New update didn’t finalise and now I can’t connect to internet via Ethernet to finish update

Question

Tried to update to version KB 5086672 last night and my computer never finalised the update. Now I have no internet via Ethernet or wireless and can’t update and have tried many ways to fix this

Answer 1

Hi Kevin Watson,

Please try uninstalling the problem update following this article: How to uninstall a Windows Update.

In case you cannot uninstall it under normal Windows environment, please try uninstalling it under Windows Recovery.

If you have any updated information, please feel free to let me know.

Answer 2

1

Click your Start Button, type cmd and choose Command Prompt

Run this command and hit Enter:

ipconfig /flushdns

Run this command and hit Enter:

ipconfig /registerdns

Run this command and hit Enter:

netsh winsock reset

Run this command and hit Enter:

netsh int ip reset

Close Command Prompt

Open the Settings App

Go to Network and Internet

Click the Network Reset button

Wait for your PC to automatically restart after 5 minutes, do not manually restart your PC.

2

If that process does not resolve the problem, right click your Start Button and open Device Manager.

Expand the Network Adapters section.

Please provide a screenshot of that full Device Manager window.

Answer 3

Follow these steps to restore connectivity and complete the update:

1. Restart and try to complete pending updates
   • Select Start > Power > choose Update and restart or Update and shut down if available. Many updates only finalize after a restart.
2. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter
   This can repair issues caused by the failed KB installation.
   1. Select Start > Settings > System.
   2. Select Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
   3. Locate Windows Update and select Run.
   4. Follow the on-screen instructions and then restart the PC.
3. Verify network is enabled in Settings
   Even without internet, check that Windows still sees the adapters:
   1. Select Start > Settings > Network & Internet.
   2. Check Wi‑Fi and Ethernet status. If disconnected, reconnect to your Wi‑Fi or Ethernet network when available.
      If the toggles or adapters are missing, continue with the driver steps below.
4. Uninstall and reinstall the Ethernet adapter driver
   If the update corrupted the network driver, reinstalling it can restore connectivity. Before doing this, if possible, download the latest network driver from the PC or motherboard manufacturer on another device and copy it to a USB drive.
   1. Select Search on the taskbar, type Device Manager, and open it.
   2. Expand Network adapters and locate the Ethernet adapter.
   3. Right‑click it and select Uninstall device.
   4. Check Attempt to remove the driver for this device and select Uninstall.
   5. Select Start > Power > Restart.
      After restart, Windows will automatically try to reinstall the driver. If it does not, install the backup driver from the USB.
5. Repeat for Wi‑Fi adapter if needed
   If Wi‑Fi also disappeared or does not work, repeat the same Uninstall device / restart process for the wireless network adapter under Network adapters.
6. Clear Windows Update cache and retry the update (after network is back)
   Once internet access is restored, clear the update cache in case KB 5086672 files are corrupted:
   1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
   2. Find Windows Update, right‑click, select Stop.
   3. Go to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution.
   4. Delete all files and folders inside this directory.
   5. In Services, right‑click Windows Update again and select Start.
   6. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security (or Windows Update in Windows 11) > Check for updates, then download and install updates again.

If the update continues to fail after these steps, repeat the Windows Update troubleshooter and check for specific error codes in Windows Update history, then follow the matching guidance for that code.

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References:

• Fix Ethernet connection problems in Windows
• Troubleshoot problems updating Windows