Overview
- Microsoft says the out-of-band KB5085516 resolves the false connectivity and sign-in errors and is available for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2, bringing builds to 26200.8039 and 26100.8039.
- The fault originated with the March 10 cumulative update KB5079473, which prompted messages like “You’ll need the Internet for this” during Microsoft account sign-ins despite an active connection.
- Apps affected included Teams, OneDrive, Outlook, Edge, Copilot, and Office, with failures in online features such as OneDrive sync, font downloads, and templates while offline editing still worked.
- The fix is optional and not set to auto-install, so impacted users should check Windows Update or obtain the .msu packages from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
- Microsoft recommended a restart workaround for those unable to update immediately and clarified that organizations using Entra ID authentication were not affected, as the company moved to patch the issue days after promising better Windows reliability.