offline deployment.
  • Updated AI components: The KB notes refreshed AI component versions, though details on their purpose remain thin.

As with all “B” releases, this cumulative contains the month’s security fixes—the full list of addressed CVEs is in Microsoft’s Security Update Guide.

How It Affects Your PC

For Home Users and Unmanaged Devices

If you’re running Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2 on a personal laptop or desktop, the simplest—and safest—path is through Windows Update. Microsoft uses express/differential payloads there, so your download will be significantly smaller than the full ~3.8 GB catalog package. Once installed, a restart confirms build 26100.7171 or 26200.7171. The new Start menu features might not light up right away; they’ll appear as the server-side gate opens for your device over the following days.

For IT Administrators and Imaging Teams

Managed fleets and air-gapped environments face a different set of considerations. Because this KB can’t be delivered via Windows Update in isolated networks, you’ll need to download the .msu files from the Microsoft Update Catalog and apply them with DISM or PowerShell. Microsoft explicitly documents two supported methods, and getting the order right is critical.

The SSU bundled inside the combined .msu is persistent: once installed, you can’t uninstall it with wusa /uninstall. Rollback plans that rely on simply removing the LCU must now account for this—image-level recovery or precise DISM package removal are your alternatives.

Dynamic Update packages for Setup and WinRE should also be refreshed when you integrate the update into install media. Mismatched setup binaries can cause in‑place upgrade failures, especially on air-gapped systems where online retrieval is blocked.

The Road to KB5068861

Microsoft’s 2025 servicing rhythm hasn’t changed: preview updates (like October’s KB5067036) test new features and fixes, and those items are then bundled into the following month’s mandatory security release. The Start menu work and battery icons are the latest examples of this “bake and gate” model—code ships in an update, but visibility is controlled server-side. It’s a strategy that lowers regression risk while giving enterprises time to test underlying binaries before features turn on for users.

KB5068861 also illustrates the now-familiar combined SSU+LCU packaging. By bundling the servicing stack into the same .msu, Microsoft ensures that even devices that missed a prior SSU get the foundation they need for future updates. The trade-off, as noted, is that disassembly becomes harder.

Your Action Plan for Installing the Update

Straightforward Path: Windows Update

  1. Open Settings → Windows Update.
  2. Click Check for updates. If KB5068861 is offered, download and install it.
  3. Restart your PC, then verify the build with winver or Settings → System → About.

If you don’t see the update, it may be in the early stages of Microsoft’s graduated rollout. Patience is the simplest fix.

For Offline or Scripted Deployments

When you must install from the catalog, Microsoft gives you two routes. The first is preferred because it avoids ordering mistakes.

Method 1: All .msu files in one folder (recommended)
- Download every .msu file associated with KB5068861 from the Microsoft Update Catalog and place them in a single folder, e.g., C:\Packages.
- Run an elevated command:
DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\Packages\Windows11.0-KB5068861-x64.msu
Or in PowerShell:
Add-WindowsPackage -Online -PackagePath "C:\Packages\Windows11.0-KB5068861-x64.msu"
- DISM automatically discovers and installs any prerequisite .msu files in the folder. Reboot when done.

Method 2: Install each .msu individually, in order
If your tooling forces you to proceed file by file, follow the exact sequence listed in the KB:
1. windows11.0-kb5043080-x64_*.msu (prerequisite)
2. windows11.0-kb5068861-x64_*.msu (main LCU)

Each can be applied with wusa.exe:

wusa.exe C:\Packages\windows11.0-kb5043080-x64.msu /quiet /norestart
wusa.exe C:\Packages\windows11.0-kb5068861-x64.msu /quiet /norestart

Double‑clicking these files interactively is less reliable; DISM is the more robust choice.

For offline image servicing (e.g., injecting into install.wim):

DISM /Image:mountdir /Add-Package /PackagePath:Windows11.0-KB5068861-x64.msu

Remember to also refresh Dynamic Update packages (SafeOS, Setup DU) for the same calendar month whenever possible.

Enterprise Rollout Checklist

  • [ ] Confirm baseline builds across pilot devices.
  • [ ] Capture system images for quick rollback—SSU persistence means wusa /uninstall won’t fully reverse the update.
  • [ ] Refresh install media with matching Dynamic Update packages and validate recovery scenarios (Reset this PC, cloud reinstall).
  • [ ] Pilot on representative hardware for 48–72 hours, monitoring key apps and event logs.
  • [ ] Expand rings only after successful telemetry.

What to Watch For

At publication time, Microsoft reported no known issues with KB5068861. However, regressions sometimes surface only after wider distribution. Keep an eye on the official Windows release health dashboard for any late-breaking advisories. The December 2025 Patch Tuesday will likely include additional refinements, and if history repeats, any post-install quirks discovered in the field will receive out-of-band fixes.

For most users, this update is a straightforward quality bump that quietly makes Windows 11 a little more polished. For admins, the persistent SSU and multi‑msu catalog layout are fresh reminders that deployment playbooks need updating. Install it through Windows Update if you can, and lean on DISM with all files in one folder when you can’t.