Windows 11 Users in SHOCK! 2 Major Bugs Plague Update (Upgrade & Photos Broken!)

This article details two critical bugs affecting Windows 11 users:

1. Upgrade Issue: Upgrading from Windows 11 Pro to Enterprise editions is currently broken due to an April update, causing an “Access denied” error.
2. Photos App Bug: Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2 experience a Photos app malfunction after a June 4th update. The app displays a loading icon and crashes for users with specific security policies.

CONTENTS: Windows 11 Users in SHOCK!

• Win 11 Pro to Enterprise upgrade broken
• Win 11 upgrade bug, Photos app broken

Windows 11 Users in SHOCK!  Win 11 Pro to Enterprise upgrade broken

Microsoft has acknowledged issues preventing Windows 11 Pro users from upgrading to Enterprise editions, documented under note KB5039212. This problem, highlighted in the June 11 Patch Tuesday update, actually originates from April. Despite being noted by The Register, it hasn’t yet appeared in the Windows 11 Release Health dashboard.

Users attempting the upgrade post-April update encounter an ‘Access denied error’ with error code 0x80070005. This error occurs within the LicenseAcquisition task in Task Scheduler, as indicated by the ‘Last Run Result’.

Skipping the update is not a viable option due to its inclusion of critical security fixes, such as resolving issues with BitLocker-protected systems not resuming after hibernation. Although there is no official fix for the Windows 11 upgrade issue yet, Microsoft is working on it, and a solution is expected in the next Windows update, which will arrive in a few weeks at the earliest.

This bug is particularly problematic for companies looking to upgrade their systems to Enterprise licenses as they expand their hardware.

Additionally, another issue has emerged for Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2 affecting the Photos app. Devices with the BlockNonAdminUserInstall policy active, which restricts new program installations to system administrators only, may experience the Photos app displaying a spinning circle and then disappearing after an update from the Windows Store as of June 4.

Using the Process Monitor tool may show an ‘Access Denied’ message with termination status -2147024891 upon process termination. This issue does not affect Windows Home edition users and remains unresolved.